Local food produce

A three night stay in Inverness was the base for a study visit to the Highlands, to see how they successfully made growing local produce work. We were able to visit a diverse range of sites that were either growing local produce as a business or as a Community project. Jo Hunt who is the executive Director and Network leader from the Highlands and Islands local food network took us all around to see the various producers, and shared a lot of information with us.

THE NATURAL VEG CO.

This is a small private business owned by Maggie and Neil Sutherland. Maggie works the 6 acre site on her own with one paid member of staff during the 8 months of cropping. Currently she has 2 volunteers from WOOF (WORLD WIDE OPPORTUNITIES ON ORGANIC FARMS)

They bought the land 4 years ago with nothing but horses having lived on the very stony ground. They lived in a Caravan while Neil whose business is building eco wooden houses with turf roofs built them a home.

During the first year, Maggie sold her produce while her ground was in conversion, by May 05, she was fully organic.

Initially she had 1 Poly tunnel. She decided to write to 25 local hotels and restaurants, enclosing a survey, asking if they would support a local box scheme, how much and how often they would require produce and what varieties. She had 6 replies and 5 were positive. She decided to supply those businesses and also a “Box Scheme” to 300 local Households.

She started off with second hand machinery which cost around £4000.

In her 1^st season she supplied 5 hotels and 1 wholesaler, and her income was £4000. In the second she started to do more outdoor crops, and her income was £6000. In her 3^rd year she made £9000, and her projected income for the 4^th year is £12000.

She now hopes to cut down on the produce sold to the wholesaler as there is not much profit there, and wants to concentrate more on the box scheme. She is going to target local offices and deliver to them at their place of work.

In the first Poly tunnel which has a high humidity she grows various varieties of salad leaves, herbs, celery, French beans.

In the second Poly tunnel, which has a lower humidity she grows Courgettes, Beetroot, tomatoes, and basil.By the sides of the Poly tunnels, there are Strawberries, and more herbs like Fennel, chives etc.

Her outdoor crops are on a 7 year rotation, and are Peas/beans, mange tout, sugar snap peas, broad beans, and 6 varieties of potatoes.

There are also Onions, outdoor lettuce, Carrots, parsnips, squash, celeriac, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and red cabbage.

She puts nutrients into the soil, and uses green manure, and is about to try Buckwheat.

Maggie has to be certified Organic to be able to sell Organic food boxes.

Maggie keeps 3 pigs which help turnover the ground and make it ready for planting.

Particpants comments:-

Excellent, very impressed, liked her enthusiasm and dedication.

Inspiring, a city girl that has now took on a grand scale of gardening.

INVERNESS ACADEMY-

REAL- this is a project for children that have behavioural problems, it stands for Real Education Active Lives. This is to help improve their skills and confidence. It started out of a school project for healthy eating and grew from there, and they want to expand it to include experience for work. This year was the first year and started off with 5 children two of whom dropped out, so Iain has been working with three. It runs for the academic year.

They have registered themselves as a Community interest co. and therefore hopefully will be able to make a profit that can then be ploughed back into the project. The children are given an incentive of £50 a week, and the project has shown an improvement in their behaviour. They have 1 member of staff who is in charge of the project and the children involved.

They currently market their produce at local farmers markets, the school staff and parents. The Farmers markets have been a good public face for the project. Iains advice to any would be Veg growers is “start off with an area that you can manage, and add to it as you become more confident”.

Participants comments- Has great potential, needs more support, offered good advice.

EARTHSHARE

Earthshare is a Community supported agriculture (CSA) project. They have been around for 15 years, and rent 12 acres of land off a local farmer.It was set up in 1994 and is one of the longest running and most successful CSAs in Britain. They have 4 Poly tunnels and ½ acre to grow soft fruits. Earthshare are supporting around 800 people with their box scheme on a weekly basis.

EarthShare aims to produce wholesome affordable produce, and is committed to putting people back in touch with the seasons and how their food is grown. Subscribers make a commitment for a year at a time, and during that year they receive an equal share of whatever is harvested. They have the option to pay in advance or by monthly standing order. Unlike many CSAs, EarthShare distributes a box of vegetables weekly throughout the entire year (fuller in late summer/autumn, leaner in spring/early summer).

Their organisation works as it is made up of stakeholders, who are tied in for 52 weeks a year. The stakeholders pay up front for the year for their box scheme. This works well as the growers know their customers and how much produce that they have to produce, and also how much money they have coming in and find that this cuts down on admin. The stakeholders are encouraged to come and work on the farm therefore cutting down on the labour. In return the stakeholders get their veg box for a slightly reduced rate. Every year they survey their users to see what works etc, they also have a yearly meeting when everyone can get together and discuss the project. An average weekly box will contain 2 root vegetables, 2 cabbage, 1 allium and a variety of seasonal veg/fruit. Produce is distributed via weekly boxes, collected by subscribers at three pick up points in the area.

Earthshare believes that this project builds Communities, as they are encouraged to take part at 3 particularly busy times of the year which are hand weeding, fruit picking and potato picking. They also hold festivals at various times of the year, for example at Spring they will all get together and bless the land, then eat together and play music.

They also keep animals on the land to help with weed control. Earthshare employs 2 ½ full time workers, 2 part time admin workers, and the rest of the workforce are volunteers. They supply 200 households (800 people).

Everything is planted on 29 inch ridges as this found to be easier for weeding. All produce is grown on a 7 year rotation.

Founder Earthshare farmer, Mathis, has now set up his own CSA in Spain - Fruitshare. Earthshare is happy to provide a link to this CSA, as each summer Mathis delivers fresh Mediterranean Fruit and Olives to the Highlands.

Advice from Earthshare worker Nick is “only take on what you are able, and then increase”

Participants comments- Very nice approachable man, huge site, very impressive as is all year round box scheme.

GLACHBEG CROFT

Glachbeg is an example of farm diversification. This couple bought the croft with the idea of having a working classroom for local schools to access. Glachbeg Croft Education Centre is part of a six hectare croft on the Black Isle, four miles north of Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland . The Centre offers exciting hands on context for delivery of the school curriculum as well as community events and training for adults with special needs.

As this is a business on a registered croft they have been eligible for various educational and vocational grants.

Participants comments- Misdirected, initial vision still fighting to achieve, come up against a lot of barriers.

Good for ewe are a group of people in and around Poolewe, in Wester Ross, with an interest in growing and selling local food. They have leased land from a local crofter who is a member of the group. This land has been divided into a number of allotments which costs about £20 per year for each plot. Members grow individually, but the selling and marketing is done co-operatively.

They also have 2 Keder poly tunnels for undercover growing in allotments and also a community garden which brings in the revenue.

Their vision is to operate a local shop selling their produce and also to run a box scheme for local and tourist/self-catering clients. They provide affordable fresh fruit and vegetables to the local community and participate in educational events. They sell at the local farmers market in Poolewe which is every Tuesday.

Initially they had 3 year funding of around £150K from various agencies including The New Opportunities Fund (lottery), and also their Local Enterprise group. This has enabled them to employ 4 part time workers.

Here in the Highlands the local national health service has been piloting a project called “active prescriptions”- this is when GP’s can issue patients a voucher which allows them to have a £8 box of fresh vegetables for £2. This has ensured that people on low incomes or patients with heart disease etc can access fresh veg and the producers do not loose out either as the NHS fund the difference in the price. This project is currently under evaluation.

Participants comments- Inspired to try cut flowers in the Poly tunnel.

Good concept, dedicated workforce.

Lochbroom and Ullapool Growers (LUGG)

Lugg was originally set up as community based project to grow affordable food for the local community within the boundaries of Ullapool. Their aim is to promote the production and distribution of locally grown produce and to provide the facilities/land for those in the community from disadvantaged areas or housing with small or inadequate gardens.

We met local grower and Chair of the group Simon Calder at the groups newly acquired piece of land which was 8 miles outside of Ullapool. He enthusiastically told us all about the group and the fact that presently they just grow in their own gardens, but now thanks to a London solicitor that has recently purchased a huge estate with the intention of developing it into holiday accommodation they were able to obtain the walled garden on an annual/renewable basis. They are desperately trying to acquire land on the edge of Ullapool which is by a new housing estate with the intention of turning it into allotments for the residents of the new housing. They also hold regular farmers market at the Seaforth Car Park which they manage to have rent free, which allows them to keep the stall costs down. They have also put in an application to the Highland regional council for a 3 year contract for green kerb side garden waste collection. This will create a steady cash flow, create compost and create a part time position.

Participants comments-

Impressed with Simons perseverance.

Allotments in towns in the Highlands, still having to educate people how to grow??

Overall comments about the trip are-

A diverse itinerary, but can take bits from each producer. Excellent trip

Inspiring, want to encourage other people and get them to grab the vision.

Very useful trip.

Conclusion

The group found the trip very interesting, informative and extremely inspiring. The visit consisted of a diverse range of local food production, and we were able to take something away from each place. The next steps would be to:-

Source funding for future projects
Speak to interested groups/individuals
Continue to network with Network leader from the Highlands and Islands local food network
Encourage membership of the Shetland Organic producers Group
Participants to commence on their individual projects, I@te to support.
Book Pete Glanville to come and speak to locally interested groups/individuals