PROJECT UPDATE

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Between February 28 and March 2 we ran four public meetings at Newlands Centre, Dolphinton Hall, the Graham Institute, and Lamancha Hub. Seb Rose gave a short presentation, supported by Debbie Davy of Glasgow University at Newlands and Dolphinton. After the presentation, the floor was opened to discussion.

In all, about 75 people attended over the four nights, despite the wet and windy weather. Forty of those attending registered their support for pursuing the idea of a community farm. Speaking to experts in community projects, this is apparently an extremely high level of support.

A number of suggestions were made by those attending:
Find a more appropriate name for the project.
Our response: we have subsequently renamed the project Newlands Community Farm
Be open to all possible locations for the project
Our response: we will continue to explore any suitable land or farms that may become available
Engage more widely with the community.
Our response: we had an information stall at West Linton market in March and will engage with local primary schools
Form a group of supporters to coordinate the project.
Our response: an invite will go out to all supporters shortly

There was opposition to the project. The main points were:
Experienced farmers are the best people to manage farmland
Our response: there are different ways to manage agricultural land effectively. It’s also highly likely that agricultural land will be purchased by commercial foresters and used for carbon credits
Moving from intensive livestock production would reduce our food security and negatively impact prices for consumers
Our response: local food security can be enhanced by growing vegetables and fruit. Local produce would reduce transportation costs and cut out the middle-men in the supply chain
It will be hard to find and keep volunteers engaged in running the project
Our response: we intend to produce a business plan that is fully funded without day-to-day dependence on volunteers - although help from time to time will always be welcome
There’s a world class agricultural training and research centre at the Bush, so there’s no need for research in Tweedale
Our response: there are many academic establishments all over the UK, and several have already indicated that additional sites in this area are particularly valuable from a research perspective
Schools don’t have the budget to take their pupils on educational outings
Our response: educational resources are scarce, but a community farm could have access to funding sources that would make visits more affordable
Pastures, hay, and silage all capture more carbon than forests or woodland
Our response: permanent pasture can capture carbon effectively, but most pasture in the Borders is not permanent. Hay and silage can capture lots of carbon, but since they are used as feed, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere very quickly
The Community Right To Buy scheme would result in the seller losing money
Our response: we have undertaken not to use Community Right To Buy

WEST LINTON MARKET

We ran an information stall at West Linton market on Saturday, March 4th. It was a cold but bright day, but Gilbert Cameron brought a marquee just in case of rain. Seb Rose, Debbie Davy, and Naomi Roberts were on hand to answer questions - and at times all three of us were busy talking to people.

Again, the response was overwhelmingly positive and we collected more supporters. Others took away our leaflet and promised to add their support online at https://bit.ly/ncdt-west-mains

If you'd like to register your support for the project, please fill in a short form (taking less than 2 minutes). You are making NO commitment at all by filling in the form.