News

SCF Trials Mutton Pies at Black Isle Show

Monday, July 26, 2010

Mutton pies are making an appearance at the Black Isle show this year, courtesy of the Scottish Crofting Federation. (SCF)

SCF is in the early stages of developing a range of quality Crofters’ Pies under its Scottish Crofting Produce (SCP) label to help expand the market for mutton for hill crofters.  The SCP label indicates low-input produce, grown extensively and to the highest standards of traceability and sustainability. In collaboration with the Ullapool Bakery, SCF will be offering tastings of a traditional Scotch pie and a spicy modern mutton pie at its stand to members and invited guests.

The SCP pie will restore the Scotch pie to its former glory, crammed full of prime young mutton. The spicy pie is also made from mutton and recognises changing tastes in the 21st century. Produced by Robin and Penny Calvert of Reidchalmai Croft, Rogart, the pie meat comes from a 16 month old sheep, grown slowly on ancient species rich grasslands and heather, and hung for about 18 days ensuring optimum flavour and tenderness.

SCF_Trials_Mutton_Pies.pdf

CROFTERS WILL CARRY ON REGARDLESS

Friday, July 02, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation have greeted the Crofting Reform Bill, voted through Parliament yesterday, as ‘a double edged sword’ but are confident that crofting will continue despite it.

Marina Dennis, convenor of the SCF crofting reform working group, said “We are pleased that the Bill has been voted through as parts of the existing legislation are not fit for purpose. Getting the Bill through means it can always be re-visited, but it is a double-edged sword. For example, we have always pressed for a map-based crofting register which has been voted through but the methods proposed by the government to implement this – the controversial compulsory ‘trigger’ system and the associated costs to crofters could have the effect of stagnating any movement of crofts. The government claim that this Bill is designed to free up crofts but this poorly thought out procedure could actually cause exactly the opposite. However, the SCF are working on a crofting community planning programme to help crofting communities to map their assets in a practical and empowering way. This will proceed despite the government’s intentions.”

crofters_carry_on.pdf

Crofter’s Pie Will be the New Scotch Pie

Monday, June 28, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation put their plans for a range of crofters’ pies before Environment minister Roseanna Cunningham at the Highland show today (Fri). Ms Cunningham tasted an all-butter lamb and marjoram pie, served with pea puree and pea shoots at the SCF stand along with a selection of other gourmet canapés made from Scottish crofting produce.

SCF chief executive Patrick Krause said: “She immediately saw the market potential for a crofter’s pie. We are convinced that our crofters pie, using top quality meat from Highlands and Islands crofts will be the new Scotch pie.”

Ms Cunningham also tasted Shetland beef carpaccio, Sutherland hogget confit, Lewis pork scotch eggs and Lewis strawberry and basil tartlets.

Crofters_Pie.pdf

Croft Produce Showcased In Goumet Buffet at Royal Highland Show

Monday, June 28, 2010

A Western Isles chef has been selected by the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) to showcase the finest in croft produce at this year's Royal Highland Show at Ingliston. Murdo Alex Macritchie of Lewis has designed a gourmet cold buffet featuring prime lamb, mutton, pork and beef from Lewis, Sutherland and Shetland. It will be presented to the media and VIPs including environment minister Roseanna Cunningham next Friday at the show. 

Croft_Produce_Showcase.pdf

EXPANDING MUTTON MARKET WOULD HELP PRESERVE ENVIRONMENT, SAY ISLAND CROFTERS

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has backed calls by island crofters for an expansion in the market for mutton.

Western Isles crofters say the hills and moors on the islands are suffering from lack of grazing, and this situation could be turned round if there was a greater emphasis on mutton for the mainstream market.

Richard MacLennan, who has a small blackface herd in Borve, Harris, says ageing crofters find it hard to gather sheep from the hills. He said: “Less people work with dogs now. It’s hard work to keep a hill flock. There is also a lack of hefted ewes to make good mutton after breeding.”

expanding_meat_market.pdf

RENEWABLES, AN OPPORTUNITY WASTED ASK SCF

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

A question of insurmountable hurdles was left as a conclusion to a seminar on small-scale renewable energy production held by the SCF on Saturday in Balmacara.

Donnie MacDonald, SCF director and spokesman on renewables said “there is a lot of enthusiasm for the opportunities this can have for rural communities and small enterprises. However, the opportunities are being thwart by it being very difficult for individuals to raise the capital to invest in power generation equipment. The SRDP is so difficult to get into it was universally advised to steer clear of it, banks don’t seem to be willing to lend on anything below 500kw and grants or interest-free loans available from the likes of the Energy Trust exclude the participant from then getting the Feed In Tariff – the source of income necessary to make the venture pay. So whilst it sounds a great way for small enterprises such as crofts to benefit from their natural resources in reality they are effectively excluded unless they happen to have a large amount of their own capital to invest.”

an_opportunity_wasted.pdf

SCF APPOINT NEW CHAIR

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation appointed their new Chair, Eleanor Arthur, at their AGM held on Saturday 5th June in Balmacara.

In her address to the assembled gathering, the young Shetland woman said “It is a great honour, but also a considerable responsibility to represent the SCF Board and membership. Over the last decade each new chair has been confronted with big crofting issues and this time is no different with reform of crofting legislation, the inquiry into future support for agriculture in Scotland and the whole reformation of European rural policy. Common to all issues is the continuing up-hill struggle to get crofting understood by the policy makers. The only way I see crofters having a voice and influence in Edinburgh, London and Brussels is for them to gather together under one banner and be big enough to be heard – we need numbers. The SCF provides this banner and it is very heartening to see that SCF membership is increasing, that crofters are joining and so making the SCF stronger and more representative. My intention is that the SCF continue to listen to its membership, to represent crofters effectively, and build on the good reputation it already holds nationally and internationally.”

scf_appoint_new_chair.pdf

CROFTERS’ STUDY TOUR RESPONDS TO INCREASING DEMAND FOR SOFT FRUIT

Monday, June 07, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has responded to the increasing demand for soft fruit in remote areas of the crofting counties with a two-day study tour designed to help crofter-growers increase their own production.

Under SCF's Crofting Resources Programme, part of which aims to train and mentor food producers, 16 soft fruit growers from crofts mainly in Skye and north-west Sutherland visited fruit farms in Moray and the Black Isle to learn about techniques which could be transferred to their smaller operations.

soft_fruit_study_tour.pdf

SCF ADDRESSES INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Foundation (SCF), the only member-led organisation dedicated to promoting crofting took part this week in the International Conference “La Settimana della Biodiversità” held in Rome.

The event saw farmers from across Europe come together to exchange their experiences with agricultural biodiversity Organised by Bioversity International the conference was designed to remind the public and the world’s decision makers how significant agricultural biodiversity is to people’s health and nutrition.

scf_address_biodiversity_conf

SCF warn that Croft Register Plan could rob crofters of their rights

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation have warned that the Scottish Government plan for a compulsory register of croft-land could lead to many traditional
crofting rights being lost.

The proposal for a Register of Crofts to be compiled and held by Registers of Scotland is part of the controversial Crofting Reform Bill which was
debated in Parliament yesterday.

Norman Leask, SCF’s Parliamentary spokesman, said "It is astonishing that the government are still doggedly going down this track, even against advice
from crofting lawyers, the experts in this field. There was also significant questioning of the need for there to be two Registers of Crofts by
the Parliamentary committee who scrutinised the Bill and by MSPs from across the parties in the debating chamber yesterday. There is an existing
register held by the Crofters Commission which needs to be completed and would benefit by up-grading to include croft maps. This will be all
that is needed and is all that crofters have asked for. But the Government is insisting that a second register needs to be compiled, at
crofters’ cost, to put crofts on to the land register, a property register held by Registers of Scotland in Edinburgh. Our legal advice
is that the Keeper of this register is highly unlikely to record all the information that is pertinent to crofts, such as grazing rights, hill
share and souming (number of livestock allowed), peat cutting rights, the position of nousts (where boats are kept), rights of access and so
on. If title is then exchanged without these rights recorded they are lost forever".

 For more information please download the PDF below:

scf-warn-croft-register.pdf

SCF PRAISE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT DILIGENCE

Thursday, May 06, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation have welcomed the publication of the Scottish parliament Rural Affairs and Environment Committee’s report on their Stage 1 scrutiny of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Marina Dennis, Convenor of the SCF crofting reform working group, said “We are pleased that the conclusion is that legislation should proceed. The Parliamentary Committee have clearly put a great deal of effort into the scrutiny of this Bill and reported back with due diligence. The report shows that the committee have listened to what crofters have been saying and have paid attention to the SCF, the crofters’ representative organisation.

SCF_PRAISE_SP_DILIGENCE.pdf

SCF CRITICISE CROFTING REGISTER PLANS AS ‘JUST WRONG’

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) have issued a clear rejection of the Scottish Government’s plans for the crofting register in their evidence to the Parliamentary Committee for Rural Affairs and Environment on the Crofting Reform Bill. 

Marina Dennis, convener of the SCF crofting reform working group said, “The plans put forward by the government for the crofting register are poorly conceived and are just wrong. There seems to be little understanding of what these proposals would mean in reality. As we have already stated, the proposal to use ‘trigger points’ to force croft registration is unworkable and even appears designed to be "adversarial" as the crofting lawyer Simon Fraser put it. It will cause crofters endless delay and expense. Crofting lawyers are recognised experts in these matters and two of the most respected of them, Simon Fraser and Sir Crispin Agnew, have deplored the government's 'trigger-point' plans and supported the SCF's ideas for the register to be based on a community mapping process. We have also questioned why croft tenants are being asked to map the land over which they hold an annual lease. What other tenants have to do that? But the evidence presented to the Parliamentary Committee by the Scottish Government shows they have paid little heed and are still way out of touch”.

SCF_CRITICISE_REGISTER.pdf

SCF response to the Pack interim report

Monday, March 15, 2010

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the interim report of the Inquiry into future support for agriculture in Scotland. SCF is the only member-led organisation dedicated to promoting crofting and is the largest association of small-scale food producers in Scotland. Its mission is to safeguard and promote the rights, livelihoods and culture of crofters and their communities. Working through our membership structure we can respond authoritively at local, national and international levels on the many issues affecting crofting and crofting communities. We have presented here comments gathered from our area representatives and advisors, not in any order of priority.

SCF-Pack-response.pdf

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS MEAT MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CROFTERS

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

A conference entitled ‘Marketing Meat from the Croft’ organised by the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) took place last week in Inverness. The purpose of the event was to bring together crofters and crofting producer groups with some of Scotland’s top meat industry experts, highlighting the opportunities and constraints in marketing beef, lamb and pork from the croft.  Conference organiser Donald Murdie, Co-ordinator of SCF’s Crofting Resources Programme, said, “The great majority of output from crofts is store livestock which is sold on to lowland farmers for finishing, but the direct selling route is a way that individual crofters and producer groups can add value to their produce, especially for breeders of traditional and native breeds which are slow to grow to maturity. SCF’s ‘Scottish Crofting Produce’ trade mark is available as an additional marketing tool.”

MEAT_MARKETING.pdf

CROFTING, COMMONS AND COMMUNITIES

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Delegates from the Scottish Crofting Federation were in the north of England on the 23rd of February to attend a major meeting discussing the formation of a UK and Ireland wide Foundation For Common Land.  

At the meeting held at Melmerby in Cumbria were graziers from throughout the UK and Ireland who work common land, and members of representative groups that support them. A series of short presentations at the outset of the meeting showed that in some areas, such as the Highlands and Islands, there is a strong local representative system already in place, while in other parts of the country representative groups are less developed or do not exist at all.

COMMONS_COMMUNITIES.pdf