North Howe

The town of Forfar, in the county of Angus, will host the first Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival on Sunday 30th September 2012. The Forfar Market, owned by Lawrie and Symington, will provide the venue for the inaugural event, which will be opened by Tim Tyne, the well-known smallholder, writer and author of “The Sheep Book for Smallholders”.

The event is being organised by The Accidental Smallholder Ltd, whose Director, Rosemary Champion, has been a smallholder herself for over ten years. Since 2003, she and her husband, Dan, have been offering help and support to smallholders through their successful and popular website “The Accidental Smallholder” www.accidentalsmallholder.net and by running short courses for those taking their first steps in smallholding.

Inspired by a similar event held in Wales, Rosemary felt that there was nothing similar in Scotland aiming to meet the needs of crofters, smallholders, those growing fruit and vegetables on a small scale and those simply interested in a more sustainable lifestyle.

“After visiting the Welsh smallholder show twice, I floated the idea of a Scottish equivalent on the website and the reaction was very encouraging,” says Rosemary, “so I’m hoping that we’ll get a good turnout”.

Although plans are still in development, there will be a show for sheep, goats and pigs. Pig shows are making a comeback in Scotland after an absence of around thirty years and are sure to prove popular with smallholders. The show schedule will include young handlers in the pig section and more unusual classes like “Best Horns” and “Wool on the Hoof” in the sheep section. The Festival will also host the only Scottish qualifier for the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s Young Shepherd of the Year competition.

As well as a food hall, there will be a range of tradestands showcasing equipment, machinery and products of interest to those working small acreages. “We’re not looking at £50,000 four wheel drive tractors here,” Rosemary notes, “ more two wheeled or horse drawn.”

For those looking for learning opportunities, there will be a series of seminars and demonstrations on subjects likely to be as diverse as using green manures and trimming goats’ hooves.

More details can be found on the Festival’s website www.scottishsmallholdershow.co.uk

Hooray for 2011!  Hello to 2012!

Happy New Year to you from the Coordinating Group of North Howe Transition Toun!

Now that the gales have blown the cobwebs from our minds and a return to work distracts us from playing with the children’s toys, we look back on the last year and forward to the next.

2011 was certainly action packed for NHTT-

• In completing the energy saving CaRB Project, the Energy Group showed they’d really helped many homes keep warm and many households save money
• NHTT helped build the Letham Park Shelter – which was an inspiring example of what NHTT is able to achieve by working in partnership with other groups and with all ages in our community. The wonderful opening event was a joyous celebration of this.
• The Food Group established a new community bakery. This is a seed that shows the potential for NHTT to foster new local businesses that create employment and benefit the environment.
• the Transport Group began the Paths Project, helping connect our communities and promote sustainable transport

All of these projects were developed by members of the community using NHTT as a vehicle to make our place a better place. In this way we achieve much more by working together than any of us can individually. A really important fact that is often overlooked is that we only achieve these things because we also have fun doing them, along the way making new and deeper friendships with our neighbours.

The quality and diversity of the work of NHTT was recognised in October at the prestigious Scottish Green Awards 2011, where we were taken aback to win the award for Best Green Community Initiative. Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland and chair of the judging panel said: “the judges were particularly impressed with the comprehensive approach taken by NHTT to making their area more sustainable. From energy use to transport and food the group have had great ideas and followed them through over the last 2 years. North Howe Transition Toun provide a superb example of how even a small community can get to grips with what climate change and high oil prices will bring.”

So what will 2012 look like? Really that largely depends on you. NHTT is a member-led organisation and we only do things  that local people are bothered or inspired enough to make happen. This is why our focus is always shifting, with and new ideas always coming along.

The fantastic Paths project will complete in the spring and we will oragnise an fun event to mark that – expect an invitation to come on foot or bike on sunny day! If the paths are popular, maybe we could try and do more? Where would you like a new path?

The Doorstep Bakery will grow and may get bigger premises. They are looking for new customers, so do give them a try if you aren’t already receiving your weekly delivery of fresh bread. Contact doorstepbakery@gmail.com

The new Wood Group will take forward the plans for community ownership of Letham Wood – lots of intersting things could flow from that. This is a new group  that would welcome anyone interested in woods in the area.

We are planning to support work with Letham Primary School on some eco landscape projects – again led by a new group of local parents. This builds on the partnerships with the school fostered through a number of projects last year.

Everyone is very welcome to get involved in any of these existing projects to help make them happen by adding you own energy and wisdom. Equally, there are opportunities to develop new ideas if you have a good one and want to make it happen. Come along to the individual groups next meetings – everyone is always welcome. We will be announcing the next meetings for all the groups over the coming weeks, so why not come along and give your bit.

First try the Bakery Group who are meeting on Wednesday 20th January at Collessie Village Hall, for a nibble and a chat. Come and try a range of tasty titbits and find out what’s going on.

The core group of directors is also developing, as old members move on and new ones come in. We are always looking for people who can contribute by helping with admin, or things like running the apple press or just posting newsletters through letterboxes- so if you have a bit of spare time and what to contribute, do let us know. It’d be especially great to have someone from Collessie or Giffordtown!

Well that’s how it looks from the Chair at the start of the New Year. Another year of friends and fun to look forward to.

Best wishes, Tom

Chair, NHTT

There have been pizza nights, coffee mornings, a Halloween Party and even some work with students from St Andrews University. For the passed few months The Doostep Bakers have been busy getting  kitchen in Collessie Hall all set up for Fridays bakes and things have been running now for a few weeks. Feedback from last weeks deliver has been great.

‘can’t recommend this bread highly enough! Love arriving home on a Friday to a wee loaf which is dispatched in no time usually with lots of butter and some fine wine… )’

If you would like a weekly delivery then email doorstepbakery@gmail.com

Neil and John getting ready for Pizza Night

Sustainable Cupar is organising an event about sustainable energy at 7pm on Tuesday 25th October, in St John’s Church Hall on Bonnygate. Come along for a blether about saving your pennies on home energy. Presentations and conversations about insulation and the grants available, solar panels, and the dream green home. We will provide the tea!

For more information, contact Susan at info@sustainablecupar.co.uk.