The eighth Scottish Smallholder Festival will take place this September at Lanark Agricultural Centre.
For the first time, the event is being organised by Smallholding Scotland, which is a charitable body established to support, promote and represent smallholders in Scotland.
Arnot Tippett, who has a 40 acre smallholding in Angus and who is Secretary of the organisation, said: “The Festival is a great opportunity for Smallholding Scotland to promote its aim of supporting the purposeful use of small land holdings.
"Since its inception, the tag line of the Festival has been “educate, inform, inspire” and that hasn’t changed.”
The Festival continues with its popular format of talks, demonstrations and livestock showcases plus a poultry and waterfowl show and a garden, craft and food competition.
This year sees the first collaboration with New Lanark Mills World Heritage Centre and in particular the New Lanark Spinning Company.
Sandra Bannister, who is responsible for the rural skills and crafts element of the Festival, said: "We’re delighted to be forging links with this amazing place, which is only a few miles from the Festival venue.
"As well as providing the judges for our raw fleece and our crafted fleece and fibre competitions, the New Lanark Spinning Company will be on-site buying fleeces from Shetland sheep keepers.”
As well as running the festival, Smallholding Scotland is starting to develop good working relationships with other organisations and with the Scottish Government, which supports the Festival.
Trustee Martin Beard said: "Smallholders and the contribution that they make to local food production, the local economy and the natural environment is often not recognised at government level and support for smallholders has been limited. By engaging with decision makers, we aim to change that, especially in this time of significant change.”
Members of Smallholding Scotland will receive a free entry ticket to the seminars and demonstrations at the Festival.
If you keep livestock and would be interesting in contributing stock – cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs - please contact Cath Livingstone on livestock@ssgf.uk
The Scottish Smallholder Festival is on Saturday 28 September
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here