[Rosemary]

An Act to encourage the formation of Small Agricultural Holdings in Scotland, and to amend the Law relating to the Tenure of such Holdings (including Crofters’ Holdings); to establish a Board of Agriculture for Scotland; and for other purposes connected therewith.

I hadn't until today 

[Ina]

I hadn't either = where did you find it?

[Rosemary]

I hadn't either = where did you find it?

I'm doing some research into crofting v smallholding - a sort of compare and contrast - and found it mentioned in some of the crofting information.

[Ina]

Is it online somewhere? May have to have a closer look... This is a subject that interests me, too; just don't have much time at the moment to look at it...

[Rosemary]

Just google the title. I THINK it may have been repealed in 1931 but haven't got that far.

I am interested in the concept of crofts outwith the tradtional crofting counties and how it might be used to encourage and support smallholding in Scotland. Not the laughable "West Lothan Crofting Scheme" that just seems to be a way to let a small number of folk build big houses and keep horses in the countryside but genuine opportunities for people to grow food on a small scale.

If I won the lottery, I'd buy a big farm and turn it into a smallholding community 

[Ina]

If I won the lottery, I'd buy a big farm and turn it into a smallholding community 

Unfortunately, the lottery has just got more expensive!

I am so interested because I'm looking for a subject for my dissertation... Looking at crofters/smallholders/"lifestyle farmers" (argh! - I hate that term...) would be an option... But I'm so busy with assignments/essays at the moment (no lazy student life, unfortunately) that I'll have to postpone doing much about it.

(What you say about that new crofting scheme sounds more like lifestyle farming to me...)

[Ina]

Hi Rosemary - I just saw that youwere involvedin this:
http://www.farmpath.eu/sites/www.farmpath.eu/files/FinalAberdeenshirelifestyle%20land%20management.pdf
I find this rather interesting:
"Twentyfour smallholders, crofters, hobby farmers and other small-scale land owners were interviewed. Together, these individuals were termed ‘lifestyle land managers’ because their primary purpose in acquiring and managing land was to pursue personal life ambitions, rather than to profit from a farm business."
So a full time farmer does not pursue a personal life ambition? I always thought that farming was a lifestyle... Never mind whether you can make it pay or not.
Anyway, I assume you were interviewed by Lee-Ann - you didn't happen to ask her about the Small Landholders Act? (Actually, maybe you hadn't heard about it at that time...)
 

[Rosemary]

Hi Rosemary - I just saw that youwere involvedin this:
http://www.farmpath.eu/sites/www.farmpath.eu/files/FinalAberdeenshirelifestyle%20land%20management.pdf
I find this rather interesting:
"Twentyfour smallholders, crofters, hobby farmers and other small-scale land owners were interviewed. Together, these individuals were termed ‘lifestyle land managers’ because their primary purpose in acquiring and managing land was to pursue personal life ambitions, rather than to profit from a farm business."
So a full time farmer does not pursue a personal life ambition? I always thought that farming was a lifestyle... Never mind whether you can make it pay or not.
Anyway, I assume you were interviewed by Lee-Ann - you didn't happen to ask her about the Small Landholders Act? (Actually, maybe you hadn't heard about it at that time...)

No, I hadn't heard of the Act until last week. I haven't read Lee-Ann's report yet either but I will.

I think there's a real difficulty in definition. In fact, the definition given of a "lifestyle land manager" is me, pretty much. We didn't buy our first smallholding - well, it wasn't a smallholding - as a business. We just liked the view and fancied producing our own food.

We bought this one because it allowed me to keep and breed rare Shetland cattle, while still producing our own food (including beef and hopefully dairy produce), although we now run it as a business which doesn't make money. Although I live in hope 

[Ina]

Don't we all!

I think what bugs me is that these days "Lifestyle" is considered another word for "not expected to pay its way", whereas in my book it's also a lifestyle (albeit a different one) if you have to live on it... Sorry - I just shouldn't get bogged down about it. 

[Rosemary]

Sorry - I just shouldn't get bogged down about it. 

Don't apologise, I do to.

So many terms - what's the difference between a smallholder and a hobby farmer? Is it in the aim to produce food? Is it in being registered as a business? Can't be that, I don't think. Lots of folk register as businesses for tax reasons (that I didn't even know about until I read Lee-Anne's report).

[Ina]

So many terms - what's the difference between a smallholder and a hobby farmer? Is it in the aim to produce food? Is it in being registered as a business? Can't be that, I don't think. Lots of folk register as businesses for tax reasons (that I didn't even know about until I read Lee-Anne's report).

I bet that'll be those "oil farmers" we have up here near Aberdeen... If you have more money, you're better at taking care of it! (And you can afford an accountant.)
Spoke to a colleague of Lee-Anne's today - he says there is a lot of woodland up here that's not really being looked after; and wouldn't it be great to buy up a chunk and turn it into smallholdings! Planning would be a problem, though. But he's right, there is a lot of woodland (I can think of a few bits) that aren't used properly. Too much bought by folk who either just want to own land, or like the idea of "doing something for the environment", and don't realise that there's work involved.