Ysbryd.

I live in Mid Wales, part of the United Kingdom. While this site is based in NZ it seems that the questions and answers are pretty much universal when it comes to small holdings.
I'm relatively new to small holding having fallen into it pretty much by accident seven years back.
My place is at low altitude (150 meters) but unlikely to flood as I'm on a low hillside with a flood plane on the other side of the river.
I have only 7 acres, much of that is orchard and gently sloping paddock but there is woodland surrounding me on three sides with a river on one boundary. My soil is largely clay with one spit deep of good topsoil. Not really suited to arable but excellent grazing. I keep Ouessant wethers, Kune kunes, mixed poultry and a few hives of honey bees. There is little chance of ever truly making a living off this place so I also take what work I can, often forestry.

There is also a huge potential for gathering and I've spent a lot of time introducing edibles such as fruiting trees such as damson and cherry plum into my hedgerows.

I shoot and fish but only take what I can use, I try to tread lightly as I walk through the world.

That sounds idyllic! Mid Wales isn't huge; which bit? My partner's lot came from Brecon out to Dunedin originally, although the family is English in origin.

Legislative restrictions are the big difference between here and there and some of our practices might seem pretty loose in comparison.

What's your annual rainfall? When I spent some time in Wales, all it did was rain!

Welcome to the forum.

Hi, I'm not far north of Brecon. It is the rain factory of the entire UK...lol. We have reservoirs here that serve the whole population of the UK's midlands. Having said that we don't get such extreme changes...not the four seasons in one day scenario. I'm very near the Epynt which is a small range of mountains which the Army use to train on, these mountains shield us from the more extreme weather.

You will find plent of us on here who used to be from the UK, so can give advice more relative to the UK climate, plus not all part of NZ are warm and sunny and some areas rainfall make Wales look a desert

Welcome. Can you please post some pictures of your hedgerows?

Welcome Ysbryd. I moved to NZ from England 5 years ago. I'm sure you'll be able to find some useful ideas here - and be able to contribute yourself.