Crofting 19 November 2018

Helping the Rye-volution: Crofter-to-Crofter Seed Practice Day

A small but determined and engaged group of crofters from the isle of Lismore in Argyle and from Lochaber undertook the long journey to Uist last weekend, braving  ferry cancellations and road closures.  The aim: to learn about cereal seed growing in a crofting context, i.e. for small-scale producers in the north west of Scotland.  […]

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Commercial Growers 07 December 2018

We meet Maria Scholten & Poyntzfield Herb Nursery in Scotland

Where did your passion for seed start? Gardening on the Canadian prairies for a while under semi-arid conditions, my biodynamically trained farmer friend Ginie would recommend biological locally produced seeds because of their strength.  That was one of the first occasions I started thinking about seed and ‘local adaptation inside a seed’. The Canadian BAFTA […]

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Events 04 June 2019

heritage grains and vegetable seed training in Scotland

HERITAGE GRAINS EVENT Most growers involved with the Seed Programme of heritage grains have seen crop emergence over the last ten days. A couple are still working towards getting the seeds into the ground! In the mean time we are preparing an event on Lismore Sunday 16 – Monday 17th of June about growing traditional […]

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Get Growing 14 March 2019

More than just a name! How the culture in agriculture is being lost and why reskilling in seed saving is more critical than ever

To mark Seed Week here in Scotland, it feels only fitting to begin with a celebration of our national staple: the potato. There are potato – or “tattie” – days galore this month. Just a fortnight ago, 500 people attended the ‘Potato Day’ on the Black Isle organised for the ninth consecutive year by Transition […]

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Crofting 21 November 2019

sìol arbhair – A Year of Heritage Grain Growing in the Highlands

Maria Scholten, Regional Coordinator for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, has been working hard with crofters this year to bring more of the heritage grains back into rotation. Hear about her work and how to get involved: We began our grain work early this year with a visit to Uist to learn about grain […]

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England 07 July 2020

Celebrating Seed for Another Three Years!

So much of life is very uncertain at the moment. The past few months have shaken much of what we once believed to be true, but certain things have shone through as vital, wholesome, and resilient; among these have been community and food. There is a shift back towards local food; to agroecological methods of […]

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