Sunday 30th September 2012, sees the staging of the first annual ‘Scottish Smallholder and Grower
Festival’ at Lawrie & Symington’s Forfar Market in Angus.
Show organiser Rosemary Champion, of the popular ‘The Accidental Smallholder’ website, felt that
there was nothing 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.
Having visited the Welsh Smallholder show twice, Rosemary drew her inspiration from there and started planning.
Although plans are still to be finalised, there will be a show for sheep, goats and pigs. As well as a
food hall, there will be a range of trade stands showcasing equipment, machinery and products of
interest to those with small herds or working small acreages. For those looking for learning
opportunities, there will be a series of free seminars and demonstrations on subjects as diverse as
using green manures, bio-security and trimming goats’ hooves.
Thanks to the work of the Scottish Pig Keepers Association, pig shows are making a comeback after
an absence of around thirty years and are sure to prove popular with smallholders and the public
alike. The show schedule will include classes for traditional & modern breeds, young handlers, best
butchers’ pig and more unusual classes like pig agility and best looking pig pen.
This year there will be 3 shows in Scotland with individual breed classes for pigs, these are:
Lesmahagow Agricultural Show - Saturday 26th May
Angus Show - Saturday 9th June
Scottish smallholder and grower Festival - Sunday 30th September
The Scottish Pig Keepers Association will be holding demos, workshops and Q&A sessions at
locations across Scotland during spring and summer to encourage pig enthusiasts to pick up a board
and help them prepare for their debut in the show ring. Karen McKay, SPKA secretary & Rare Breed
enthusiast says “Showing is important in terms of maintaining the quality of each individual breed,
it’s our chance to showcase the very best of our stock and show the public the diverse range of
breeds we have here in Scotland and the UK. It also gives keepers a chance to meet each other,
share stories and have a bit of fun in the process. As the Smallholder Festival will be completely
under cover we won’t be at the mercy of our less than reliable weather and I hope people will be
keen to get involved in what promises to be a really great day out”
For more details please see the Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival website, the Scottish Pig
Keepers Association website or email Karen McKay or Rosemary Champion.
www.scottishsmallholdershow.co.uk
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