Questions and Answers

 

We were very pleased to be able to again help with the excellent Royal Highland Education Trust school open day at Gilson Estate. Cameron and Chris took their turns on the beef and forestry stands, explaining the process of each to groups of primary school children from across Fife. Often we hear how little people know about the way food is produced, but if these children are any indication, the tide is turning. They are both informed about food and the effects on our environment and it was a delight to hear them questioning the speakers with considered arguments

Open Farm Sunday is organised by Linking Environment and Farming every year, encouraging farmers to open their doors for people to visit and get first hand access to the people who produce the food and manage the land. We took the opportunity at the Bowhouse Food Weekend to open up the farm and bring some machinery and livestock to Bowhouse with shearing demonstrations and the chance to ask questions. Again, the questions were not simple and we found ourselves being interrogated at one point by a researcher for the New Zealand Government Environmental Department – who would have thought they would be at the Bowhouse Weekend?

The following weekend we hosted an Organic Festival – “Spots on My Apples” which was organised by Futtle at Bowhouse. With an outstanding line up of speakers and debates, the day was rounded up with a large supper club table at Bearn where diners were able to sample the produce first hand.

June ended with the 200^th Royal Highland Show which was back after the two year absence like many other shows. It was fundamentally a chance to socialise and catch up while kicking tyres and leaning on gates. But the value of the show is networks, contacts and the chance to see something that may be the next “best thing”. Sadly, there was little to distract the organic, regenerative farmer – for that you need to go to Groundswell.

Finally, we have managed to recruit a replacement for Sophie at the Butchery. Paul Higgins starts with us in July and has had a lifelong career in butchery, working his way up form the butchers lad, to managing prestigious counters such as House of Bruar. We are delighted to have his experience and thank Sophie for holding our hands until we found her replacement.