Newsletter March 2008
NWS Food Link will be holding a seed exchange event at Durness Hall on Sunday 16th March, 12 till 2. Recently the concept of “Seedy Sundays” has emerged where seed swapping sessions can take
place and this is the basis of our event at Durness.
Our Seedy Sunday will involve traditional or home grown seeds. We would like you bring along all the excess seed that is at the bottom of your seed box to swap and give other people the chance to try a few seeds from different varieties without the need to purchase whole seed packets . Simply put your seeds in a labelled envelope and bring them along.
If you don’t have seeds to swap then come along anyway. I am sure alternative exchanges can be made and there will be lots of other things of interest to see and do. There will be cuttings for sale or swap, (certainly willows and poplars), a seed sowing demonstration, seed potatoes, onion sets, composts and plant pots for sale. As usual the Food Link will be doing its acclaimed café, with tasty soups made from local veg, home made bread, teas and coffees and homebaking.
Even though this isn’t the Tattie Fest, Mr (Seed) Potato Head might make a guest appearance and the countryside ranger will be making bird seed cakes too. Entry free.
Food Link prepares for its 3rd season.
The Seedy Sunday event in Durness will be the openingevent of the Food Links 3rd year, how time flies. Despite the awful summer, last year we increased the amount of food sold and we will be trying to build on that in 2008. There will be a small quantity of veg for sale on the 16th but our season will begin in earnest in May when we will be having plant sales and hopefully some early Salad crops. From then onwards we will be running stalls whenever there is produce to sell.
We will be changing the way we do things this year, (we are learning as we go along!) In the last two years the Food Link stall has attended the major events (Highland Games etc) but this year we are intending to set up a permanent rota of days and sites so that our customers will always know when and where to find us. We hope to publish a full schedule around June. The one thing the Food Link needs is more produce to sell to meet the demand for local fresh food. If you are new to Food Links then this is how it works; we will collect and sell your goods through the market
stall for a commission of 20% of the sale price. It doesn’t matter what scale of grower you are. If you have excess produce we would be interested in selling it for you. We also sell locally made products such as jams and chutneys which are always in great demand, and we would consider selling any other locally made food product. The only stipulation is that you join our Producer Group, which cost £10 per annum and runs from May each year.
As well as transporting and selling goods we can also help with training, advice and sharing the experiences of other producers in the area. The Food Link stall is our way of making a market for local produce, but it is also an avertisement for local food. We are constantly being approached by business and individuals looking to purchase fresh local produce directly from producers and we are happy to facilitate this.
Being a member of the Food Link does not oblige you to sell your goods through the stall, our main priority is to increase the quantity (and quality) of fresh food available in the area and we are happy to help anyone trying to do this.
Contact Phil Taylor, Food Link Business Manager on 01641 521345 or email admin@nwsfoodlink.co.uk and the very best of luck to everyone growing this year.
A Blank Canvas and Plenty of Enthusiasm, Penny Shaylor.
Last year I was fortunate to be accepted on the new HILFN Local Apprenticeship in Horticulture course, learning everything from market research and business plans, to propagating seedlings and ploughing! I joined eleven others
at Newbold House in Forres, each of us having come from crofts and farms across the Highlands and Islands, each with different requirements of what we wanted from the course.
I had been given the chance to turn several acres of uphill, wet grassland into a thriving croft and business! My tools were a garden spade and fork, several packets of seeds and a few pots, and croftland with a typical acidic soil. So without a magic wand to hand, off I went to Forres last February, armed with pad, pen and enthusiasm.
So, where do I start to explain in just a few words how much each session motivated me to start to develop my new business. Over the next eleven sessions I listened to the ideas, motivation and knowledge of many visiting lecturers alongside visits to several crofts and farms each with their own individuality. Depending on the size of our own croft or
farm, we spent many hours at either Cullerne Gardens, Findhorn (smaller scale horticulture) or Earth share, Rafford (a large field!) both near Forres. Both sites are totally organic and supply a large variety of vegetables and fruit to the local areas. But they provided us with the excellent hands on experiences, from planting seeds in the polytunnels of Cullerne, to tractor driving and ploughing at Earthshare.
We visited a farm growing strawberries and other fruits on a grand scale, a herb garden growing plants for medicinal use, a new but thriving farm offering an organic vegetable box scheme, a jam factory, an apple garden, businesses on
the Isle of Skye, and many more. Our lectures varied from how to conduct market research, what to include on a business plan, what soil types we have, how to kill those unwanted pests (organically, of course), which hoe to use, why use biodynamics or conventional growing methods, how and where to buy seed. The variety and diversity of topics
was endless.
So my blank canvas has changed over the months with vegetables grown and plans written. I am now one of only eight people in the UK to complete the course, with a certificate to prove it, but I can strongly recommend the course for anyone who wishes to develop horticulture on their croft or farm. More info at www.highlocalfood.net or 01381 600525.
Training & advice Sessions
On the 28th and 29th March the Food Link is running training and advisory sessions. These sessions will be led by Calina MacDonald, production advisor to Highlands & Islands Local Food Network. Calina, along with her husband Donald, run a horticulture business from their croft in Skye, (as well as cattle and Sheep).
Calina for many years was the Coordinator of the Skye & Lochalsh Horticultural Development Association where she was responsible for encouraging and training local growers, running the famous Portree Market, setting up the Skye Food Link Van service and many other things. She has an enormous wealth of practical experience in crofting agriculture, from soils to machinery, legislation to marketing. The outline plan for the days will be a presentation by Calina in the mornings and the afternoons given over to individual or group advice, possibly on site. Venue to be arranged and there will be one day each on the north and west coast. This will be tremendous opportunity for anyone growing for sale or thinking of starting to do so. Call 01641 521345 or email admin@nwsfoodlink.co.uk for more details.
Saving Traditional Varieties is Important.
Seedy Sundays is becoming a popular idea amongst community gardening groups. The idea behind seed exchanges is to get people to swap unusual varieties of plants that are not commercially available and so helping to maintain the
current level of plant biodiversity.
There are thousands of such varieties and they are being lost at an alarming rate due to changing patterns of how we live. Very few people grow there own food anymore, but the biggest threat to traditional seed varieties is the regulations that govern the sale of seeds. It is illegal to sell any seed that is not on “The National Seed Register” and to register a seed costs thousands of pounds annually.
Due to these rules seed companies are only prepared to register seeds that sell in large quantities; generally these varieties are bred for commercial production using high tech farming methods with large inputs of fertiliser and herbicides. Traditional varieties on the other hand have been selected by gardeners, and are adapted to local conditions.
Adaptation to local soils and climate is more important for the small grower and because these varieties have been selected by the gardeners, taste comes high on in the selection criteria. The only way for non registered varieties to be
maintained is through ordinary gardeners and enthusiasts who save there own seed and share it with others. There are now networks of ordinary gardeners keeping these varieties alive and a few specialist heritage seed suppliers such as Heritage Veg and Future Foods plus organisations such as the HDRA who have a Heritage Seed Library and Seed savers club. Once these varieties have become extinct then part of our food genetic diversity is lost forever.
If you know of varieties local to the north west, (including potatoes) then we would especially like to see you at Seedy Sunday, or if you cannot make that, get in touch with Food Link.
If you are interested in saving your own seed and would like some guidance I can recommend “The Seed Savers Handbook” by Michael Fanton. Good Luck.
Indoor Propagation, a few hints for successful germination.
Having got into some bad habits which gave poor results, I went back to basics on seed sowing a couple of years ago, to good effect.
1. Use good quality compost, home made compost is good for everything except seed sowing. Home made compost is full of weeds and probably quite acidic and therefore no good for germination.
2. Water your compost and let it drain before sowing your seeds. The best way is to stand full seed trays in shallow
water for 20 minutes and then leave it to drain thoroughly, overnight is fine and then sow the seeds.
3. Don’t sow seeds too deeply; tiny seed such as basil hardly needs any covering. The general rule is “sow seed to its own depth in fine compost”.
4. Don’t put too much seed in a tray as crowding causes competition, leggy-ness, weak plants and disease.
5. Gently press the seed into the compost so that it is in contact with it, not floating on top of, or sitting in a hole in the compost. If the seeds are covered, gently press the whole surface with something flat, seeds need good contact with the compost.
A simple propagation bench.
This simple propagating bench, it is about 5x2 feet, a simple wooden tray with a polythene liner. The cable is relatively cheap. Thermostats to control the temperature are not so cheap, I use a digital max/min thermometer and an ordinary domestic timer on the supply. It doesn’t take long to get it running smoothly. The optimum temperature is 18 to 21°C, but this isn’t crucial. The capillary matting keeps trays and seedlings watered from below
Food Link Tattie Fest 2007.
As we are planning for the new year it seems along time ago now that the Food Link closed the 2007 season with its 2nd Tattie Fest in Lochinver. Despite the stormy November day the hall was packed. People had come for the great food made principally from locally grown produce, entertainment, games for the kids, and the Food Link stall which had 15 varieties of potatoes plus veg for sale. it will soon be time to do it all again. Here is a big thankyou to all the people who helped and everyone who braved the elements to have a very enjoyable afternoon.
Introduction to Beekeeping course.
Sat 15th March, Durness Primary School, from 1030. For details contact the North West Training Centre on 01971 521238, email northwest.tc@virgin.net
Our Seedy Sunday will involve traditional or home grown seeds. We would like you bring along all the excess seed that is at the bottom of your seed box to swap and give other people the chance to try a few seeds from different varieties without the need to purchase whole seed packets . Simply put your seeds in a labelled envelope and bring them along.
If you don’t have seeds to swap then come along anyway. I am sure alternative exchanges can be made and there will be lots of other things of interest to see and do. There will be cuttings for sale or swap, (certainly willows and poplars), a seed sowing demonstration, seed potatoes, onion sets, composts and plant pots for sale. As usual the Food Link will be doing its acclaimed café, with tasty soups made from local veg, home made bread, teas and coffees and homebaking.
Even though this isn’t the Tattie Fest, Mr (Seed) Potato Head might make a guest appearance and the countryside ranger will be making bird seed cakes too. Entry free.
Food Link prepares for its 3rd season.
The Seedy Sunday event in Durness will be the openingevent of the Food Links 3rd year, how time flies. Despite the awful summer, last year we increased the amount of food sold and we will be trying to build on that in 2008. There will be a small quantity of veg for sale on the 16th but our season will begin in earnest in May when we will be having plant sales and hopefully some early Salad crops. From then onwards we will be running stalls whenever there is produce to sell.
We will be changing the way we do things this year, (we are learning as we go along!) In the last two years the Food Link stall has attended the major events (Highland Games etc) but this year we are intending to set up a permanent rota of days and sites so that our customers will always know when and where to find us. We hope to publish a full schedule around June. The one thing the Food Link needs is more produce to sell to meet the demand for local fresh food. If you are new to Food Links then this is how it works; we will collect and sell your goods through the market
stall for a commission of 20% of the sale price. It doesn’t matter what scale of grower you are. If you have excess produce we would be interested in selling it for you. We also sell locally made products such as jams and chutneys which are always in great demand, and we would consider selling any other locally made food product. The only stipulation is that you join our Producer Group, which cost £10 per annum and runs from May each year.
As well as transporting and selling goods we can also help with training, advice and sharing the experiences of other producers in the area. The Food Link stall is our way of making a market for local produce, but it is also an avertisement for local food. We are constantly being approached by business and individuals looking to purchase fresh local produce directly from producers and we are happy to facilitate this.
Being a member of the Food Link does not oblige you to sell your goods through the stall, our main priority is to increase the quantity (and quality) of fresh food available in the area and we are happy to help anyone trying to do this.
Contact Phil Taylor, Food Link Business Manager on 01641 521345 or email admin@nwsfoodlink.co.uk and the very best of luck to everyone growing this year.
A Blank Canvas and Plenty of Enthusiasm, Penny Shaylor.
Last year I was fortunate to be accepted on the new HILFN Local Apprenticeship in Horticulture course, learning everything from market research and business plans, to propagating seedlings and ploughing! I joined eleven others
at Newbold House in Forres, each of us having come from crofts and farms across the Highlands and Islands, each with different requirements of what we wanted from the course.
I had been given the chance to turn several acres of uphill, wet grassland into a thriving croft and business! My tools were a garden spade and fork, several packets of seeds and a few pots, and croftland with a typical acidic soil. So without a magic wand to hand, off I went to Forres last February, armed with pad, pen and enthusiasm.
So, where do I start to explain in just a few words how much each session motivated me to start to develop my new business. Over the next eleven sessions I listened to the ideas, motivation and knowledge of many visiting lecturers alongside visits to several crofts and farms each with their own individuality. Depending on the size of our own croft or
farm, we spent many hours at either Cullerne Gardens, Findhorn (smaller scale horticulture) or Earth share, Rafford (a large field!) both near Forres. Both sites are totally organic and supply a large variety of vegetables and fruit to the local areas. But they provided us with the excellent hands on experiences, from planting seeds in the polytunnels of Cullerne, to tractor driving and ploughing at Earthshare.
We visited a farm growing strawberries and other fruits on a grand scale, a herb garden growing plants for medicinal use, a new but thriving farm offering an organic vegetable box scheme, a jam factory, an apple garden, businesses on
the Isle of Skye, and many more. Our lectures varied from how to conduct market research, what to include on a business plan, what soil types we have, how to kill those unwanted pests (organically, of course), which hoe to use, why use biodynamics or conventional growing methods, how and where to buy seed. The variety and diversity of topics
was endless.
So my blank canvas has changed over the months with vegetables grown and plans written. I am now one of only eight people in the UK to complete the course, with a certificate to prove it, but I can strongly recommend the course for anyone who wishes to develop horticulture on their croft or farm. More info at www.highlocalfood.net or 01381 600525.
Training & advice Sessions
On the 28th and 29th March the Food Link is running training and advisory sessions. These sessions will be led by Calina MacDonald, production advisor to Highlands & Islands Local Food Network. Calina, along with her husband Donald, run a horticulture business from their croft in Skye, (as well as cattle and Sheep).
Calina for many years was the Coordinator of the Skye & Lochalsh Horticultural Development Association where she was responsible for encouraging and training local growers, running the famous Portree Market, setting up the Skye Food Link Van service and many other things. She has an enormous wealth of practical experience in crofting agriculture, from soils to machinery, legislation to marketing. The outline plan for the days will be a presentation by Calina in the mornings and the afternoons given over to individual or group advice, possibly on site. Venue to be arranged and there will be one day each on the north and west coast. This will be tremendous opportunity for anyone growing for sale or thinking of starting to do so. Call 01641 521345 or email admin@nwsfoodlink.co.uk for more details.
Saving Traditional Varieties is Important.
Seedy Sundays is becoming a popular idea amongst community gardening groups. The idea behind seed exchanges is to get people to swap unusual varieties of plants that are not commercially available and so helping to maintain the
current level of plant biodiversity.
There are thousands of such varieties and they are being lost at an alarming rate due to changing patterns of how we live. Very few people grow there own food anymore, but the biggest threat to traditional seed varieties is the regulations that govern the sale of seeds. It is illegal to sell any seed that is not on “The National Seed Register” and to register a seed costs thousands of pounds annually.
Due to these rules seed companies are only prepared to register seeds that sell in large quantities; generally these varieties are bred for commercial production using high tech farming methods with large inputs of fertiliser and herbicides. Traditional varieties on the other hand have been selected by gardeners, and are adapted to local conditions.
Adaptation to local soils and climate is more important for the small grower and because these varieties have been selected by the gardeners, taste comes high on in the selection criteria. The only way for non registered varieties to be
maintained is through ordinary gardeners and enthusiasts who save there own seed and share it with others. There are now networks of ordinary gardeners keeping these varieties alive and a few specialist heritage seed suppliers such as Heritage Veg and Future Foods plus organisations such as the HDRA who have a Heritage Seed Library and Seed savers club. Once these varieties have become extinct then part of our food genetic diversity is lost forever.
If you know of varieties local to the north west, (including potatoes) then we would especially like to see you at Seedy Sunday, or if you cannot make that, get in touch with Food Link.
If you are interested in saving your own seed and would like some guidance I can recommend “The Seed Savers Handbook” by Michael Fanton. Good Luck.
Indoor Propagation, a few hints for successful germination.
Having got into some bad habits which gave poor results, I went back to basics on seed sowing a couple of years ago, to good effect.
1. Use good quality compost, home made compost is good for everything except seed sowing. Home made compost is full of weeds and probably quite acidic and therefore no good for germination.
2. Water your compost and let it drain before sowing your seeds. The best way is to stand full seed trays in shallow
water for 20 minutes and then leave it to drain thoroughly, overnight is fine and then sow the seeds.
3. Don’t sow seeds too deeply; tiny seed such as basil hardly needs any covering. The general rule is “sow seed to its own depth in fine compost”.
4. Don’t put too much seed in a tray as crowding causes competition, leggy-ness, weak plants and disease.
5. Gently press the seed into the compost so that it is in contact with it, not floating on top of, or sitting in a hole in the compost. If the seeds are covered, gently press the whole surface with something flat, seeds need good contact with the compost.
A simple propagation bench.
This simple propagating bench, it is about 5x2 feet, a simple wooden tray with a polythene liner. The cable is relatively cheap. Thermostats to control the temperature are not so cheap, I use a digital max/min thermometer and an ordinary domestic timer on the supply. It doesn’t take long to get it running smoothly. The optimum temperature is 18 to 21°C, but this isn’t crucial. The capillary matting keeps trays and seedlings watered from below
Food Link Tattie Fest 2007.
As we are planning for the new year it seems along time ago now that the Food Link closed the 2007 season with its 2nd Tattie Fest in Lochinver. Despite the stormy November day the hall was packed. People had come for the great food made principally from locally grown produce, entertainment, games for the kids, and the Food Link stall which had 15 varieties of potatoes plus veg for sale. it will soon be time to do it all again. Here is a big thankyou to all the people who helped and everyone who braved the elements to have a very enjoyable afternoon.
Introduction to Beekeeping course.
Sat 15th March, Durness Primary School, from 1030. For details contact the North West Training Centre on 01971 521238, email northwest.tc@virgin.net
