Events

Let’s Liberate Diversity Forum - March 2012

The Let’s Liberate Diversity forum is an annual gathering of farmers and associations from all across Europe, brought together in a European seed network. The next forum is the seventh and will take place in Strathpeffer from 9-11 March 2012.

The theme of next year’s event is Celebrating Crofter’s Seeds and Breeds and how these contribute to sustainable land use, agricultural biodiversity and the high nature value of the crofting counties also known as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

The draft programme includes a poster exhibition, seed exchange, film festival, and workshops on Keeping seeds alive: linking on-farm and ex situ (genebank) conservation and use; EU legislation on seeds; Alliances with consumers and environmentalists;  Sustaining Native Breeds and North-South Exchange of pastoralists; The international agenda: international treaty on plant genetic Resources, Earth Summit 2012; Realising food sovereignty  struggles for land, diversity and farmers' rights.

 

 

The event is being organised by the European Coordination of Let’s Liberate Diversity in conjunction with the Scottish Crofting Federation, Heritage Seed Library/Garden Organic, Practical Action and other members of the UK food group . With support from the EU.

For more information please see: LLD2012en.pdf
Or visit the LLD7 website.

 

Meeting with MP John Thurso - Rogart

Kyle of Sutehrland and East Sutherland Branches

Public meeting with John Thurso MP

"A timetable to Prosperity"

19.30 Tuesday, 20 Dec 2011

Pittentrail Hall, Rogart Non members welcome

 

Support for Crofting Agriculture - What Next?

A One-day Conference organised by Skye & Lochalsh Environment Forum, the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation

Plockton Village Hall

9:00 am to 5:00 pm on 12th December 2011

The European Union recently launched a public consultation on their proposals for review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which will come into effect in 2014. The CAP underpins all state financial support mechanisms for agriculture in the EC and has over the past ten years or so been embodied by Single Farm Payment, the Scottish Rural Development Programme and previously the Rural Stewardship Scheme. Crofting agriculture is agreed generally to be at best marginal, and typically uneconomic, but at the same time it sustains rural populations across a large part of Scotland and maintains nationally and internationally important landscapes, habitats and species. Recent support structures have been criticised as being unwieldy, overly bureaucratic and poorly targeted for application at the crofting scale. This conference aims to debate how best to effect change to ensure appropriate support measures are in place to protect and enhance crofting agriculture in the next CAP period. Come along and have your say. It really does matter!

Support_for_Crofting_Agriculture.pdf

 

Trees a valuable resource, Woodland Management and Biomass

Tuesday  1^st November, Forfar - an event organised by Soil Association Scotland
A practical day looking at trees from planting, pruning to processing, funding available, how to best manage existing woodland, opportunities for selling wood, wood fuel, what you need to know to commission a boiler and RHI. Speakers include Neil Harrison, SAC, Mike Strachan & David Bruce, Forestry Commission. The day will also include a visit to Inshewan Estate courtesy of the Gibb family. Where there will be a demo of small scale harvesting machinery. The event is free of charge to primary producers & £60.00 plus VAT to others. Booking is essential so lunch and resources packs can be provided.Call Lyn Matheson | T 0131 666 0847

With support from SRDP’s Skills Development Scheme & QMS

 

Voices of the Island Crofts - Portree 4th October

Voices of the Island Crofts is a unique opportunity in the Year of Scotland’s Islands for pupils from Crofting Connections schools to meet crofters at the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) Gathering, on the Isle of Skye. Crofters from all over the Crofting Counties will hear children present the poetry, stories and songs of their own communities in Scots, Gaelic, Orcadian and Shetlandic dialects.

The culmination of this gathering will be a special performance of Voices of the Island Crofts at

The Venue

Portree High School

Tuesday 4th October at 7.30 pm

Voicesoftheislandcrofts-portree4thOct.pdf

 

Nourish Scotland

Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October 2011
Pearce Institute in Govan, Glasgow
The new food economy:
Towards a secure and sustainable future for food in Scotland:

www.nourishscotland.org.uk

This conference explores the challenges and opportunities for making Scotland’s food system fairer, greener, smarter, healthier and wealthier. From square foot gardening to feeding nine billion people in 2050, from reducing obesity to city-region food plans, from farm subsidies to meat and methane, we join up the dots.

NourishConference2011Flyer.pdf (1 mb)

 

Meeting on Thursday 1st September, Stornoway at 19.00

Meeting on Thursday 1st September,
County Hotel, Stornoway at 19.00

Scottish Rural Development Programme – how to apply?
Speaker: Alan Boulton

Young Crofters’ Group
Meeting will follow

All welcome.

Stornoway_meeting_01_09_11.pdf

 

Meeting on Wednesday 31st August, Lairg Community Centre

Meeting on Wednesday 31st August,
Lairg Community Centre at 19.00

Young Crofters’ Group
Speaker: Karen Campbell

Scottish Rural Development Programme -how to apply?
Speaker: Alan Boulton

Lairg_advert.pdf

 

SCF Annual Gathering - October 2011

SCF Annual Gathering - October 2011
"1886 and all that"
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig,
Sleat, Isle of Skye

3rd and 4th of October
(lunchtime to lunchtime)

The theme of the Annual Gathering this year will be crofting land tenure: past, present and future.

It is appropriate that the gathering should return to Skye, after a break of almost 10 years, as 2011 is the 125th Anniversary of the Crofters Act 1886. It was Skye where crofters? discontent at their ill-treatment rose into a mass protest and became a national scandal and names like the battle of the Braes and the Glendale martyrs entered Scottish consciousness. In 1886 the Crofters Act was passed through Parliament and the crofting community for the first time had the rights and regulated land tenure which we still value today.After 125 years crofting is still a form of landholding which is recognised as being the "glue that holds the community together" in some of the most remote and fragile areas of Britain and many believe that this land tenure should be introduced to the rest of Scotland to re-populate the rural areas that have been cleared by industrial agriculture.

There will be speakers on crofting history, crofting community and culture; the formation of crofting regulated tenure, other forms of land tenure (including the Glendale "Irish" example and agricultural tenancies), community ownership, use of common grazings and the current crofting law in regards to land tenure. Young Crofters will be meeting to discuss what they feel are the needs and aspirations of their generation and there will be plenty of time for open discussion on issues such as regulated versus non-regulated systems, owner-occupancy versus tenancy, what is needed to sustain crofting tenure and, yes, the big question, what is best for rural Scotland.But not all work: children from throughout the Crofting islands will be performing the poetry and song of their island ancestors and the Young Crofters will be organising a ceilidh after the celebrated SCF dinner. And, no doubt, the craic will be good.

Contact SCF HQ on 01599 530 005 to reserve your place.

please buy your tickets here.

Annual_Gathering.pdf (1.0 mbs)

Gathering Programme

 

Taking Stock Seminar

TAKING STOCK

Stock clubs – will they work for you?

Meeting on Wednesday 3rd August 2011

Starting at 2.00pm

Dingwall Auction Mart

Speakers include:

John Gillies – Running a Stock Club – a practical approach

Gwyn Jones – Trends in Common Grazings

Archie MacNab – Shareholders, Common Grazings and Stock clubs – can they live together?

Alan Boulton – SRDP solutions

Taking_Stock

 

SCF Renewable Energy Seminar

Saturday 2nd July 2011 11am to 3.30pm Strathpeffer Community Centre

The currently attractive FITs’ are due to be reviewed in 2013 and rates may then be reduced.

ACT NOW

To book a place contact: Chris @crofting.org

Scottish Crofting Federation, Kyle of Lochalsh, IV40 8AX

Tel 01599 530005

Renewables_Seminar.pdf

 

TRACTOR SKILLS FOR SMALL FIELD CROPPING

TRACTOR SKILLS FOR SMALL FIELD CROPPING

This will take place at Camuscross, Sleat on Saturday 21st May starting at 10.30.  (Or may take place Saturday 28th depending on weather.)

The event is intended to demonstrate ground preparation with tractor and implements for small field-scale cropping :

• ploughing, harrowing, rotavating, etc. 

It is intended for beginners and for those with a bit of experience.

New and young crofters especially welcome.

The aim is to be as informal as possible and to learn from each other.

To attend, please register by emailing donald@crofting.org  or phone SCF head office 01599 530005, or Susan Walker 01471 833274.

This event is organised by Camuscross and Duisdale Initiative and SCF (Crofting Resources Programme).

 

East Sutherland Branch Meeting

Wednesday, April 6th 

Branch AGM at 7.00pm

Meet the Candidates at 8.00

Pittentrail Hall, Rogart

All Welcome 

 

Western Isles Meetings

Two meetings have been organised for next week.

Patrick Krause will be talking about the Community Mapping, A guest Speaker will explain the 2010 Act and Karen Campbell will be talking about the Young Crofters Group.

Harris AGM and Area Meeting

21st March, 7.30 pm, The Bay Centre 

Uist and Barra AGM and Meeting

The Dark Islands Hotel, 7.00 pm.

All Welcome. 

 

Open Public Meetings - IACS single Application Form 2011

The SGRIPID Highland Area offices will be holding a series of public meetings to assist SFP/LFASS applicants in understanding what adjustments may be needed to the field areas upon which they have traditioanlly claimed.

Cross Complience issues will also be touched on and how to avoid deductions and penalties.

It is intended that these meetings will provide applicants an oppertunity to meet and discess, with local RPID staff, concerns that they might have about possible penalites arising from errors they make when completing their Single Application form.

The meetings will consist of a presentation followed by an open question session and there will be a number of staff in attendance to answer questions either in open session or on a one to one basis.

All meetings are due to start at 7.30pm promptly.

Monday 28th March at Lochaber Rural Education Trust, Fort William

Tuesday 29th March at Gairloch Community Hall

Thursday 31st at Eden Court, Inverness

Tuesday 5th April at Skye Camanachd Shinty Club House, Portree.

Tea and Coffee will be available afterwards.

For further information contact David Wright or Muriel Ross on 01463 234141.