The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Events => Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival => Topic started by: Rosemary on February 22, 2012, 07:45:04 pm

Title: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on February 22, 2012, 07:45:04 pm
Hi, everyone

Just a quick post to update you on where we are with the Festival.

Well, it will take place at Forfar Market on Sunday 30th September 2012. Forfar is very accessible from the A90, one of the major Scottish trunk roads, and the market is easy to find. The nearest train station is Arbroath (13 miles). Nearest airport is Dundee, then Aberdeen.

The Festival will be opened by Tim Tyne, who will also be judging the sheep interbreed Champion and interbreed Pairs Champion.

The Festival website is on www.scottishsmallholdershow.co.uk (http://www.scottishsmallholdershow.co.uk). The full website will be launched during March but at the moment, you can register for email updates and download the trade stand pack and information on "Supporting the Festival", which has details on sponsorship, trade stands and donation of prizes, both single year and perpetual.

The Festival will have a livestock show, with a focus on rare and traditional breeds. There will be classes for sheep, pigs and goats plus a poultry show. The class schedules and entry forms should be available to download from the website at the end of March. The Festival will host the only Scottish qualifier for the RBST Youg Shepherd of the Year 2013 and we have a Butcher's Pig class, three classes for a Pair of Butcher's Lambs, wool on the hoof, best horns and veteran ewe classes in the sheep. Other classes may still be added.

We are currently working on attracting sponsorship for the Festival. We're absolutely delighted that Ascott Smallholding Supplies will be one of our Silver sponsors.   :thumbsup:

Although we're contacting many of the major companies that supply to smallholders about the main sponsorship packages, we have lots of trade stand and advertising opportunities available.

Sponsoring an individual class costs £35, and as a new event with an empty prize table, we're especially delighted to accept donations of perpetual prizes. :trophy:

In addition to the livestock and trade stands, there will be breed societies, crafts, food, seminars and demonstrations that will, hopefully, both inform and inspire  ;D

The organising group is Karen McKay (HappyHippy), who's looking after pigs and crafts, Alan Sharpe, who's looking after trade stands, Beth Fairley (Ballingall), who's looking after the goats and me.

Personally, I've had an incredible amount of help from Tim and Dot Tyne in putting together the schedule of sheep classes and from Neil Watson, who is helping set up the poultry show.

We hope we're going to meet loads of you at the Festival, that you bring your stock to exhibit and that you have a really great time.

If you have any good ideas, please let us know - if we can't fit it in this year, we'll try again next year at Lanark.
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Brucklay on February 22, 2012, 08:18:53 pm
Great - within distance for us and I just can't wait for some of my sheep to have a day out - should I pm re supporting a prize? How does it work? Am I right in thinking you would like a cup/trophy for two?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: bloomer on February 22, 2012, 08:19:39 pm
its on the calendar as a day out!!!
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: doganjo on February 22, 2012, 08:23:09 pm
I am so disappointed that I'm not able to be one of your team after all, due to other commitments in the Midlands that same weekend, but may I wish the Festival every success, and I hope I may be able to come next year.
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on February 22, 2012, 09:12:44 pm
Great - within distance for us and I just can't wait for some of my sheep to have a day out - should I pm re supporting a prize? How does it work? Am I right in thinking you would like a cup/trophy for two?

That would be nice - we like shiny things.

Dan and I are donating a silver salver for the best coloured Ryeland - The Rosedean Salver  :trophy: Actually, I don't know if I've told him that yet  ;D
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Brucklay on February 22, 2012, 09:56:34 pm
Sorry to bug you but will there be s Shetlands class? Will Castlemilks be in an 'any other rare breed class' would like to contribute a 'bit of silver' to a class I have an interest in (not told OH but he had expressed an interest in a stand for his artwork so I can do my bit)- will pygmy's be counted in goats?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on February 23, 2012, 08:34:58 am
Sorry to bug you but will there be s Shetlands class? Will Castlemilks be in an 'any other rare breed class' would like to contribute a 'bit of silver' to a class I have an interest in (not told OH but he had expressed an interest in a stand for his artwork so I can do my bit)- will pygmy's be counted in goats?

Yes, pygmys will be counted as goats.

Currently, the sheep schedule is set up as follows - there are six classes in each of five sections. The classes are ewe lamb, ram lamb, gimmer / ewe any age, ram any age, pair(male and female) and best exhibit. The sections are - Northern short tailed, British hill and upland, British lowland, British longwool and continental.

If we get more than 5 entries from two exhibitors from one breed in any class, we will run a separate class for it. OR if the breed society supports a separate class, then we'll set up classes. Does that make sense?

With so many sheep breeds, it's impossible to set up classes for every one and ensure reasonable competition. We'd end up amalgamating classes with low entries anyway so we're trying it this way round. As it's our first year, it's a bit trial and error as we don't know where the entries will come form, but we have tried to encourage British rare and traditional breeds.

Does that help?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Brucklay on February 23, 2012, 07:28:28 pm
Thank you Rosemary - we only ever get to the Turriff show so I'm looking forward to going and hopefully putting faces to some of the names I see on here.
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: HappyHippy on February 23, 2012, 11:37:33 pm
It's gonna be a goodie  ;)
Looking forward to it  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: anderso on February 24, 2012, 03:37:02 pm
Sounds like its going to be a good one sorry its so far in the north for us down below the Gap
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: ellisr on February 25, 2012, 04:28:01 pm
Sounds like its going to be a good one sorry its so far in the north for us down below the Gap

I'm driving up if you fancy a look up it will be an interesting weekend for me
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: holz306 on February 25, 2012, 06:59:31 pm
I'll be going, and arranging some accommodation just outside fofar (tannadice) if anyone wantsa lift from the north-west coast, i;ll be heading from the isle of skye
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on February 26, 2012, 12:14:31 pm
Maybe if you can offer transport to other folk, start a new thread on this board saying where you're coming from in the title?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: princesspiggy on March 17, 2012, 07:59:10 pm
id like to bring my bagots, the only 2 with good enough markings are a wether and a billy. is there a class for them?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on March 19, 2012, 11:00:36 am
id like to bring my bagots, the only 2 with good enough markings are a wether and a billy. is there a class for them?

Excuse my ignorance, please - are they meat or fibre producing goats?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: princesspiggy on March 19, 2012, 12:42:28 pm
neither. not much milk (tho it is delicious) and not much meat which one reason they r the the rarest breed in UK.

we'd need a pet class for our bagot kid as hes a wether. anything for our billy?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: smithycraft on April 23, 2012, 09:32:11 am
Because I rarely get out to meet real people, I take part in a few on-line baking competitions, no tasting :( it's all judged on looks but it keeps me entertained.

So, I was wondering if there will be any classes at the festival for cakes, bread, jams, chutneys and wines?  If this info is available already can someone point me in the right direction.

Thanks
Sharon
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on April 23, 2012, 12:31:33 pm
Oh yes - HappyHippy has put together a wonderful Industrial section - arts and crafts, stick and crook making, preserves, baking, drinks, junior section.

Plus SPKA will be running a sausage competition.

Tweaking going on just now but all schedules should be available very soon  :thumbsup:

And yes, we have classes for Bagot goats but not entire bucks. Not sure about wethers - but will consult ballingall  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: smithycraft on April 23, 2012, 01:49:14 pm
Excellent, I look forward to seeing the schedules.
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on May 27, 2012, 12:35:17 am
After meeting Karen and Rosemary, I'm tempted to come up and support the show, if I can. Dates look okay so far.
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on May 27, 2012, 09:16:27 am
Liz, that would be brilliant!
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: HappyHippy on May 27, 2012, 09:36:35 am
Oh yes, it would be great Liz  :thumbsup:
 
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Mays on June 18, 2012, 09:24:43 am
no class for adult dairy goats?
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Rosemary on June 18, 2012, 11:33:53 am
no class for adult dairy goats?

No, our goat adviser said that because pregnant goats aren't shown, and most goatkeepers will have their milkers in kid for spring births, entries were likley to be low. Hence our focus on the "Stars of the Future"
Title: Re: Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival 2012
Post by: Mays on June 18, 2012, 05:09:36 pm
that makes sense Rosemary ;)