The event is being organised by The Accidental Smallholder Ltd, whose Director, Rosemary Champion, has been a smallholder herself for over ten years. Since 2003, she and her husband, Dan, have been offering help and support to smallholders through their successful and popular website “The Accidental Smallholder” www.accidentalsmallholder.net and by running short courses for those taking their first steps in smallholding.

Inspired by a similar event held in Wales, Rosemary felt that there was nothing similar 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.

“After visiting the Welsh smallholder show twice, I floated the idea of a Scottish equivalent on the website and the reaction was very encouraging,” says Rosemary, “so I’m hoping that we’ll get a good turnout”.

Although plans are still in development, there will be a show for sheep, goats and pigs. Pig shows are making a comeback in Scotland after an absence of around thirty years and are sure to prove popular with smallholders. The show schedule will include young handlers in the pig section and more unusual classes like “Best Horns” and “Wool on the Hoof” in the sheep section. The Festival will also host the only Scottish qualifier for the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s Young Shepherd of the Year competition.

As well as a food hall, there will be a range of tradestands showcasing equipment, machinery and products of interest to those working small acreages. “We’re not looking at £50,000 four wheel drive tractors here,” Rosemary notes, “ more two wheeled or horse drawn.”

For those looking for learning opportunities, there will be a series of seminars and demonstrations on subjects likely to be as diverse as using green manures and trimming goats’ hooves.

More details can be found on the Festival’s website www.scottishsmallholdershow.co.uk

Hooray for 2011!  Hello to 2012!

Happy New Year to you from the Coordinating Group of North Howe Transition Toun!

Now that the gales have blown the cobwebs from our minds and a return to work distracts us from playing with the children’s toys, we look back on the last year and forward to the next.

2011 was certainly action packed for NHTT-

• In completing the energy saving CaRB Project, the Energy Group showed they’d really helped many homes keep warm and many households save money
• NHTT helped build the Letham Park Shelter – which was an inspiring example of what NHTT is able to achieve by working in partnership with other groups and with all ages in our community. The wonderful opening event was a joyous celebration of this.
• The Food Group established a new community bakery. This is a seed that shows the potential for NHTT to foster new local businesses that create employment and benefit the environment.
• the Transport Group began the Paths Project, helping connect our communities and promote sustainable transport

All of these projects were developed by members of the community using NHTT as a vehicle to make our place a better place. In this way we achieve much more by working together than any of us can individually. A really important fact that is often overlooked is that we only achieve these things because we also have fun doing them, along the way making new and deeper friendships with our neighbours.

The quality and diversity of the work of NHTT was recognised in October at the prestigious Scottish Green Awards 2011, where we were taken aback to win the award for Best Green Community Initiative. Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland and chair of the judging panel said: “the judges were particularly impressed with the comprehensive approach taken by NHTT to making their area more sustainable. From energy use to transport and food the group have had great ideas and followed them through over the last 2 years. North Howe Transition Toun provide a superb example of how even a small community can get to grips with what climate change and high oil prices will bring.”

So what will 2012 look like? Really that largely depends on you. NHTT is a member-led organisation and we only do things  that local people are bothered or inspired enough to make happen. This is why our focus is always shifting, with and new ideas always coming along.

The fantastic Paths project will complete in the spring and we will oragnise an fun event to mark that – expect an invitation to come on foot or bike on sunny day! If the paths are popular, maybe we could try and do more? Where would you like a new path?

The Doorstep Bakery will grow and may get bigger premises. They are looking for new customers, so do give them a try if you aren’t already receiving your weekly delivery of fresh bread. Contact doorstepbakery@gmail.com

The new Wood Group will take forward the plans for community ownership of Letham Wood – lots of intersting things could flow from that. This is a new group  that would welcome anyone interested in woods in the area.

We are planning to support work with Letham Primary School on some eco landscape projects – again led by a new group of local parents. This builds on the partnerships with the school fostered through a number of projects last year.

Everyone is very welcome to get involved in any of these existing projects to help make them happen by adding you own energy and wisdom. Equally, there are opportunities to develop new ideas if you have a good one and want to make it happen. Come along to the individual groups next meetings – everyone is always welcome. We will be announcing the next meetings for all the groups over the coming weeks, so why not come along and give your bit.

First try the Bakery Group who are meeting on Wednesday 20th January at Collessie Village Hall, for a nibble and a chat. Come and try a range of tasty titbits and find out what’s going on.

The core group of directors is also developing, as old members move on and new ones come in. We are always looking for people who can contribute by helping with admin, or things like running the apple press or just posting newsletters through letterboxes- so if you have a bit of spare time and what to contribute, do let us know. It’d be especially great to have someone from Collessie or Giffordtown!

Well that’s how it looks from the Chair at the start of the New Year. Another year of friends and fun to look forward to.

Best wishes, Tom

Chair, NHTT

‘can’t recommend this bread highly enough! Love arriving home on a Friday to a wee loaf which is dispatched in no time usually with lots of butter and some fine wine… )’

If you would like a weekly delivery then email doorstepbakery@gmail.com

Neil and John getting ready for Pizza Night

For more information, contact Susan at info@sustainablecupar.co.uk.

achieved.’

Tom receives our award in Glasgow earlier in the month

Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland and chair of the judging panel for the Scottish Green Awards said:

“I and the other judges were particularly impressed with the comprehensive approach taken by NHTT to making their area more sustainable. From energy use to transport and food the group have had great ideas and followed them through over the last 2 years. North Howe Transition Toun provide a superb example of how even a small community can start to get to grips with what climate change and high oil prices will bring.”

I think there is cause for us all to be proud for our contribution over the passed few years and look forward to continuing to work together for a more sustainable future for our community.

Once upon a time, a long time ago- well 3 ½ years ago, in a land quite near here, ok here then, there was a sad, tired old park. Although the park was a nice space to have, only a few boys and girls used it’s rusting old swing, ageing chute and faded roundabout. But what really represented the park was its, ugly and rotting shelter.

Then one day two princesses were in the park Princess Cathy Bache and Princess Louise Barron, They felt oh so sad for the tired old park and asked it what they could do to make it a happier place to be.

The park explained how all its friends had shiny new equipment and how many children wouldn’t go and play in it because there wasn’t much to do. The park also said it was embarrassed by the rotten old shelter that many of the Secret Garden Children had to use.

The two princesses spoke with the master wizard John Vaughan and together the 3 made a plan to make the park happy.

This needed magic and so they sought out the fairy godmother Colin Gilbert. Colin wanted to help but explained that even he didn’t have all the magic required and asked the two princesses to seek, wizards, witches- and the National Lottery to help conjure a great spell.

And so our three heroes set off on a magical quest to find magic from all over the Kingdom -of Fife.

First call was to the elfs of FET, (Fife Environmental Trust) Ashley Birrell and  Maria Scott

And then on to Wise old man of the Secret Garden- Tom Hedley.  He contacted his LEADERs in Fife- Lady Barbara Solway and Lady Helen Rorrison. They were enchanted with the idea and want to add their own magic

 

Next was a visit to the splendid and lavish palace of Fife House where Lord of the Swings  Alan Bissett, and his dashing knights  Peter Howden and John McVicar agreed to summon a huge spell between them.

But still they didn’t have a enough magic and the Fairy Godmothers Colin Gilbert, Frances Arbuckle and Fiona Mitchell were approached. They saw great merit in this multi –agency magic and pledged some spells themselves.

 

And last but not least was the Green Giant – NHTT, his directors Tom Morton, Neil Stoddart and Crispin Hays were keen to get Awards for All – despite it being a lottery.

 

Armed with all this magic they asked the Park how it would like to be  transformed. The park wasn’t sure and said it just wanted to be loved.  Ask my friends it wailed.

 

And so our heroes started asking questions of the children in the Village, adults in the village, the Secret Garden, the Community Council , the primary school and those at Bell Baxter School of Magic. We wanted a new shelter, we wanted new equipment, we wanted a skate park and we wanted adult exercise equipment.

 

The good Director Tom Morton designed a shelter and the group rallied together with builder fairies Becky Little and Alison Davie and set to work building the shelter.

 

But as in all fairy tales, nothing runs smoothly. The evil dark Lord Transco swooped down from the sky and stopped the project dead in its tracks, pointing out that work was about to be started over their pipeline!

 

But were the group put off- no, “Lord Transco is full of gas”, cried Princess Louise and the shelter was moved and improved. Then the planning warlock got involved and cried that planning permission was needed… andit was got. As long as it doesn’t have a satellite dish, shouted the community, and it didn’t!

 

Soon the Park began to take shape- new equipment, swings, a chute, a climbing frame, skate park, adult exercise machines, a climbing wall and lots of posts that stick out the ground that I don’t quite know what you are meant to do with !

 

But the snow and ice and snow and more snow of the long dark winter had set in and the shelter couldn’t get built.

 

And then one  Spring day the building fairies Beckie and Alison cast such a spell that they needed all the help of the children in the village and the primary school to build the clay walls and mix their potion.

 

And so now the transformation is complete. The Park became loved again and children travelled from miles around to play in it, the Secret Gardeners could keep dry and the community had a resource to help them get and stay fit.

 

The Park was delighted and beamed with happiness and they all lived happily ever after.

Please do go to www.glenfiddich.com/spirit and vote for him. Once you vote, you’ll automatically be entered into a prize draw for a luxury weekend away.

Saturday 8th October 1000-1200

doing FREE checks on all Letham bikes to:

•  check tyres and inflate if necessary;
• check steering and seating;
• put bike onto the workstand;
• check the operation of brakes and gears and make minor adjustments.

This will get your bike safe and on the road again and ready for use on the new cycle routes currently being built around the NHTT area.  For work requiring parts  special Letham prices apply…

Click here to learn more and see the flyer