[CarolineR]

Hi everyone, SRUC (Scotland's Rural College) are holding a special event from 2pm -4pm on the Thursday 19th June of the Royal Highland Show. It is a "information trade fair" event where people can come to have a chat, get free teas, coffees and  (I am told!) yummy traybakes or cookies  and for the first time, there will be a dedicated stall for smallholders and one for crofters too.

Please come along if you are there on the day, to tell us about your holding, to discuss what you would like to see provided for smallholders in the UK, to discuss any animal health or management problems you would like advice on, for a tea or coffee and cake, to collect some useful information leaflets like a reference on how to body condition score sheep, or how best to avoid buying in an expensive disease when you buy new stock.... Hopefully to meet other smallholders too.
 
The whole rest of the SRUC will be represented, e.g. Food and Drink, Tourism, Diversification, Organics, Conservation, Education etc, so food businesses, arboriculture or renewable startups etc are also very welcome - the College is amazing, we have a person for everything!
 
It is not in the main SRUC marquee, but in the Pavilion up the stairs next door - just go into the marquee and ask at the reception desk, or someone with an SRUC name badge and they will point the way.
I would really appreciate you popping in to show support for the UK smallholding community if you are there, as SRUC will be aware of which stalls seem to be the most important and the most useful to people, and it will encourage decision makers to recognise smallholders as a strong and  important community in the UK. And, additionally, it will prevent me having to eat all the treats myself.
There are usually a few VIPs from governments booked in to see the SRUC pavilion every year, it is a very visible institution. I'd love to hear about your own aspirations and challenges and what resources you would like access to in the future. Please come along and fly the flag for smallholders at the Royal Highland Show.
Caroline

[Womble]

Hi Caroline, that sounds great (especially the traybakes). We'll see you there! 

[Rosemary]

I'm not there until Saturday 

[Womble]

We're going tomorrow, just for the traybakes Jacobs  .

[Ina]

Not exactly free if you can't afford the roughly £50 it would cost me to get there and get in...

Sorry - I'm just a miserable old git! 

And anyway, there's never anything "free" for people like me who can't eat sugar or wheat - why is it that only unhealthy stuff gets handed out, or even sold? When I do manage to go somewhere (i.e. admission less than a fortune) I always have to take my own food...

[Fleecewife]

Podanmoo - will the smallholder and crofter bit be manned on the other days, or just the Thurs?

[Rosemary]

Not exactly free if you can't afford the roughly £50 it would cost me to get there and get in...

Sorry - I'm just a miserable old git! 

And anyway, there's never anything "free" for people like me who can't eat sugar or wheat - why is it that only unhealthy stuff gets handed out, or even sold? When I do manage to go somewhere (i.e. admission less than a fortune) I always have to take my own food...

Well, you gotta admire podanmoo for trying 

[Womble]

And very good it was too. Many thanks, and lovely to catch up with you again  .

[Ina]

Well, you gotta admire podanmoo for trying 

I do, I do - told you I'm just a miserable git who sometimes gets fed up with not being able to join in anywhere! I used to enjoy these things, too... 

[CarolineR]

Thanks to everyone who turned up! After our Ann from the Stirling office dashed up with a massive tray of cinnamon buns, ginger cake, muffins and traybakes we suddenly got significantly more attendees to the stall than in the first 20 mins when we did not yet have the goodies 
Womble was our very first visitor - you even beat the tea-and-cake lady to our stall by ten minutes!
Ina, I was sorry to hear that you were unhappy that you wouldn't be at the RHS, but if you would ever like to discuss anything smallholder-course-related, feel free to get in touch directly at the Perth office of SAC Consulting (the Veterinary office, not the Farm one - contact details are on the website www.sruc.ac.uk or you can get me on caroline.robinson@sac.co.uk). If you ever find yourself coming to one of our courses in the future, feel free to let me know, as I'd be happy to make sure that there were some gluten-free goodies on the go if we have refreshments. (Great excuse for me to make my favourite flapjacks, yum)
 

[Ina]

Caroline, that's very kind of you - but I'm really only a would-like-to-be smallholder... Have worked in farming research in the past, but can't get a job now (nobody wants an old, fat woman to work for them!) - so I just stick to my garden for now.

And, btw, flapjacks are definitely out for me. Used to love them, but they give me (and others) horrible heartburn. It's all that sugar... But I'm sure you'd find grateful takers for them!