Crofter 93 - Scottish Crofting Federation

THE CROFTERScottish Crofting Federationrooted in our communitiesThe journal of the Scottish Crofting Federation, the only member-led organisation dedicated to thepromotion of crofting and the largest association of small-scale food producers in the UKDecember 2011 Number 93Redistributionof public fundsunder a new CAPIn the discussions and negotiationson the CAP in Scotland there have beenseveral suggestions for new strategiesfor using the CAP allocation.They invariably involve redistributionof payments from the current out-datedmodel which favours large mono-cultureagri-businesses – yes, there are farmers inScotland who receive over £1 million of publicmoney per year – to a more accountablestructure that rewards environmentalprotection and social cohesion.SCF suggested a specific work-streamfor vulnerable areas that would targetsupport to the more fragile and remoteareas, which also tend to coincide withthe High Nature Value (HNV) areas. Thishas been developed by the Highlandand Island agricultural support group,who have commissioned a study and putforward recommendations for vulnerablefarming areas.SCF is also working on a propositionfor a croft-only payment which wouldtie in many support mechanisms toone scheme, a crofting counties agroecologicalgrant scheme, something likean enhanced CCAGS.A well-researched and technical proposalcomes from a study undertaken by SAC forScottish Natural Heritage on alternativepayment approaches for non-economicfarming systems delivering environmentalpublic goods. In other words, payment forholdings that are on the edge of viabilitythat we want to keep as they provide publicgoods such as environmental protectionand social cohesion.In his forward to the report on thestudy Peter Pitkin, principal advisor forSNH says: “Existing agri-environmentscheme payments are restricted by theContinued on page 3Inside this issue• CAP reform• New crofting act• Animal nutrition• Crofting Resources Programme• SCF gathering 2011and much more...Taking stockIt looks simple. You put some ewes tothe tup, turn them out to the hill, gather themin, sell their lambs and bank the proceeds.If it was really like that there wouldn’t be thecrisis of destocking and land abandonmentthat has now been confirmed in at leastfour reports commissioned by the ScottishGovernment and its agencies. Since thatwell-documented exodus from the hills andmoors we have seen a recovery in sheep andlamb prices to a position not seen for at leasttwenty years – but how can crofters use theirunderused resource of common grazing landto benefit from the stronger trade in all classesof sheep?SCF’s Taking Stock survey of crofters’ stockclubs asked whether this model of hill livestockmanagement, well established in some areas,could provide a route back to sustainable useof hill and moor grazings.Continued on page 5Flagship stud farm in the offingThanks to the efforts of the bull hirereview group, on which SCF wasrepresented by Marina Dennis, a newfacility is to be built at Knocknagael. Backin 2008 SCF succeeded in persuading thenminister for crofting Mike Russell to rethinkplans for closing the farm.“It’s a great relief to hear that our effortswere not in vain,” Marina commented.“There is no doubt that the bulls fromthe stud made a vital contribution to thequality of crofters’ herds and its loss wasunthinkable and a threat to the viability ofmany croft enterprises.”See page 2 for more information.

2 THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011 3Message from the chair...the scF annual gathering,held in sabhal mor ostaigin skye, was the highlightof the last few months. No, thehighlight of the year.It was a great opportunityto visit another island and thehospitality shown to us by smoDirector's blog...IWAs All set to be hoppingmad when I heard that thescottish Government hadignored the recommendationmade by the bull hire review groupon which I represented the scF.We had recommended thata new stud farm be built atbalrobert, which is more remotethan knocknagael in relation tothe city of Inverness. And thescottish Government did notlisten after the months of researchand discussion undertaken by thereview group. however, I thoughtI had better get it straight fromthe horse’s mouth and spoke toJohn cowan, the farm managerat knocknagael.the news was good. planshave been submitted to highlandcouncil for a new state-of-the-artstud farm at knocknagael which, allbeing well, will be up and runningby November 2012. An engineer’sreport on the balrobert siteconcluded that it would be scarilyexpensive to develop. however,it has not been lost on me that inwas excellent. In shetland wehave stunning views but skye wasjust lovely, especially as we werestaying in the college pent-houseaccommodation. the sunrisein the morning was outstandingand as the day progressed theweather deteriorated into veryrough weather and seas. What abeautiful place.We had a fair range ofexcellent speakers from allover scotland, making verygood, interesting listening whichgenerated discussion over thetwo days. our own minister,stewart stevenson, gave theopening address. the croftingconnections school childrenwere a welcome addition too atthe college, where they sang andplayed to a captivated audience.A big thank you goes to them.Vote for your commissionersWe remINDeD reADers in the last issue of The Crofter thatthe crofting reform (scotland) Act 2010 makes provision toelect commissioners to the crofting commission, as it will becalled, to make it more democratic and accountable.A consultation on procedure closed on 5th october, the results ofwhich should be publicised soon. the proposals put forward seem tobe workable.With the opportunity to vote for new crofters commissioners comesthe responsibility to vote. It is vital that as many eligible crofters aspossible vote in the elections next year.2001 when I was a commissionerat the crofters commission, planswere drawn up for a new build atknocknagael but the plug waspulled on the proposal.the current knocknagaelbuildings will be demolished, thesite levelled and a ‘comprehensiveflagship stud farm’ built. It willalso be a centre for training stafffrom sepA, sNh, hse, sAc andothers interested in agriculturalissues. there will only be two bullsto a pen – and it will be cheaper,easier and so much safer for manand beast.the management of the schemewill no longer be the responsibilityof the crofters commission butwill be administered by sGIrpIDin Inverness and called thescottish Government bull schemeknocknagael. so the bull schemehas been well and truly saved andI believe the review group playeda big part in that.so once again crofters can saythey have a department bull – justlike the old days.A maybe not very exciting, butvery important, issue is happeningat the moment – cAp reform,which seems to have been goingon for ever. but we now haveproposals from the europeancommission that go to theeuropean parliament and councilfor modification and approval; sowe still have ample opportunity toinfluence the outcome and try toget a fairer deal for scotland. Andwe have to negotiate in scotlandfor a fairer deal for crofters.We have had SCF officials inedinburgh, london and brusselsand will continue to fight.As a crofting assessor, I amlooking forward to the assessors’conference in Inverness. We willbe discussing, amongst otherthings, common grazings. Wemust make more use of them andEleanor Arthurprotect this very valuable resource.there will also be a session on thecrofting commission electionswhich will take place next spring.please get involved and eitherstand as a commissioner yourselfor nominate someone. this is agreat opportunity for crofting.since october shetland has hadvery wet and windy weather withsevere disruptions to the Northlinkferries. this has had considerableeffect on the shipping of livestock.our beasts are having to waitfor a weather window or havevery poor travelling conditions. Ishould also include passengersin this too. one trip which shouldhave been 14 hours turned into28 hours! Not very encouraging atall. Now with the clocks being setback, darkness is at 4.30pm, sothis makes for a long winter.It is essential that the details held on the crofting register by thecommission are accurate so that all registered crofters receive aballot paper.the commission has written to crofters asking them ensure theirdetails are recorded properly, but of course they could only write to theaddresses they have. If you have not already done so, make sure thecommission has your correct name and address on their records. Itwill be too late to make changes and get a ballot paper once the ballotpapers have been issued.Marina DennisRedistributionof public fundsunder a new CAPContinued from page 1requirement to base these primarily onincome foregone and additional costs.however, for farming systems that exhibitvery low levels of profitability or decliningprofitability, existing agri-environmentpayments simply perpetuate the low levelsof profitability that tend to characterise theextensive farming that is often particularlyassociated with biodiversity and otherenvironmental goods and services. Wheresystems are not profitable, the incomeforegone formula is clearly irrelevantand, where there is a public interest insupporting such farming systems, otherapproaches are needed.”three alternative payment approacheswere tested:1. Full cost of management(FCM) approach. The FCMformula is proposed as anagri-environment-type, site-specificpayment, which would be justifiablewhere a management activity isunprofitable. The calculations are basedon the full cost of management, includinga proportion of the fixed costs.the other approaches are based on theless favoured areas formula:2. Holding-wide payment approach –based on assistance for disadvantagedregions where farming systemsprovide environmental public goods.This approach explores the scope todevelop holding-level payments basedon a whole-farm agri-environmentundertaking and is based on estimatedgross margins.3. Opportunity cost paymentapproach. This also involves aholding-level approach, but is basedon the opportunity cost of farmingexpressed in the form of alternativeincome options within areas subjectto natural handicaps.peter concludes: “the report highlightsthat there is a strong case for developingalternative payment approaches incertain circumstances and that theseare likely to be compatible with Wtorequirements. the analysis providesa valuable contribution to the debateabout how best to support the deliveryof environmental public goods wherefarming provides the best mechanism butwhere the financial returns are marginal(as with much hNV farming).”EC sets out new CAPAmIlestoNe in common Agriculturalpolicy (cAp) reform deliberationsvpassed recently with the publicationof the ec’s legal proposals for four europeanparliament and council regulations.i) Direct payments – the rules governing thedistribution of direct support to farmers andcrofters under pillar I.ii) the single common market organisation(cmo) – rules governing european interventionprogrammes in agricultural markets for a widerange of agricultural products.iii) rural development – rules governing theprogrammes of member states and regions forpillar II of the cAp.iv) Horizontal regulation for financing,managing and monitoring the cAp whichdeals with cross-cutting issues includingcross-compliance and control systems.In addition, there are three smallerregulations to address transitionarrangements.Direct payments and rural developmentregulations, together with cross-complianceaspects of the horizontal regulation, will beof most importance and interest to farmersand crofters.CAP in summary:Direct payments (pillar 1). the ec hasproposed a continuation of direct payments tofarmers and crofters. these payments will bebased on an objective hectare basis, to whichall member states and regions must transfer by2019. Attempts have been made to better focuspayments on active farmers, ie those who earnmore than 5% of their income from agricultureand who respect minimum activity requirements.Individual payments will be capped at €300,000with reductions of payments from €150,000 up.there will be a series of top-up paymentswithin this first pillar. Farmers and crofters mustparticipate in enhanced greening practices inorder to receive their basic payment, namelycrop diversification (three crops, no less than 5%and no more than 70% of the land), maintainingpermanent pasture and maintaining ecologicalfocus areas (7% of eligible hectares for fallowland, buffer strips etc). crofters will only haveto do the practices which are relevant for them.member states may grant an additionalpayment to farmers and crofters in Areas ofNatural constraint (ANc) worth up to 5% ofthe national ceiling. up to 2% of the nationalceiling will be used as an additional annualpayment for young farmers and crofterscommencing their agricultural activity, fora maximum of five years. Smaller farmersand crofters will also have the opportunity toparticipate in a simplified scheme replacingall direct payments, worth between €500 and€1000. coupled support for vulnerable regionsand sectors, including for sheep meat andbeef, will continue.rural development (pillar 2). the lessFavoured Area (lFA) support scheme willcontinue, but comprehensively reformed andrenamed: areas qualify for payment based oneight biophysical criteria (the area in questionmust meet at least one of the criteria) andregions must undergo fine-tuning exercisesto remove land which is lFA but which hasovercome its handicap through investment.the four axes of rural development (thesrDp), with the requirement to spend certainamounts on each, have been replaced by sixpriorities, with no restrictions on spending:1) fostering knowledge transfer;2) enhancing agricultural competitiveness;3) promoting food chain organisation andrisk management;4) preserving and enhancing ecosystems;5) resource efficiency and lowcarbon economy;6) development of rural areas.there will be a new performance frameworkwith targets to be met; and 5% of funds willbe held back in a performance reserve foroutstanding projects.crofters will have the following maininterests in the negotiations:Continued on page 4© Martin Benson

4 THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011 5Crofting Reform (scotland) act 2010:2nd Commencement OrderPrinciple changes coming in to force on1 October 2011Definition of owner-occupier crofterprior to the new act, owner-occupiers werelandlords of vacant crofts.An owner-occupier is now defined as suchif they are the owner of a croft; and they wereeither the tenant of the croft when the croftland was acquired or a crofter's nominee oran individual who purchased the croft fromthe constituting landlord (or a successor intitle to any of those persons). In addition, thecroft must not have been let to any person asa crofter since it was acquired or constitutedas a croft.A constituting landlord is the owner ofthe land at the time it was constituted as acroft under section 3A, or such an owner’ssuccessor in title.Duties on tenant crofters and owneroccupiercroftersResidence dutytenant and owner-occupier crofters arerequired to be ordinarily resident on, or within32 kilometres of, their croft. An application canbe made to the commission for consent to beabsent; however the Commission may onlygrant consent if the tenant crofter or owneroccupiercrofter shows good reason whythey should be excused from their duty to beordinarily resident.duty not to misuse or neglect the croftA croft is misused where the tenant orowner-occupier crofter wilfully and knowinglyuses it other than for the purpose of cultivatingit or putting it to a purposeful use, or fails tocultivate the croft or puts it to an inappropriateuse. Definitions of misuse and neglect can befound in new section 5b of the 1993 Act.duty to cultivate and maintainA tenant or owner-occupier croftermust cultivate the croft or put it to anotherpurposeful use and maintain it so that it is ina fit state for cultivation.Scottish Crofting FederationOur mission is tosafeguard and promotethe rights, livelihoodsand culture of croftersand their communitiesDefinitions of cultivation and purposefuluse can be found in new section 5c (8) ofthe 1993 Act.the commission now has a duty toinvestigate suspected breach of duties andpowers and to take enforcement action ifappropriate. this may result in the terminationof a crofter’s tenancy or in the letting of thetenancy of an owner-occupier’s croft.Requirement for an owner-occupier crofterto divide the croft prior to the transfer ofany part of the croftIf an owner-occupier crofter wishes totransfer ownership of part of the croft (whetheror not the transfer is for value), the consentof the Commission must first be obtained todivide the croft. Any transfer of ownership ofpart of an owner-occupied croft which is not anew croft created through a division approvedby the commission, and any deed purportingto transfer ownership of that part, will be nulland void. this provision does not apply wheremissives have been concluded in respect ofsuch a transfer prior to 1 october 2011.Letting by owner-occupier croftersAn owner-occupier may now let a croft to atenant who will become (1) a crofter or (2) ashort-term tenant for a maximum of 10 years.In the case of the former, the owner-occupiercrofter will become the landlord of the croftand the provisions relating to owner-occupiercrofters will cease to apply to them.Bequest of croftstenant crofters can now bequeath theircroft to one or to more than one person. thelegatee must give notice of the bequest tothe landlord and must copy the notice to thecommission within 12 months (currently fourmonths) of the death of the crofter. the rightof a landlord to object to a bequest wherethe legatee is not a member of the deceasedcrofter’s family is removed.If the bequest is to multiple persons, all thelegatees must accept the bequest and theremust be no part of the croft left untenanted.the deceased crofter’s executor must applyfor the commission’s consent to divide thecroft and if no such consent is given the wholebequest is null and void and the croft tenancywill fall to be treated as intestate estate.IntestacyIf a crofter dies leaving no will or if the will isinvalid, the consent of the commission will nolonger be required to transfer the tenancy. theperiod allowed for the executor to give noticeto the landlord of the transfer of the croft isextended from 12 to 24 months.Commission approval or consentcommission approval or consent is requiredin a number of different types of applications.the main change here is the streamlining ofthe processing of regulatory applications, byrequiring the commission simply to approveapplications for consent, reject them, or toapprove them subject to conditions. Anadditional category of person who can objectto an application is also introduced; beingany person the commission considers has arelevant interest in the application.decrofting and resumption of croft landthe commission and the scottish landcourt, during the course of establishingthe principle of reasonable purpose inthe context of a decrofting or resumptionapplication, can now consider (a) thesustainability of crofting in the locality of thecroft or such other area in which crofting iscarried on; (b) the crofting community in thatlocality or the communities in such an area;(c) the landscape of that locality or such anarea; (d) the environment of that locality orsuch an area; and (e) the social and culturalbenefits associated with crofting.If the proposed decrofting (or resumption) isin respect of a development for which planningpermission exists, the commission may also takeinto account the effect the proposed decroftingwill have on the croft, the estate and the croftingcommunity in the locality of the croft.EC sets out new CAPContinued from page 31) winning a fairer share of both pillar I andpillar II budgets. We currently have the fourthlowest share of pillar I money in europe andthe lowest share of Pillar 2;2) meaningful re-distribution of funds withinScotland;3) fine tuning the greening proposals to ensurethat they fit Scottish agricultural conditions andthat there is recognition for high nature valuesystems of production;4) ensuring simplification of CAP administrationand streamlining control and penalty systemsto ensure that they are proportionate to aholding size;5) defending a reformed LFA that reflectsscotland's climate and agriculture and whichtargets payment to our most vulnerable andIssued by the Crofters Commissionremote producers – crofters;6) guaranteeing our future right to maintainlimited and defined coupled payments toensure the continuation of livestock grazingand land management on hill and upland;7) that new entrants will receive payments anda level playing field from day one;8) direct payments only go to genuinely activefarmers and crofters who produce food andpublic goods;9) adequate funding for communal systems ofworking, such as common grazings.the current cAp phase comes to an end inDecember 2013 with a new phase starting 1stJanuary 2014.more information can be found onour website and there will be updates inThe Crofter.First Europeancongress at Vila RealscF board member Derek Flynrecently travelled to portugal to talkabout crofters’ common grazings.The first congress of Europeancommunity areas took place in Vila real,portugal, on 23-25 september 2011.this landmark gathering, organisedby bAlADI, the portuguese nationalfederation of baldios (common lands),was attended by about 400 participants,including representatives of the users ofthe commons of various regions of spain,Italy and Scotland; and of the Portugueseregions of tras-os-montes and AltoDouro; Minho; Beira Alta and Beira Baixa;Coimbra and Leiria; and Santarem.A civic reception for the international guestswas held in the delightful baroque town hall ofVila real, the main conference taking placenearby at the university of tras-os-montesand Alto Douro (utAD) where, over twodays, talks were given by the internationaldelegates as well as by several of thosefrom the portuguese regions and variouspoliticians and professionals, all associatingthemselves with the significance of commonareas in its many forms throughout the eu.Despite some historical and topographicaldifferences, these common areas and theircommunities clearly share similar challengesand threats.The final stage of the gathering wasa visit to the baldios of Ansiães, whichitself won a historical legal victory in thedefence of its communal areas. this wasan informative illustration of what a smallcommunity can achieve and provided anexcellent starting point for future workbetween the european bodies.having been brought together withso many stakeholders, academics andtechnical experts in the natural resourcesof the commons, the participatingorganisations agreed to propose thecreation of a working group withineuropean coordination Via campesina topursue a greater recognition of communityareas and to seek better support in theforthcoming reform of the cAp. It is clearthat there is a general need for collectiveland management arrangements to bebetter recorded and taken into account.the directorate of bAlADI and especiallythe congress director, Armando carvalho,are to be congratulated on their initiative,which deserves repeating in the future.Armando Carvalho and Derek FlynCROFTing REsOuRCEs pROgRammETaking stockContinued from page 1the FINAl report on the taking stocksurvey is still in preparation, but someconclusions are already clear.the economics of extensive hill sheepflocks depend on low inputs. Handed-downknowledge of the grazing and its capabilitiesdetermines sustainable stocking levels and,of course, only ewes hefted to the hill havethe necessary foraging abilities. of the stockclubs surveyed for the project, most restrictsupplementary feeding to provision of highenergy blocks. the siting of blocks also assistsmanagement of the grazing. In some cases nosupplementary feeding is required.two stock clubs reported that ewe-hogsare wintered in sheds, in one case takingadvantage of the off-wintering option in srDprural priorities. this has the added advantagethat if a ewe has to be taken inside later inlife she will readily take a feed. one stockclub uses an offshore island for hog winteringwhich no doubt results in exceptionally healthyand hardy replacement stock.the survey found that returns per ewe arein line with the scottish lFA average of £23(according to Qms statistics for 2010) andthis season, small, good quality, hill blackfacelambs are fetching £40 - £45.All the respondents to the scF survey ofstock clubs in skye and east sutherland areconvinced of the viability of the stock clubmodel of hill grazing management and areoptimistic for the future.however it is important to note that some ofthese stock clubs have been in existence for acentury. their success is the result of severalgenerations of handed-down skills, knowledgeand experience that would be hard to replicatetoday starting with a blank sheet, or an emptyhill. such make-or-break factors as stockinglevels, skilled labour input (gatherers withgood dogs; shearing and dipping contractors),selection of tups, administration and financialmanagement are matters of fine judgementand call for a high degree of diplomacy as wellas stockmanship.Faced with an empty or underused hillgrazing, and little prospect of hefting a newsheep flock, a way forward might be to usesrDp woodland options as a means toprovide strategic fencing to enable practicalmanagement of sheep on the hill. scF will behappy to provide advice on this option withinour township assets project.The final report on Taking Stock will soonbe available. It will be on the scF website, butplease contact head office if you would like apaper copy.The future of commongrazingsby Gwyn JonesAreport principally authoredby grazings expert GwynvJones was publicly praisedby scF board member Derek Flyn atboth the recent european congresson community lands and at thescF annual gathering on skye.the report must be recognisedas a valuable tool if progress is tobe made regarding the future ofcrofters’ common grazings.the report, Trends in CommonGrazing: first steps towards anintegrated needs-based strategy,is published by the europeanForum on Nature conservation andpastoralism (eFNcp) and providesrecommendations as to what mightbe done to obtain more informationon these common grazings.crofting and common grazings arean important element of scotland’shigh Nature Value (hNV) farmingsystem resource. Although commongrazings only cover about 9% ofscotland’s agricultural land, over20% of the agricultural land underhNV farming systems is on commongrazings. Given this importance,there is a need to know muchmore about crofting and commongrazings and their management tomake a case for that managementto be suitably rewarded.there is an existing requirementby the european commission toestablish a baseline of the extent ofhNV farming systems occurring inscotland and to develop mechanismsto track trends in that hNV farmingsystem resource within the life-spanof the 2007-2013 scottish ruralDevelopment programme.Trends in Common Grazingsdevelops a number ofrecommendations to addresspresent difficulties.the report can be accessed atwww.efncp.org/download/Trendsin-Common-Grazing3.pdf.

6 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 7Crofting Resources programmeThe croft brand – is there such a thing?Russell Smith offers his conclusions on arecent surveySCF promotes the croft mark and crofttourism as something that will add value,to help crofters sell more or achieve ahigher price for products. But do people knowwhat crofting is and what do they associate withit? Crofters know the benefits of the croftingsystem – and the drawbacks – but do others?SCF commissioned market research tofind out.Have you heard of crofts or crofting?Overall, 42% of people in the UK had heardof crofting, 46% hadn’t and 11% were unsure.Males and older people were more likely tohave heard of either term, rising to 79% inScotland. For the rest of the UK the percentagewas 39%, highest in the north of England andWales, lowest in London at only 32%.This is consistent with a figure of 49% in 1996survey which was more weighted to Scotland.So less than half the people in the UK knowwhat crofting is.What is your understanding of crofting?0f 968 respondents, 12% were completelywrong, many thinking about thatching or craftwork. Over three quarters identified it withfarming or a small holding, mostly identifiedwith Scotland or Highlands and Islands.Around 10% associated it with houses. Justfewer than 10% identified a special tenuresystem and 10% mentioned communalworking or self sufficiency. So most peoplewho said they knew about crofting got itmostly correct. Only one person (1%) in theScottish sample who said they had heard ofcrofting got it wrong.About 5% specifically mentioned sheep,but there was no mention of crofting’s rolein maintaining landscapes, managing theenvironment or delivering public goods. Therewas only one mention of green and fourmentions of sustainable, but 66 respondentsused the term self-sufficiency.Less than 10% gave replies like “primitive”,“huts”, or “peasant farming” and more sawcrofting as remote or isolated. But perhaps aholiday in the middle of nowhere has its ownattraction to the consumer in the crowdedsouth east of England. My favourite descriptionwas "like a farm, but not!"Respondents were asked whether theywould be more or less likely to buy a croftproduct as opposed to a Scottish product. Thequestion was asked about fruit and veg, meat,crafts, and holidays.In Scotland, over half of the replies saidit would make no difference. Results areconsistent across the four product types.Around 30% are more likely with 8-9% muchmore likely. Only 2-6% said they wouldbe less likely to buy. This question did notdiscuss price differences which could affectattitudes.UK results are similar, but with a higherpercentage more likely, up to 49% for veg andfruit. Compared to the UK, fewer respondents(5/6% compared to 9/10%) answered “unsure”(not shown) and about double in the muchmore likely category. Only 1% are less likely tobuy food or crafts, rising to 5% for holidays.Croft holidays are less popular for UKadults than food or crafts compared to theequivalent Scottish offering, particularly foryounger age groups with 17% less likely topurchase a croft holiday compared to 4% forfruit and veg or meat. This possibly points toan image problem with crofts or could just bethat cities have a stronger pull on youngerpeople who don’t want the rural retreat. Or isthere scope for promoting adventure, activityholidays such as mountain biking or climbingwhich would appeal to younger people?People who had previously heard ofcrofting are 1½ times more likely to saythey will buy croft produce or holidays thanpeople who hadn’t. This suggests that wecan market croft produce in Scotland wherethe concept is well known and understood.But, as we get further away from the croftingcounties, we need to add an element ofeducation to our marketing. This may be assimple as a couple of lines on the label or aparagraph on the website.What does it all mean?The questions posed at the beginning of thisarticle were:• Should we be branding produce as croft?• Should we be branding holidays as croft?• Will we sell more or be able to chargemore if branded as croft?In the entire UK, less than half of peoplehave heard of crofting. They are more likelyto buy croft produce than less likely, but formost there is no difference. Visitors fromabroad are even less likely to be aware ofcrofting – though there is a significant nichemarket of people tracing their family treeand seeking their great-great-grandparent’scroft.In Scotland most people are familiar withcrofting. Between a third and a half say theyare more likely to buy croft-branded producerather than Scottish produce.So the research suggests it is worth pursuingbranding for food produce in Scotland, but adifferent strategy is required for the rest ofthe UK. The Scottish Crofting Produce markis already developing this approach.For crafts the research findings are similar,but the target market is predominantlytourists visiting crofting areas, so the problemis more of education. Many accommodationproviders are based on crofts so theopportunity is there.Croft holidays show lower rates of“more likely to purchase” than for produce,especially amongst younger age groups. Ifthe target market for holidays is Scotlandthen there is generally a good understandingof and support for crofting. When advertisingto the rest of the UK there is a need toeducate the consumer about crofting aspart of the marketing. Authenticity is thecurrent buzz word in tourism. Genuineworking crofts which maintain traditions andculture while providing the modern benefitsof central heating and broadband are wellplaced to capitalise.The message about crofting and itsbenefits needs to be delivered further. InScotland it is more about emphasising howcrofting is good for the environment, how itretains population in remote areas and howit provides public goods by maintaining thelandscape and biodiversity.Like a farm, but much more …All figures, unless otherwise stated, arefrom YouGov plc. Total sample size was2,113 adults. Fieldwork was undertakenin September 2011. The survey wascarried out online. The figures have beenweighted and are representative of allUK adults. The research is part of theCrofting Resource Programme funded byHighlands and Islands Enterprise and theEsme Fairbairn Foundation.The report is available in full on the websiteor from SCF HQ.look online atwww.crofting.orgDonald Murdie reportsCouncillor DonaldManford of Barra,crofter and scourgeof SNH, once remarked thatthe apparently abandonedvehicles and machinery, oftencriticised as a blot on thecrofting landscape, are actuallyevidence of crofters’ enthusiasmfor recycling.The old vans and tractorsact as a store of spare parts,helping to keep equipment ofsimilar vintage in operation.I’m sure our tractor restorationfriends would confirm that.When nothing usable is left, theremaining bodywork can helpto fill a blow-out in the sanddunes and save the machairfrom erosion. That ancient andrusting combine, that seemed tosit permanently by the roadsidein Benbecula for many years,actually worked and performedthe vital task of preserving theunique local seed varieties.As well as keeping oldmachines working, croftershave always been good atfinding new uses for redundantarticles. The modern wasteawareness mantra “reduce, reuse,recycle” could have beencoined in the crofting countieshalf a century ago. Think of theonce-familiar bedstead gate.Community skips andrecycling sites can still offer richpickings for the modern crofter.I once salvaged upwards offifty perfectly sound fenceposts from a skip. They hadeven been carefully stripped ofwire and staples. The secret ofreusing fence posts is to sawoff the top three inches or so,leaving sound, solid wood tohammer into the ground. Hereare some other examples.Old tyres have many usesaround the croft, like holdingdown tarpaulins or buildingtemporary field shelters. If youneed to put a pail of drinkingwater in a field or in the byre,stand it inside a couple oftyres. That will stop the animalskicking it over or the windblowing it away. By making useof old tyres you will be savingthe local authority £2.50 foreach one, as that’s what theyhave to pay to get rid of them.If you start to accumulate tyres,however, make sure you havea use in mind – as they’reCrofting Resources programmeCrofters ahead ofthe recycling game!much easier to acquire thanto dispose of. Our man at therecycling centre says he’s onlyallowed to accept two fromeach client.Fish boxes are foundeverywhere on the shore andI’ve acquired perfectly soundones out of skips, which is abit surprising. They have ahuge variety of uses. Fixed tothe carrier on a quad they willcarry a bag of feed, the fencingtools, or a tired sheepdog! Theymake a handy shelf in the fankfor the pour-ons, injections andstuff like that and they’re usefulfor growing things in, and forstoring potatoes.A crofter once told me she hada fine collection of fish boxesand one day a man, a Buchanloon by his accent, arrived ina pick-up and said he’d cometo take them away. The crofterasked who they belonged to,as she’d gathered them allfrom the shore of her owncroft. “The fishermen,” was thereply. “Which fishermen?” sheresponded, pointing out that ahigh proportion were of Spanish,Irish and Norwegian origin, andanyway, where was his writtenauthority to uplift any of them?The man stomped off, mutteringsomething uncomplimentaryin Doric. I guess the moral ofthis story is that fish boxes dobelong to someone, and if youfind one belonging to a localboat, give it back.Single trip pallets are notso common as they used tobe, due to fish farms gettingmore bulk feed deliveries, butthere are still plenty about,even allowing for November5th bonfires. Again they arehighly prized on the croft forstoring hay, making temporarygates – temporary being untilthey rot away – sheep pens andcompost heaps.Finally, here is an examplefrom Shetland of recyclingingenuity. A crofter constructeda polytunnel using salvaged fishfarm feed pipe as the frame. Thiswas so successful that the ideahas been adopted commerciallyby the Northmavine communitycompany and is now known asthe Polycrub. See Crofter 91and www.nortenergy.co.uk.Niche market for qualitycroft produceThe SCF was again represented at the Cawdor Living Foodevent in September, one of the premier showcases for localfood in the north of Scotland.The aim was to demonstrate the quality and range of produce thatis available under the Scottish Crofting Produce mark.Tasting was provided for Shetland lamb from Richard Briggs andfor the crofters’ pie from Robin and Penny Calvert of Rogart. Alsofeatured were fruit and vegetables from Robson and Murdie in Skyeand quail and duck eggs from Drumbhan Croft in Sutherland.Direct sales of produce from crofts can boost income and thereis a growing niche market for locally produced food where theprovenance is clearly demonstrated and the customer can talk tothe producer.The Scottish Crofting Produce mark has been established topromote this. If you are interested in joining, contact HQ.Shetland lamb tastingScottish meat for sale in Austria

10 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 11Lewis Crofters LtdSHEEP FEEDDRENCHESFERTILISERSSEEDSFENCINGFOOTWEARCATTLE FOODVACCINESHARDWARECLOTHINGTRACTOR PARTSCAR TRAILERSLewis Crofters LtdIsland Road, Stornoway, Isle of LewisTelephone 01851 702350 Fax: 01851 703077www.lewiscrofters.co.uk88x130 090227 27/02/2009 16:00 Page 1ANOTHER AWARD-WINNING YEARHIGHLANDS AND ISLANDSMEDIA AWARDSKeith MacKenzieSports Writer of the YearMurray MacLeodFeature Writer of the Yearand highly commended in theBord na Gaidhlig AwardWillie Urquharthighly commended in thePhotographer of the Year awardAonghas Pàdraig CaimbeulBord na Gaidhlig AwardThe newspaper of theland, the language,the dunlop tractors people 88x40 28/5/07 11:39 Page 1Dunlop Tractor SparesFERGI, 35/65, DEXTA, MAJORa wiDe range of parTS STockeD for ferguSon, MaSSeYferguSon, forDSon DexTa anD Major, forD, forDNEW AND USED PARTS, BADGES, ETC.ferguSon, DaviD Brown anD inTernaTional.Send stamped OVER addressed 1800 DIFFERENT envelope, 47p, PARTS for price list.Send stamped addressed envelope,A4 size, for price list.67a crankill road, Ballymena, co. antrim, n. ireland BT43 5nnT: 028 2565 672560 Crankill f: 028 Road, 2565 Ballymena, 2563 M: 07834 N. Ireland 455 082 BT43 or 07834 5NN 455 083Tel/Fax: 028 2565 amanda@dunloptractorspares.co.uk2560 Mobile: 07710 994 190 or 07834 455083website: www.dunloptractorspares.co.ukemail: bertie@dunloptractorspares.co.ukCrofters CommissionRegulating crofting to sustainand enhance rural communitiesRiaghladh croitearachd gus coimhearsnachdandùthchail a chumail suas agus a leasachadh.Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NWT: (01463) 663450 F: (01463 ) 7118 20Email: info@crofterscommission.org.ukwww.crofterscommission.org.ukAsulam banAn EU decision to banvasulam, one of the mostcost effective andselective chemicals available forbracken control will worsen the riskof devastating spring wildfires.The rationale for the ban isa concern over the chemical'ssafety when used on spinach andother food crops. However, anoutright ban on asulam, which isthe active ingredient in Asulox,has deprived crofters of the rightto use Asulox for bracken control.This will increase the spread ofbracken, whose strangleholdacross swathes of the Highlandsis already being exacerbated byclimate change and the loss ofstock from the hills.Dead bracken wason the croftundoubtedly a major factor inthe wildfires that raged throughthe north-west this spring.SCF chair Eleanor Arthursays, "Crofters will recognisethe seriousness of this situation.The single farm payment (SFP)created an exodus of animals fromthe hills, especially sheep, whichhas left large swathes of landabandoned. Active crofters arenow struggling to control brackenon underused hills and are beingpenalised because undergrazinghas resulted in areas infested bybracken being removed from theirSFP. It is bitterly disappointingthat the EU now removes themost effective method, other thangrazing, of trying to control thespread of bracken."Crofter’s wife columnIlove the time between theautumn and winter editions ofThe Crofter.It’s a busy time on the croft: newfaces appearing, old ones leaving,buying, selling and a steady buildup to the busy days of feedingand watering; all the while awarethat days are shortening while thelist of chores lengthen.Trips to the mart provideexcitement and a rare day out,usually with a nice lunch thrownin for good measure – and maybeeven a quick wheech around adifferent supermarket (handy tobegin stocking up for that otherevent looming on the horizon!)Between my own work andthe children I don’t seem to goto sales so often these days and,left at home with that excitementfluttering away inside, “Whatwill he bring home this time?” Ifind myself scuttling down to theholding pens as soon as it’s lightenough the following morning togive the newcomers the once over,their official welcome provided byan enthusiastic three year oldonce he’s up and on the go.One trip this autumn sawthe arrival of another couple ofAberdeen Angus – a breed fastbecoming a bit of a favourite hereon No 8. Not in their first flush ofyouth, these two fine ladies hadan eventful introduction to theirnew lives – a breakdown, in ahowling gale, on the north roadhome from Dingwall. True ladies,they remained calm throughout;a good sign as these two werebought to keep on the croft overthe winter months while, for ourfirst time ever, the remainder ofthe herd will away-winter in Elgin.With another bleak, cold and longwinter being predicted, somethinghad to give. Crofting in winter istough, no doubt about it; andafter last winter’s long spells of© Martin BensonThe SCF has appealed to theScottish Government to ensurethat this effective means ofcontrol is still available to crofters.Rural affairs Secretary RichardLochhead said: “I am deeplydisappointed that the appealcommittee did not support thecontinued use of asulam to controlbracken. Farmers and crofters willstill be able to buy asulam up to31 December 2011, and store itfor use up to 31 December 2012.From January 2013, applicationsfor emergency authorisation touse asulam can be made to theChemicals Regulation Directorate(CRD) until a longer term solutionis found."If you plan to use Asulux nextyear, orders should be placedwith your distributor as soonas possible and by the end ofDecember 2011 at the latest.After that date it will be illegal tosell, supply or transfer productscontaining Asulam.All stock must be used up byDecember 2012 after which itwill be illegal to store or applyproducts containing Asulam.The CRD, who regulate theuse of pesticides and herbicidesin the UK, will update SCFabout on-going issues, includingemergency authorisations andwe will relay this information toour members. We will continueto work with the ScottishGovernment to try and ensurethat asulam is available afterDecember 2011.freezing conditions, an old tractorthat suffered the ill effects of theweather more than any of us andthe sheer and relentless slog forboth beasts and crofter you needto take a fresh look at things.We briefly considered a new(er)tractor but soon realised thatwould only ease some issues, itcouldn’t prevent the muddy trudge.There’s surely no more a moredepressing winter scene than aherd of forlorn cows standing inor wading their way through deep,cold mud. And during a thaw itcan be difficult to find a field orpark that hasn’t transformed itselfinto a mud bath.So, by the time you read thisthey will be gone and I’m not surehow I will feel about that! They willcertainly be missed. However, ourtwo new Aberdeen Angus ladieswill no doubt become a focus, andhopefully I’ll get a trip to Elgin atsome point to see how the othersMinistersays no to atup schemeThe parliamentarycross party groupon crofting recentlywrote to the minister forenvironment, StewartStevenson, asking him toconsider re-introducinga sheep improvementscheme as it could help inmitigating the loss of flocksfrom the hills.The minister’s repliedpointed out that the rampurchase scheme and theShetland ram scheme wereclosed in 2004, followingan independent evaluationcarried out by the ScottishAgricultural College. Heconcluded: “I could notsanction the future use ofscarce public resourcesto reinstate a scheme thatdid not provide value formoney. However, you maywish to encourage groupsof crofters to work togetherif they consider that theshared use of a ram wouldhelp to deliver the outcomesthey are seeking”.are doing. I’m pretty certain thatwhen they return to No 8 nextspring they will have had a betterwinter than us and we will see thatreflected in them.© Claire Nicolson

12 THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011 13sCF annual gaTHERing – CROFTing COnnECTiOns sCF annual gaTHERing 20111 2the highlight of this year’s annualgathering was Voices of the Islandcrofters – a journey of songs,stories and poetry in the manyvoices of crofting communities, bypupils from crofting connectionsschools, starting in Argyll throughArdnamurchan and skye to theouter hebrides and then orkneyand shetland.A full report on the gatheringfollows on the next pages.3 45 67 81. Songs sung by North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray, Shapinsay and Dounby Primaryschools. 2. Farewell ta Yell sung by all the Shetland Schools. 3. Pupils from Lionacleitand Balivanich. 4. Pupils from Stronsay Junior High School. 5. Ence Apon a Time readby Mairi Polson, Rhona Tait and Anne Irvine. 6. Eilidh Ross, Mairi Duncan and KateBradley from Acharacle. 7. Hamish and the Faerie Queen – a sketch by Auchtertyre andLoch Duich Primary Schools. 8. Pipe tunes played by Eòghainn Peutan from Kilmuir.Crofting tenure: past, present and future.the scF’s annual gathering took placein early october at sabhal mor ostaig,the Gaelic college on the Isle of skye.the college is a proud modern group ofbuildings in a spectacular location overlookingthe sound of sleat. It fosters a sense of pridein the culture and antecedents of the highlandsand Islands and is therefore a very fittinglocation for an event celebrating crofting.the aim of the event was to look at crofting’shistory in a positive and enabling way. learningfrom the past to develop crofting’s future in anera where there are still many challenges to beovercome, but where at the same time moreand more people are suggesting that croftingpresents a model of land use that should bewidened across the whole country.the gathered was opened by scF boardmember Alasdair MacMhaoirn, speaking inGaelic. Alasdair welcomed delegates, observingthat crofters were the historical guardians ofthe land and maintained the link with land andlanguage. he mentioned recent scF successessuch as beef calf subsidy, the bull schemebeing maintained; and successful lobbying foran elected commission, to be known as thecrofting commission. he went on to considerthe challenges still ahead – cAp reform andthe implications of the 2010 crofting Act.Alasdair concluded his welcome by remarkingon crofting’s achievement in surviving andmaintaining communities for 125 years.keynote speaker Stewart Stevensonmsp, minister for environment, began byacknowledging the125 years of croftinglegislation. he focused on the 2010 Act andits current elements. The first was an accuratecrofting register and the benefits that wouldentail. The disbenefits to crofters who willhave to pay for their inclusion on it was notmentioned. the election of commissioners,campaigned for by the scF, will start in2012. All crofters will have a vote but it isessential that an accurate crofting electoralrole is compiled. the process of putting theelections in place is being developed.the new duties of the crofting commissionare a vital element of the 2010 Act. key amongstthese is the requirement for all tenants andowners of crofts to reside within 10 kilometresof their crofts and to put the land to purposefuluse. It will be for the new commission tooversee and enforce this stipulation, whichcame into force on 1 october.the scottish Government is workingwith the highland council on planningissues on croft land. the commission isnow a statutory consultee and decroftingapplications will be considered – andrejected where necessary – with regard toany negative planning implications.In the recent government spending review,all the crofting schemes had been protected.In particular, the beef calf scheme will nowprovide higher rates for producers withfewer than 10 animals. looking ahead tocAp reform in 2014, the emphasis wouldbe on fairness, flexibility and simplification.Woodland crofts and the National Forestland scheme offered new opportunities forcroft creation and successful models aretaking shape in Mull and Kilfillan. There areopportunities for crofters in renewables andthe feed in tariff. the government’s 20/10map for renewables will open up furtherdevelopment potential for crofters.Responding to questions from the floor,the minister said that the government had tooperate within the constraints of ec legislationand he could not promise that the targetingof the beef scheme would be replicated withother support schemes. the scottish landFund is to be re-opened, but it was too earlyyet to make an announcement on its budget.All buyouts need to be sustainable and thestructures have yet to be established to assistvery small as well as very large applications.he invited committees with ideas for buyoutsto contact his officials right at the outset. Theyare enthusiastic to help.the second speaker was Dr Annie Tindleyof Glasgow caledonian university. Annielooked at the historical context of the 1886crofters Act and its legacies. A historian of thehighland landed aristocracy, she saw croftinglegislation as inherently colonial in its origins.the structures in the 1886 Act were based onmeasures put in place in India and on the Irishland Act of 1881, both resulting from ruraldiscontent and iniquity.Annie gave a fascinating account of thedevelopment of crofting legislation from thelate 19th century to the present day, relating itto political perspectives at the time.the 1881 Irish land Act granted free sale(ie compensation for improvements made to acroft), freedom from eviction and fair rent. thismodel was applied to the scottish highlands.the 1886 Act addressed crofting (but notcottars’) tenure, not the powers and privilegesof landownership; a pattern that repeateditself down the years since 1886. subsequentlegislation can be crudely divided into twomain types; liberal-led crofting and land reformlegislation – the 1886 Act and the 1911 and1919 Land Settlement Acts; and conservativeledefforts to side-step land reform andconcentrate instead on land purchase andeconomic development, for example thecongested Districts (scotland) Act of 1897.In any examination of crofting legislation it isvital to recognise the role played by the croftingcommunity. If it had not protested, raided,kept the issue in front of government overdecades, it is very unlikely there would havebeen any legislation at all. the 1886 croftersAct provides a sense of focus and pride: thatreform is both worthwhile and achievable. If itcould be done in the 1880s, when the powersof the british landowning aristocracy were attheir height, it might be done today as well.crofting and sustainable communities wasconsidered by dr Calum MacLeod from thecentre for mountain studies at perth collegeuhI. his key themes were the transformationof crofting from an agricultural problem to asustainability solution; the characteristics ofthe crofting community; and the nature of thecrofting way of life.calum’s sensitive and holistic overviewreflected his upbringing in a croftingcommunity and his acute perception of howcrofting must be sustained.crofting is the heartbeat of our communitiesbut is not solely responsible for them. It is apractical, placed-based, geographicallyboundedsystem where the focus is on thenature of crofting tenure and agriculturalfunction. In these communities croftingpredominates, but the way of life reflectscrofting and non-crofting interests in communitydevelopment agendas and processes.competitiveness driven by local assetsand resources was vital – broadly-basedrural economies benefiting from tourism, ITetc, not just agriculture. there was a needfor investment, not subsidy, combined withmore devolved decision-making.strategic issues of relevance to sustainablecrofting communities were:• the effects of public expenditurereductions on crofting communities;• the impact of CAP reform post-2013;• the roles of the Crofting Commission,HIE and SCF;• policy focus on climate change and thelow carbon economy;• the status of land reform and communityownership.Iain MacKinnon spoke about thinking ofcrofting as not merely an unusual system ofland tenure, but also the expression of a muchbroader culture and way of living.things we often think of as culture – suchas a song, a painting, a movie or a goodstory – can be thought of instead as objectsor expressions produced by a culture; andthat culture itself is the beliefs, meanings andvalues that people hold which help producetheir expressions and objects.he told a story about a visit to the mart inportree this summer. A borrowed pickup and alate decision about which stock to send led toa trip to the sale that was probably not exactlyin accordance with the laws of the state – interms of insurance and number plates.the same story told from a differentperspective reveals some of the values bywhich generations of customary activityin crofting community have taken place –cooperation, mutual aid, self maintenanceand trust. Although perhaps not conformingto state law, Iain concluded that the trip wasnevertheless entirely in accordance withcrofting culture and customs.As the gathering was being held in his homeparish of sleat, Iain said that he was beingunashamedly parochial. so when he talkedabout an ancient crofting culture, it was celticcrofting culture he was describing. however,he stressed that the same argument could bemade in terms of the Norse traditions of thenorth highlands and Islands.In the ancient celtic law system 'comar'was a joint working partnership betweenfour farmers. centuries of colonisation hadundermined the indigenous customary laws– like comar – but the same principle, albeitless formally applied and given the name'comhair' or 'cobhair', was still described bythe older members of contemporary crofting

14 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 15communities with the expression 'ag obaircomhair ri cheile'.Iain concluded that crofting land tenure, asa means of holding land, is the expression ofa particular culture and reflects the values ofthe people who live by that culture. These areour values and they have survived despitecenturies of colonisation of the Highlands andIslands. Let's treasure them and transmit themto the next generations.Angus MacColl, chairman of the ScottishTenant Farmers Association, outlineddiffering tenancy types and explained howsuch arrangements had come to be throughthe evolution of tenancy law.Before 1883 there had been no security,no end-of-tenancy compensation and everincreasingrents. The Agricultural HoldingsActs introduced security of tenure, improvedway-go compensation and statutoryrent review provisions. More recent actsrestricted succession; introduced openmarket rents; limited security of tenure inEngland to three-generational tenancies;and introduced farm business tenancies.In 2003 new limited duration and shortduration tenancies were permitted.Diversification and the right to timber wasincluded, as was a pre-emptive right to buy.Statutory arbitration was replaced with theland court.The Tenant Farmers Association ofScotland supports and represents tenants’interests, providing insurance and legaladvice.Current issues for the organisation are:CAP reform; the effect on rent of attachingSFP entitlement to land; the effect of areabasedpayments on availablity of land to let;the importance of defining actively farmedland and active farmers. Other areas ofconcern for Sottish tenant farmers are theconflict between farming and forestry: thedisplacement of sheep by trees and whetherScottish Government tree planting targetsare realistic and/or achievable.Tenant frustrations need to be addressedin land reform and tenants’ right to buy is key.Issues are the cost of obtaining justice; the lackof investment in tenanted farms; difficultieswith way-go compensation; succession; thefuture of limited partnership tenancies; andnew entrants and availability of land.Angus concluded that many tenantfarmers are envious of crofters’ rights.Dr Liza Cleland from Glendale said thatcrofting tenure – as officially defined andregulated – doesn’t exist on the Glendale Estateon Skye. The estate was purchased in 1908as a crofting community which created newcrofts on the best of the land. Some people inGlendale still do consider themselves crofters.The estate is excluded from croftingsupport and is not subject to crofting law. Butcrofting issues are relevant – ensuring croftinglifestyles remain possible and land is keptin use; defining and tackling absenteeism;striking a balance between new entrants andfamily connection; and responding to changingpressures. The Glendale Estate is often seenas an early failure of community ownership.But placing the Glendale Estate in common –not community – ownership ensured securityof holding and the integrity of the estate,SCF annual gathering 2011 SCF annual gathering 2011preventing speculation; since commonalityrequires universal consent.It’s rare to see a ploughed or planted fieldin Glendale – new house building is morenoticeable. But distribution of new houses isvery uneven; less visibility is not the same aslack of crofting activity. Active crofters oftenwork crofts in several townships as ownersand tenants and there’s a lot of co-operationbetween resident, inactive and absenteeowners of estate crofts. Active crofters grazeor crop most crofts, usually by arrangement.Liza suggested that ownership of croftsin the estate townships seems to have hada positive effect on population without muchraising absenteeism. Although housing underoccupancyis high in the estate townships, it’slower than a nearby tenanted township.Debates about reform need to look beyondownership versus tenure to what these thingsmean for communities. Private propertyis a community-of-interest. Contemporarycommunity landownership is based oncommunity-of-place, ignoring interest andkinship. Crofting used to be both, but it’s basedon community-of-kinship too. Dealing withabsenteeism has to recognise this community.John MacKintosh, former SCU president,does not see the issue of tenancy versusownership as important for crofting. Eachand every crofter should be left to choosethe land tenure system best suited to theircrofting policy. Regulation is essential for theprotection of crofting.But the future of crofting as a land-basedsystem will depend in significant part on thebroader issue of food and agricultural policy.That policy must be reformed and basedon the needs of all society and on nationaldietary and health requirements.The SCF is a member organisation of LaVia Campesina. Their ethos is that food is abasic human right.Access to sufficient, safe, nutritiousand culturally appropriate food should beenshrined as a constitutional right achievedby prioritising national primary agriculturalsectors. Food as an item of trade should beonly a secondary consideration.On that premise the CAP reform process,which sets out to enhance competitivenessand promote market orientation, isfundamentally wrong.Access to land is also a basic humanright. We concern ourselves with rights andobligations within the crofting system. Shouldwe not be as much concerned with themajority of the population who are excludedfrom occupying the land?SCF’s top priority should be its ambitiousaim that one quarter of Scotland shouldbe under crofting tenure by 2030. Will thatchallenge the traditional image and culturalattachment of crofting to the Highlands andIslands or reinvigorate it?It is up to the SCF to demonstrate theimportant role small-scale farming canhave supporting populations, maintainingbiodiversity and landscapes and creatingand supporting development.Crofting is not crofting unless crofts arerestricted in size. Critics will say that largefarms are best suited to respond to newtechnology but international organisationsquestion that argument. Smaller-scale farmingis well placed to alleviate world hunger.As many of the Scottish population aspossible should be encouraged to engage in theproduction of their own food, one benefit beingthat food is then outside the monetary economy.We must limit our dependence on importsof food from countries that are poorer thanourselves. We should not degrade their land.Support must be for the level of activityundertaken and should be completelydisconnected from the area of land held.There should be an upper limit per personon all support payments related to the valueof skill required.Finally, crofters should be positivelyencouraged to make a much wider purposefuluse of their holding.These are aspirations – but crofters willcontinue to abandon their holdings if theirhousehold incomes are not high enough tosustain new ventures or to fund investment.A vigorous question and answer sessionfollowed, ranging across many topics. Theevening events started with some charmingsongs from Broadford primary school children.An excellent dinner followed, featuring the bestof local produce. The after-dinner speaker wasretired local vet Donald John MacLennan, whoentertained everyone with his reminiscences.The following morning Donald Murdieopened proceedings, looking at grazing land– which has recently come under scrutiny ina number of reports. All express concern atthe loss of stock from grazing land. Donaldhighlighted two comments:• The decline in livestock numbers isunlikely to stop without economic support forhill farmers and crofters through some form ofpolicy change. If the decline continues thenthe impacts highlighted in the report are likelyto become greater and even more widespread,with wider social issues implicated. SNH• Coupled payments are the only wayto ensure certain desirable outcomes areachieved and that some very undesirableconsequences are avoided, for example, thedisappearance of crofting. PackGwyn Jones, in Trends in Common Grazing,states that common grazing land formssignificant coverage of the Scottish landscape– 537615 ha, plus possibly another 54286 hanot on IACS – and 33% of actively farmed landin the crofting counties.There are many opportunities on commongrazings: renewable energy, forestry,tourism, affordable housing, stock clubs andcarbon stocksThe SCF’s recent Taking Stock surveyshows that respondents are convinced of theeconomic, social and environmental benefitsof the sheep stock club model. Most pay outa reasonable dividend – but figures are basedon a year when store prices were strong. Someare involved in other income-producing landmanagement initiatives such as forestry, RuralStewardship Scheme and Land ManagersOptions (LMO). Low-input systems arefavoured, taking advantage of natural forageat sustainable stocking levels, thus minimisingfeed costs. Stock clubs provide employmentfor contractors (gathering, shearing, dipping)as well as paying for shareholders’ labour.However, the powers of sheep stock clubsare subordinate to crofters’ rights under theCrofting Acts and grazings regulations takeprecedence over sheep stock club rules.What common grazings need now are:• properly-appointed, trained and supportedgrazings committees;• practical LMO measures, eg a workablesummer cattle option;• support for new and existing stock clubs;• lamb headage payment;• a crofter renewable energy bill;• strengthening of LRSA Part 3.Gwyn’s report states that common grazingscover 7% of the land area of Scotland. 49% ofthe area under common grazing in Scotland ison peat soils. 15% of the peat area of Scotland isunder common grazing and 30% of the peat over2m deep is under common grazings. Commongrazings contain 10% (324 Mt) of the total carbonin Scottish soils. Power for the future?Murdo MacKay addressed communityland ownership on behalf of David Cameron,who had been prevented from attendingby bad weather. To illustrate the positiveeffects of community ownership, Murdo citedstatistics from some early buyouts.In Knoydart between 2000 and 2010 thepopulation rose from 72 to115. The schoolrole doubled. Visitor bed spaces increasedfrom 132 to 185 and properties served by acommunity hydro scheme rose from 45 to75. Key projects undertaken were:- refurbishment of three properties;- a ranger service;- three rental properties built;- shared equity scheme for land for homes;- old pier shed converted into a potteryand tea room;- ongoing upgrade of a bunkhouse.In Gigha, since 2002 18 houses havebeen renovated and another five are nearingcompletion. Eleven new businesses havebeen started. In 2002, the population was98. It is now 151. The school roll has risenfrom six to 22.In 2003, at the time of the 62,000 acre NorthHarris community buyout, the population hadhalved (1951-91). There was a shortage ofhousing, a lack of jobs and a lack of varietyof jobs. Schools were closing.Eight miles of paths in North Harris havebeen refurbished. 81,000 native trees havebeen planted. Eight units social housing unitshave been built. A community recycling planthas been established. Other projects include:biodiesel manufacture, home insulation; jettyrefurbishment, education, business supportand funding for small projects and localorganisations. Future major projects are:renewable energy schemes; conservationplans and stimulating new business.Murdo then continued with his ownpresentation on the West Harris Trust’s pathto community ownership.The west side of Harris was re-establishedas a series of townships in the 1920’s and30’s after land raids across the Highlandsforced the government to purchase and resettlethe area. This was the most radicalstate intervention in land holding for at least200 years. The catalyst was the returning warwearyWW1 servicemen. The west side ofHarris prior to 1922 was made up of sportingestates and large farms.West Harris buy-out steering group wasformed Jan 2007. This was the first governmentownedestate to be sold; the next should beeasier to manage. It still rankles that the marketvalue price had to be paid – especially sincepart of Scarista was actually gifted to thegovernment and not compulsorily purchased.In January 2010, three years after the firstpublic meeting, the formal handover tookplace. The board of directors has five peoplenominated by township committees withthe remainder elected from trust members,guaranteeing crofting representation.Achievements so far include a hydroscheme; housing sites; SRDP applicationsfor two townships; a website; and securing a£380,000 lottery grant. Grazings committeeswere approached to consider releasing areasof common for house sites. Ten potential siteswere identified and planning permission wasgranted for six within the Trust’s first year.Three have already been allocated and twoother applications are being assessed. Futureprojects include jetties and wave power.The next to address the gathering wasPeter Lanfear, from the Foundation forCommon Land. Farming in Wales, heexplained that the same issues were causingproblems identical to those facing crofters.Good farmland was being lost to developmentand second homes. People moving fromthe cities complain about farming practices.Wales has extensive common grazingswith no common voice. There was a needfor a UK-wide body and in the Foundationfor Common Land this has been formed.The SCF is a member of this organisationand it is hoped that with a stronger, countrywidebody, more can be achieved to protectgrazings and graziers’ rights across the UK.Patrick Krause outlined the SCF croftingstrategy proposal which says that we shouldaim to bring 85% of the existing 18,000 croftsinto use by 2030 and create 10,000 new croftsby 2020.Since publication of this document, thereaction has moved from a slight incredulity atthe suggestion of 10,000 new crofts to a wrysmile and nod of approval by most.So why 10,000? It was a figure based onthe proposition of increasing croft numbers byabout 50%.Is it ambitious? Of course it is. We aretalking about a long-term vision, somethingbadly lacking in Scottish politics, as in politicseverywhere, which suffers terribly from shorttermismbased on voting cycles. This requiresa radical mind-shift.We must have a strategy for new crofts, clearcriteria of what they are. We need to answerquestions such as should they have an optionto use common grazings? Should there be aright to buy in certain defined circumstances?Should there be positive discrimination towardsyoung and local potential tenants? Should thenew entrants have access to all crofting supportmeasures? Should new crofts be within aminimum and maximum size – and more.It is possible, as John Mackintosh said, to makeScotland a nation of small-holdings using croftingtenure. So please read the SCF crofting strategyproposal, digest it and then let’s make it happen.The potential of woodland crofts wasexplored by Forestry Commission’scommunity development adviser Bob Frost.The creation of woodland crofts is aspecific option under the National ForestLand Scheme (NFLS) and a woodland croftsproject officer has been in post to developconcept and advise groups. The focus is onthe NFLS and a community-led approach,with the community as landlord.A woodland croft is a registered croftcreated on land with sufficient tree cover tobe considered woodland. Woodland croftsallow individuals and communities to baselivelihoods on the woodland resource withinthe framework of crofting legislation.Forestry Commission (FC) has developeda guidance package and a seminar onwoodland croft housing has been held, withadvice given to groups interested in woodlandcrofts. There are emerging examples ofcommunity-led woodland crofts eg in Mull andother groups are looking to woodland croftsin a future phase of their project, eg Kilfinan.FC has started to discuss how partnerorganisations communicate opportunities onother land such as private land.One size does not fit all and coreprinciples need to be reiterated. Woodlandmanagement is fundamental. Communitiesmay wish to establish woodland croftsas an element of a wider project. The FCroute map should help communicate thekey steps in developing woodland croftsand other approaches may be applicableon other land. FC supports groups evolvingtheir plans and a programme of field visitsfor groups interested in woodland croftsis being developed. FC continues to workcollaboratively to develop the concept anddeliver support.SCF’s Karen MacRae reported on theprogress of the young crofters group.She has been visiting some of thecrofting areas.A very successful meeting took placein the Lewis and Harris area, with 20young people attending. Some of theideas agreed there were the usefulnessof a platform to share ideas, plans toarrange visits and skills training. Theimportance of supporting one anotherand raising awareness, the difficultiesof access to land and renewables wereother topics covered.Karen hopes that more groups will be setup in other areas and another meeting willtake place in Lewis to take ideas forward. It isplanned to contribute to the Via Campesinayouth group with comment on CAP reformand other issues. The SCF strategy proposalhas a number of possibilities for youngcrofters and Karen felt this was a positivetime for them.Another wide-ranging discussion sessionfollowed before the gathering drew to aconclusion, with thanks to the speakers and toCarol Anne Stewart and her colleagues for theexcellent arrangements.Full versions of the speakers’ presentationsare available on the SCF website.

16 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 17SCF annual gathering 2011 SCF annual gathering 2011Anything that can go wrong will go wrongCarol Anne Stewart looksback on some of her favouriteconferencesMurphy is alive andwell and kindly helps withthe organisation of ourgathering each year.The storms that caused CalMac to cancel some of their ferriesduring this year’s gathering arejust one of the many challengesthat await anyone organisingan event. This year’s weathermeant we were short half adozen delegates. A speaker,the Lochaber delegates andour honorary Perthshire crofterhad a much longer journey thanexpected. Thankfully the keynotespeaker had decided to avoid theMallaig crossing and arrived intime to have lunch with Eleanorand some of our members.Planning the SCF annualgathering normally starts atthe winter board and councilmeeting. A list of possible areasand themes are discussed and adate pencilled in. When the areahas been decided then the fun oflooking for venues, caterers andaccommodation starts. We haveexcellent area representativeswhose help makes this allpossible.Once speakers have beenconfirmed and possible diaryclashes avoided, (sorry about thesale clash), you would imaginethat we could rest on our laurelsfor the summer.That’s when the companyplanning law comes into effectand anything that can be changedwill be changed until there is notime left to change anything. Thecunning plan that we started within January quickly becomes PlanB; and by the time of the gatheringit’s not unusual to have revisedthe programme five or six times.Changes happen for variousreasons; mainly as we try andcram even more into a fairly fullprogramme. Usually this isn’t aproblem. However one of thejoys of working with a small staffis that everyone assumes thateveryone else knows everything.I have helped organise nine of thelast ten SCF annual gatheringsand my clairvoyant skills are nowa match for Mystic Meg, thoughthey have let me down badly inthe past.Some instances of mydisappointing mind reading abilitiesinclude when the delegates, whohad arranged to join our bus forBarra in Lochmaddy, left one oftheir number to let me know theyhad gone for a “spin” and wouldbe back soon. After 15 minutes ofincreasing stress levels – mainlythe bus driver’s – we couldn’twait any longer. We had a 50-mile drive on an extremely windyday to catch the Eriskay ferry. IfI wasn’t relying on the mobilephone network, and had honedthose mind-reading skills, I wouldhave known that the delegateswould be waiting for us on theEriskay ferry. We made the ferryby the skin of our teeth.The bus to the Shetlandgathering was collecting somedelegates from Inverness airporten route to the Aberdeen ferry.Now I have a fear of losing peopleon bus journeys (a relic of myteacher training) and have a habitof counting everyone at least twice.When we arrived at the airport Iknew we had five delegates tocollect but at a quick count therewere definitely six crofters; at thesecond count there were still six.As the merry band traipsed ontothe bus a rather sheepish-lookingcrofter greeted me with the words“You’ll never guess who I am?”I tend to work on the principlethat if everything seems to begoing well, then I have obviouslyoverlooked something.Remember the choppy weatheron the way to Barra? When wewere all on the ferry from Uig toLochmaddy I breathed a sighof relief – the ferries were stillrunning. What I didn’t appreciatewas that although the planeschedule is dependent on tides,tides are affected by wind andit was blowing the tide too farup the beach for the plane toland. A phone call from one ofthe speakers sitting at Glasgowairport along with a number ofdelegates triggered a last-minuterewrite of the programme.The plane eventually did makeit in time for the conference startand the speakers had a shortersprint than expected to the venue.An electrical fire that morning inCastlebay hall, the main venue,meant we had to relocate atextremely short notice to Northbayhall, which as luck would haveit is a stone’s throw from theairport. Thankfully Jessie MacNeilhad managed to organise thechange of venue before she evenphoned to tell me the news. Thefire caused minor damage so wemanaged to go back to Castlebaythe next day.Helping to organise the SCFannual gatherings can be stressfuland chaotic at times and a senseof humour’s definitely a prerequisitefor the job. Neverthelessit is also immensely enjoyableand worthwhile. The opportunityto network with people whoare genuinely like-minded isinvaluable. I have made manyfriends over the last ten years andlook forward to organising our nextannual gathering in conjunctionwith some European friends.To paraphrase Mr Murphy,anything that can go wrong willgo wrong. With speakers anddelegates from across Europe – Ihope Murphy wasn’t an optimist.Paddy and Fiona join the team – SCF AGM 2011Company secretary John Bannister reportsAs the dust began to settle at theclose of the SCF’s gathering on 4thOctober, so it rose again briefly at thisyear’s AGM.Most AGMs tend to be low key affairs –and this year’s SCF AGM was no exception.Except, that is, for the most pleasingappointment of two new directors, both wellknown throughout crofting circles.Dr Paddy Zakaria was brought up withMerino sheep and Hereford cattle on a farmin Victoria, Australia. Paddy came to theHighlands in 1973 and bought a croft whereshe breeds Shetland cattle and supplies bullseach year to Shetland breeders. As a northScotland representative of the Shetland CattleBreeders Association she is also involved insourcing and selling cattle and promoting thebreed as an ideal multi-purpose smallholder’scow. She keeps a small flock of native sheepand is involved in a project to produce superfinelace-weight wool yarn.As well as following agricultural pursuits,Paddy has experience in management andgovernance, having worked in both academicand senior administrative roles in collegesand universities. As a freelance consultant ineducation she also worked for many years onlarge aid projects in south and south-east Asia.Fiona Mandeville will already be wellknown to most SCF members throughout theHighlands and Islands.Growing up on the family croft on the shoresof Broadford Bay in Skye, Fiona has alwayshad a strong commitment to crofting; and afew years after graduating from Edinburghuniversity she returned to Skye.Fiona and Jim Hunter set up the ScottishPaddyCrofters Union in 1986 – the forerunner of ourpresent SCF.Union HQ was situated in Broadford, whereFiona helped run the organisation, providingadvice and advocacy to the union’s manydemanding members. Such was the successof the SCU that it soon became a force tobe reckoned with and gained considerablerespect at both local and national governmentlevels.After working for 17 years at SCU HQ, Fionaleft the organisation in 2001 to go sailing withher husband Geoff, returning home in 2005.While sailing round the Med Fiona was still,unbelievably, involved with the production ofThe Crofter, thanks to a laptop powered by awind generator and email links via her mobilephone. She continues her role as editortoday.Fiona now brings to the board of the SCFher multi-faceted business and communityFionadevelopment experience.The SCF is indeed fortunate to have thesetwo very able individuals to help run ourorganisation. On your behalf, I welcome themboth to the team.As a reminder, the following is a list of yourpresent board members:Eleanor Arthur – chairDerek Flyn – vice-chair (replaces MarinaDennis, at her request)Marina DennisNorman Leask (re-appointed by the board)Dr Alasdair MacMhaoirn (invited by theboard to serve another year)Dr Paddy ZakariaFiona MandevilleChanging the clocksPatrick Krause ponders thereasoningIt was recently the timeof year, again, when we messwith our clocks, our headsand our sleep for reasons many,including me, do not understand.Confusion is not surprisingwhen there is a lot ofdisagreement in the media andthe UK government, some ofwhich is based on erroneousinformation. So please indulgeme as I think aloud and try toget my head around why wechange the clocks.Our standard time throughoutthe year was originally GreenwichMean Time (GMT). All world timeused this as the reference pointand time zones always related tohours before or after GMT. GMTis now more accurately calledUniversal Time Coordinated (UTC)and is still our standard time.Daylight Saving Time wasintroduced to save fuel in theFirst World War. It would followlogically that as a fuel savingdevice it was aimed at wintertime, not summer time. This iswhere one of the untruths lies –that the change was introducedto give longer evenings in thesummer. Even down in southernEnglandshire the summer sunrises before 5am and doesn’tset until the back of 9pm, sothere is plenty of daylight at thattime of year.Daylight Saving Time wasactually planned to run throughoutthe year. This was tried again asa three year trial from 1968 andwas known as British StandardTime (BST). The idea was to alterour standard time to UTC+1 allyear round with the aim of havingbrighter evenings thus saving fuelin winter.However, the Scottish MPssuccessfully argued that wintermornings in the north were toodark under BST and it endangeredchildren going to school. So BSTwas dropped and to placate theEnglish MPs UTC+1 was kept forthe summer months only (whereit could do no harm) and BSTbecame British Summer Time.So that is why we change theclocks; British Summer Time isthe deviation away from ourstandard time UTC, broughtabout as a political fob-off for theEnglish MPs (who don’t seem tohave noticed that changing theclocks to BST for the summermonths doesn’t do anythinguseful at all).So why not just go back toan all-year-round time, giventhat it is the changing of clocksthat is the most confusing thingabout this whole debacle? Andit probably doesn’t actuallymatter very much whether it isUTC or UTC+1 as there is nogetting around ‘the elephant inthe room’ which is that we can’tsave daylight at all.Winter days are just short andthat’s a fact.Eleanor Arthur introduces Margaret Bennett, CroftingConnections patronBroadford Primary sing a selection of songs Shona-Mae Mclean from Staffin Making Kishies – Cullivoe Primary School

18 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 19Practical training coursesAwide range of practicaltraining courses hasvtaken place since the lastCrofter, from Shetland to Argylland involving well over 100participants. The view from twocontented trainees on one of ourdry stone walling courses can beread below.A programme for the wintermonths and into the spring iscurrently being developed andwill cover a number of lambingcourses, vet skills, willowmanagement and further drystone walling training. There isalso still time to request coursesin other topics of interest.Dry stone walling course,August, instructor Innes WatsonReport kindly provided by Hilaryde Vries.This was my first time on a SCFcourse so I didn’t know what toexpect, but I needn’t have worried.We were to repair some gaps ina field boundary wall and aftersome initial instruction and a fewpointers from the trainer, we weresoon started. I found the trainerboth informative and helpful,guiding and keeping us right aswe went along and more thanhappy to answer any questionspeople had. Everybody was thereto learn and willing to help eachother out. I came away at the endof the weekend feeling I’d reallylearnt a lot – especially with thecourse being so hands on – and Iintend to use some of these newskills in the future.Report kindly provided by SeorasBurnettHow much can you learn aboutdry stone walling in two days? Afair amount, it would appear. Aswe stood back admiring our work,we all agreed that with a little timeand the addition of some lichenand moss it would be difficultto tell our work apart from theoriginal wall. Not quite, perhaps,but under the able guidance ofInnes Watson we all felt closer toFollowing ancient roadsCameron Ormiston (82years old) and his son,SCF member Ruaridh,spent the first two weeks ofOctober with TV presenter andcomedian Griff Rhys Jonesmaking a documentary aboutthe drove roads in Scotland andrecreating one of the 200+ miledroves that used to happen fromSkye to Falkirk.Accompanied by four Highlandcattle and assisted by twoHighland ponies, they startedfrom Ramasaig near Glendale inSkye and finished at the site of thegreat tryst at Falkirk where tens ofthousands of cattle used to be sold.Some days Cameron spent up toeight hours a day in the saddle andeven Griff got into wrangling thecattle on horseback too.Highllights of the trip includedcrossing the ancient bridges atunlocking the secrets of buildingwalls without mortar and certainlyready to tackle any field dyke. Wereturned to our homes and croftskeen to put our new found skillsinto practice after a very enjoyableand informative two days.Entry level crofting inductioncourseAs The Crofter goes to press ourfirst two-day residential versionof the established course will begetting underway. There has beena lot of interest in this format, andSligachan and Stirling, using theKylerea ferry, cresting the Devil'sStaircase in Glencoe, droving upthe Main St in Crieff and over theFalkirk tryst golf course.The program will be the fourthin a new episode to be shown onBBC1 in Jan 2011 and the seriesshould be called Lost Routes ofBritain.The Ormiston highlands wereselected to do this trip for twoonce we have evaluated the firstattempt we intend to add thisversion to the regular offering ofevening classes from early 2012.Winter 2012 ten-week eveningclasses will be starting in January.Locations are likely to includeMull, Kilmartin, Strathspey andUllapool, among others.For more information onany element of the trainingprogramme please contact SuCooper, training@crofting.orgmain reasons:1: The Ormistons can tracethe roots and bloodlines oftheir Highland ponies right theway back to John Cameron"Corriechoillie" (1781-1856) fromSpean Bridge – the most famousdrover of them all. Ruaridh'sgreat grandfather Edward in1905 wrote about the famousmare Gaick Calliag saying that"she had a curious splash ofwhite on the inside of her hock"that was attributed to the piebaldHighlands that Corriechoilliewas famous for. He regularlyused to ride 60 miles a day onhis ponies and in his days it wasnormal for 200 ponies to be forsale on Skye alongside 1200cattle at Sligachan. Gaick hadbought two foundation maresfrom Corrie prior to his deathand Edward took over the studin his own name by the 1880s.2: The Ormiston Highlandponies and cattle have a longheritage of being used in themovies with Cameron actingas stunt double to Errol Flynin making "The Master ofBallantrae" in the 1950s; rightup to the present day andsuccessful movies like "RobRoy" and "Highlander" as well as"Chasing the Deer", "Monarch ofthe Glen" etc.As usual the ponies behavedvery well and the moo-vie starswere the real starsWinter stock diets – don’tmake a meal out of itAt this time of year, withthe clocks falling back andthe nights drawing in, it isworthwhile focusing on forwardplanning the winter rations forstock and ensuring appropriaterations are available. Given theferocity of recent winters andprolonged cool autumn, stockmay be a degree back in conditionthat may lead to issues in latepregnancy for cattle and sheep.Condition ScoringIt is important to monitor yourstock regularly to ensure overallcondition is not dropping at acritical time and that they receivethe correct ration. Stock conditionscores (cs) range from 1 (lean)to 5 (fat). For ewes they shouldbe around 2.5 at tupping. Leanerewes need access to bettergrass at a lower stocking ratewhilst fitter ewes can be stockedtighter. Cattle should be at cs 3.0at weaning and at this level couldafford to lose 0.75 of a cs overthe winter. It is better to try andmonitor and maintain conditionthan play catch-up in latepregnancy. Further informationis available on how to conditionscore from your SAC office andsupport funding through LMOanimal welfare option.DietAvailability, cost and quality areall factors to assess when lookingat options such as concentrates,draff, hay, silage and blocks. Thevagaries of our weather, the ageof the grass ley and the failure toreplenish nutrients can result inquestionable forage quality. Wecan all read a concentrate labelbut your silage bag comes withoutthis analysis.SAC offers an effective forageanalysis and ration service forcattle and sheep and can assessenergy levels and calculate rationrequirements, ensuring you makethe most out of your available dietresource with minimum wastage.SheepWith tupping underway it isimportant in the first month aftermating, and whilst rams are runningwith the flock, to aim to maintainbody condition and avoid stress. Ifyou have enough grass reserves,avoid daily trough supplementationas ewes can be supplemented witha hard type feed block/lick and0.6kg of hay in snowy conditions.In this early stage of pregnancyany stress can result in the ewereabsorbing embryos. Ewes inbetter condition at tupping willlead to more lambs and hence theanimal nutritiongreater need for feed.If the hills are covered in deepsnow or sheep are on in-bye withno forage available and you canstill access them, start feedinga restricted amount of qualityhay – what they can clear in anhour or two. Give one small baleper 30 ewes per day. If accessis restricted, or forage qualityis dubious, feed blocks shouldbe placed on the hill or madeavailable in-bye to supplementtheir diets in the interim.CattleSpring-calving cows up tocalving with access to good silageand shelter can be fed ad-lib silageonly. However in most cases outwinteredcows need a diet with15% more energy. In our areathey will be subject to a harsherclimate and likely have access topoorer silage – supplementationis often required. This can varyfrom 0.5-2.5Kg/head/day of eitherbruised barley or a 16% proteincob. Forage testing is crucial.Cattle on silage and haybaseddiets are very much atthe mercy of the quality of thisforage. If your silage is of apoorer quality or wetter thenthe cost per unit of energy willincrease. Do not always assumethat “they did well on it last year”will suffice and concentrate andmineral supplementation willbe essential. Vice versa goodquality silages may requirereduced access to forage toavoid calving difficulties.Shetland sheep on the shoreIain M MacmillanSAC Stornoway© Claire NicolsonDraff – a valuable foodDraff, or malt distillers’grains, is a valuable byproductfrom malt whiskydistilling.It can be a cost-effective sourceof energy and protein feed forthose in the vicinity of distilleries.Most distilleries have an exclusivecontract with a feed supplier, whowill deliver bulk loads of aroundseven to eight tonnes direct to thecroft or farm. Cost is typically inthe region of £18 per tonne, whichis very good value even allowingfor the high water content.Typical dry matter content is25 per cent. For feeding beefanimals on the croft, a suitableration would be eight kilos ofdraff plus 25 kilos of silage perhead per day. A point to watch isthat mineral content is generallylow, so mineral supplements willbe required, and this should bediscussed with an agriculturalconsultant. Once delivered, draffcan be ensiled in a silage pit andcan be stored in this way for upto a year, otherwise it should beused within a week of delivery.So here is a well-balancedworking relationship betweentwo of the renowned products ofthe Highlands and Islands – maltwhisky and quality beef cattle – arelationship that boosts energyefficiency and lowers food miles.But is that long-term, fruitfulrelationship starting to break down?Some distilleries have startedusing draff to fire their boilers, as acarbon reduction measure.This development is causingalarm throughout the beefindustry, raising a new aspect ofthe food versus bio-fuel debate.Carbon reduction on one side ofthe equation will cause carbonincrease on the other, and what isthe point of that?Surely draff is far too valuablea material to be squandered as alow-grade fuel?Thanks to SAC and Harbro forassistance with this article.Adapted to surviveShetland sheep, like allothers, have adapted overthe centuries to utilizewhat is available and when it canbe obtained.Nothing shows this more thantheir ability to manipulate thenutrients and minerals availablein seaweed. They also know whenthe tide is out and the seaweed isavailable for them to graze.Our sheep have a dailyroutine. Any sheep can be foundin the same part of the commongrazings at any set time of theday or night and the only thing tobreak this routine is the time oflow water. Not all the sheep haveto have their daily fix, but all seemto spend some time browsing atthe low water mark.The tradition in our areawas that a worm turned in thesheep’s feet just before low water,reminding them that there weresome nutrients available at theseashore. However it happens,all of sudden when low water isapproaching you will see a string ofsheep wandering their way to theirfavourite part of the seashore.I have watched them streamtoward the shore at the appropriatetime of day; in fact the ‘caa’ ofcommunal sheep was often timedaround this.I have watched them leavetheir shelter on a snow-coveredmoonlight night to get their desiredand much-needed minerals, butthey do not require light, theyseem to find the seashore withgreat ease, in the darkness.When coming home across theisthmus to our house I have to becareful not to kill one of my multicolouredtreasures while theymake passage to and from thebeach below our house.Some incomers havecomplained to the welfare officialsand others that Shetland croftersstarve their animals so they areforced to eat seaweed. Thiswould be laughable if it were notso serious.I have the use of islands whereI produce an extremely goodlookingstrong breeding animal.Occasionally there are somespare and for several years thesame person bought my femalelambs. One year he said hewas not having good luck withsheep bought from me. I wasvery disappointed to hear this, soI offered him some not so-goodlambsfor free from a croft thathad no seashore, not realisingthe significance of this. Theydid well but my ‘isles’ lambs thatwent where I had no seashorestarting dying, two or even threeyears later. This was many yearsago and since then all sheep thatare brought up on seaweed staywithin access to the seashore andneedless to say they do well.Norman Leask

20 THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011THE CROFTER, dECEmbER 2011 21WOOFERSNew improved recipeWoofers, full ofthe energy yourdog needsplusvitamins andmineralsLerwick, Staneyhill 01595 693744Inverness, Harbour Road 01463 701999Corpach, Annat 01397 772434Portree, Struan Road 01478 612212Lochgilphead, Kilmory Ind Est 01546 603804Harbro Feed StockistsWith addedlinseed forhealth, vitalityand a glossycoatAvailable from Country Stores in -W & A Geddes, Wick 01955 602207W & A Geddes, Thurso 01847 891651W & A Geddes, Brora 01408 621220Lewis Crofters, Stornoway 01851 702350J & W Tait Ltd, Kirkwall 01856 873003Harbro Limited, Markethill,Turriff, Aberdeenshire, AB53 4PAanimal nuTRiTiOnWOOFeRS DOG FOODGIveS GReAT PeRFORMANCeDavid and Nicky Davies ofInverpolly estate, ullapool,ross-shire have found thatusing harbro’s Woofers dogfood gives their dogs endlessenergy, but has also helpedhealth problems from which onedog was suffering.In total, they keep seven dogs– five collies, a spaniel and apointer. When fed on other dogfoods, the pointer suffered fromfits. When moved onto Woofersdog food, the fits stopped.mr Davies says “theeffectiveness of the food wasproved when our supply ofWoofers ran out. We fed thepointer on another more expensivebrand and the fits returned. Whenthe dog was fed Woofers again,the fitting stopped.”The cessation of fitting wasattributed to the formulation ofWoofers, where energy is releasedsteadily through the day.“Our dogs find the feed verypalatable – the collies have torun for miles and miles daily andWoofers provides all the energythey need to keep them going,”added mr Davies.the Davies family own andrun 12000 acres and they rent afurther 5000 acres at Inverpolly.the enterprise includes 561ewes and gimmers, 130 hoggsand 30 cows kept on rough hillground. their land includes thefamous stac polly where manyof their sheep graze.Woofers dog food ismanufactured by harbro and iscarefully formulated to ensurethat the energy requirementsof working dogs are met. theaddition of trace elements andvitamins ensures that dogsremain in peak fitness. Wooferscontain crunchy cereal chunks,vegetable flakes and tasty beefand salmon chunks. Fish andlinseed oils provide additionalenergy and also contain theessential nutrients for healthyskin and a glossy coat.Our North Ronaldsay sheepthe sheep on our island ofNorth ronaldsay, in orkneyare very different than thesheep you would see in the fieldsin scotland because they live onthe beach and have a lot longernecks than usual.they are also a bit smaller.their coat is a bit colourful butsome of the sheep are all onecolour. some sheep have a whitefleece, some are shades of greyor brown and black. sheep onNorth ronaldsay are differentbecause they eat seaweed.the dyke that keeps them onthe beach is thirteen miles longand goes round the outside ofthe whole island. they are on thebeach all the time apart from atlambing time. the only times thesheep get to eat the grass is atlambing and when they jump thedyke. they jump quickly.When we clip the sheep we doit with our hands and if you touchthe wool it is greasy and curly.Some of the fleeces are taken tothe mill which is at the lighthouseand then it is spun into wool andmade into rugs and jumpers.When we work with the sheepwe go through stages of punding,which means to gather the sheeptogether off all of the beaches andscare them into pens.then we butcher the sheepand keep it fresh for the harvesthome to celebrate all the hardwork that people have been doingall over the island.the mutton weeat tastes a little like seaweed,just like their diet.Macsen Johnstone andHannah SherbourneNorth Ronaldsay primary schoolSAC ConsultingSAC Consulting provides leading edge, independent and impartial advicethroughout the crofting and rural communities.Our consultants combine local knowledge with extensive experience andare supported by our team of renowned specialists.Among the services we can provide are• Agricultural and rural business advice• Comprehensive assistance with IACS, SRDP and CCAGS• Introduction to Crofting package• Sheep and cattle record keeping• Fertiliser, reseed and crop recommendations• Horticultural advice• Studies and development of renewable energy projects• Enterprise planning• Completion of Assignations, Decrofting and Sublet applications• Croft maps.Contact your local SAC office:Balivanich 01870 602336Campbeltown 01586 552502Inverness 01463 233266Kirkwall 01856 872698Lerwick 01595 639520Oban 01631 563093Portree 01478 612993Stornoway 01851 703103Thurso 01847 892602See our website www.sac.co.ukSAC is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC003712

22 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 23KC MacKinnon: 7 November – 12 October 2011The Isle of Skye recentlylost one of its most-lovedcharacters, KC MacKinnonof Bernisdale, well-known sheepdog handler and crofter.KC was born in Edinbane inthe Isle of Skye. His father wasa crofter and KC developed hisinterest in crofting from an earlyage. After leaving Portree highschool, KC moved south to jointhe metropolitan police, but hequickly realised city life was not forhim. After a brief spell in Ayrshire,he returned home to Skye wherehe met and married Betty.KC was a family man at heart.He and Betty had three daughtersand nine grandchildren. He wasimmensely proud of his Gaelicheritage and passed his love ofthe Gaelic language and culture toall his children and grandchildren.It was a common sight to see KCat home singing a Gaelic lullabyto a sleepy grandchild on his lap.He enjoyed success as a selfemployedbuilder and joiner, buthis love of crofting and rural lifegradually began to take a biggerrole in his life. He was a keenhunter and fisherman and venisonand salmon were regularly on themenu in Bernisdale.In 1980 KC was given a youngpuppy – the runt of the litter –called Mona; and so began hislife-long passion for sheep dogtrialling. He had his first successin trialling with Dawn (from JJTempleton’s Moss). He ran hisown dog trials in Drumuie andlater in Bernisdale.KC could comfortably work fivedogs at once and he became aregular attraction at agriculturaland local shows. His sense ofhumour made these occasionsenjoyable and the sight of his dogsworking with ducks appealed toall. Many were fascinated by hiswhistling. He based his whistleon birdsong he had listened to asa child – and KC’s birds alwayssang Gaelic phrases!Working for the Highlands andIslands Development Board asa trainer, KC helped enthusiaststrain their dogs, but he alsotrained people to catch moles.He even kept a frozen mole in thefreezer so he could show peoplewhat these pests looked like.He set up his own sheep dogProtecting South Uist’s coastsCaluna Campbell of Oxfamdescribes howViolent storms,destructive flash-floodsand devastating droughts –the effects of climate change areall too obvious around the globe.But this is not a problem that’sremote to Scotland. In fact, weare seeing the impact right heretoo, with coastal erosion a realand ongoing problem.Take South Uist. In February2011, Oxfam Scotland wasawarded £100,000 from thePostcode Lottery Dream Fund tocreate a community-generatedproject based on the island. This isspecifically designed to tackle theeffects of climate change throughthree key pieces of work; coastaladaptation, livelihood adaptationand the production of a climatechange adaptation toolkit.We have been working to assessCommunity groups working to build the sand blow fencingthe different township’s needs forcoastal protection alongside theCoast Adapt team – specialising insafeguarding people living in NorthAtlantic coastal communities – anda number of township clerks. Wehave identified seven key areaswhere protection is needed:Kilpheder, Daliburgh, Bornish,Kildonan, Stoneybridge, Smercleitand Eriskay.A one-size-fits-all solution simplywon’t work. The coastal adaptationmethods need to vary dependingon the landscape of each particulararea – ranging from sand dunes tohard rock coastline. The adaptationmethods include the installation ofsand blow fencing – a techniquewhich uses fishing nets, fenceposts, fencing wire and fishingtwine to replicate the naturalreinforcements. It’s importantthe township itself now takesresponsibility for the maintenanceand crofting demonstrationsin Bernisdale when he retiredand became known as ‘Fearnan Con’. On display were thebeautiful shepherd’s crooks heso painstakingly carved; andthey are proudly displayed in hishouse today.KC was also a keen horsemanand enjoyed driving his pony andtrap. This earned him a small rolein the Inspector Allyn Mysteries,filmed in Plockton. He also playedthe much-more-important role ofSanta at the local school, arrivingfully dressed as Santa in hispony and trap, explaining that thereindeer were unwell that day.He was the Scottish BraceChampion in 1989 and 1998 andwent on to win the International inWales in 1999. He also had hisbad days and his time on Oneman and His Dog in 1991 wasdefinitely one of those.Betty has been overwhelmed bythe kindness she has received frompeople from all over the country.It so fitting that his triallingcolleague of many yearsprecented Psalm 23 in Gaelic athis funeral service in Portree. KCof the new fencing. During thewinter months, cattle and sheepare put onto the machair for grazingso it is imperative that the fencingis protected all year round. Theresults of this innovative solutionare beginning to show. We hopethis will help motivate crofters tomaintain the work already started.In Smerlcleit flooding is themajor problem. During the stormof 2005 the area’s coastline, whichincludes the drainage systemculvert for the south side of theisland and a seawall that protectscroft land, was destroyed when itwas submerged in seawater sixfeet above road level. After nearlyseven years – and with the help ofthe Postcode Lottery funding – alow-cost, community-led solutionhas emerged. The repair workwill be completed on a local levelthrough the Lochboisdale AmenityTrust. It sounds simple but theThe second sand blow fencing completedloved music and singing and IainMacdonald’s rich voice echoingthrough the church was extremelyemotional.All agree that the final tune ofthe funeral service was a fittingfarewell to KC:“Soraidh leis an àit’ san d’fhuairmi m’àrach og, Eilean nam beannàrda far an tàmh an ceò”Our thanks to EwenMacKinnon for this tribute.results could be substantial.A valuable spin-off from all thiswork is a new – and in many waysunlikely – community partnership.In July 2011 we took 18 volunteersfrom community groups in Govanin Glasgow to see what’s beenhappening. Members of thetraditional skills workshop Gal Gaeltravelled to the island alongsidecommunity activists from SunnyGovan Radio, Govanhill Baths andTea in The Pot. Not only did theywitness the work being done, butthey took part in the first stage ofthe sand blow fencing installation.Such was the success of theexchange it was repeated inSeptember 2011, to coincide withthe completion of the fencingbarrier. Both the island communitygroups and the Glasgow communitygroups are learning so much fromeach other and they hope this willcontinue in the future.A new crofting ventureChrissie Sugden of AcornCo-operative reports on aninnovative initiative to createnew crofts in ArgyllWhilst I completelysupport SCF’s visionto create 10,000 newcrofts by 2020, I am somewhatsceptical that any governmentpolicies that don’t put cash on thetable will help.After all, it’s been possibleto create new crofts for severalyears and I doubt that morethan a handful have actuallybeen created.I empathised with the articlein the last Crofter about Embo’sattempts to create new woodlandcrofts. I led a similar project inArgyll that also failed to attractlottery funding. After devotingthree years of my life to the project,jumping through a seeminglyendless number of hoops, I finallygave up.I still passionately believethat new crofts are the wayto re-invigorate the Scottishcountryside and to address thehuge challenges we all face: foodand fuel security, climate changeand environmental protection,to name a few. And I have anidea for a way forward that’snot dependent on political orcharitable support.Acorn Co-operative is anindustrial and provident society (aparticular kind of co-op that canissue loan stock). The co-op willborrow money (loan stock) fromits members and supporters tobuy land and create a number ofnew crofts and an area of commongrazing. The co-op will then leasethe crofts to its members.The croft leases will removethe right to buy, ensuring thatthe land stays communallyownedfor ever – thus remainingaffordable to future tenants.Co-op members would be bothtenants and landlord.The loans will be repaid fromcroft rents and other incomegenerated by the co-op, such asfeed in tariffs from solar panelsand running educational courses.Once the loans are repaid croftrents will be minimal. A crofttenancy is for life; and with theagreement of the co-op, isheritable.We have found a suitable farmfor sale on the Kintyre peninsula,large enough to create 10-15 newcrofts and are looking for peopleinterested in joining us.In order to finance the farmpurchase and start-up costs, eachcroft household will be responsiblefor raising around £30,000 ofloan stock. This could come fromsavings, friends or relatives butnot from a loan secured on theland. The loans will be repaid withinterest if required. When issuingloan stock, a choice of interestrates is usually offered. Someinvestors will accept a lower rate tosupport a project they believe in.Crofters still have to financebuilding a house – but with acreative approach such as cobbuilding,or using local timber andrecycled materials, we believethat costs for a modest home canbe kept low. Also, crofters canapply to the Crofters Commissionfor a discretionary grant towardsthe cost of building a house –£11,500 in this location. We are indiscussions with Argyll and Buteplanning department to ensuretheir support.So there you have it! Anopportunity to live securely andsustainably on and from theland, run a small business, buildyour own house, grow your ownfood and live in a new croftingtownship all for half the price ofa normal building plot – and agood deal of your time and effortof course!The model can be varied tosuit people’s differing local andfinancial circumstances. Bareland or woodland would be muchcheaper than a farm, but webelieve that an existing farm givesus the best chance of co-operationfrom our local planners.We would welcome enquiriesfrom anyone interested in joiningus or copying this model in theirown area. In the first instancecontact Chrissie Sugden on01852-500684 or email chrissie.sugden@gmail.com.look online atwww.crofting.orgSutherland meetingsOn Tuesday 13 December the East Sutherland ward forumwill discuss "The Local Economic Situation", which willcover crofting and its importance to the local economy, withrepresentatives from HIE, Highland Council and others. Themeeting will take place in Edderton Hall.On Tuesday 20th December SCF Kyle of Sutherland and EastSutherland branches will host a meeting with the local MP JohnThurso in Rogart Hall on a "Timetable to Prosperity". All arewelcome to attend and put your questions to John.Membership mattersDirect debitsSince launching a newdiscount for members whosign up to pay by DirectDebit, the overall number ofmembers taking advantageof the discount has increasedsubstantially.If you do not pay by DirectDebit already you can alsotake advantage of this offer.When you get your renewalthough in the post all youneed to do is complete theDirect Debit form on the backof the letter, we do all therest! You will receive a 20%discount off your first year’spayment through DD.If you are already paying byDD we are pleased to encloseyour new membership cardfor 2012/2013.Case workAs always we get a largeamount of case work cominginto the office. Some of thethings we have been workingon this quarter include:applications to the CHGS andappeals; contacts for croftsolicitors; help in decroftingand planning. If you have anyissues that we might be ableto advise on please let Karenknow at HQ.Local contactsKaren is in the process ofwriting to all local contactfrom areas and branches toupdate contact lists. If youwould like to be added to alist of local contacts or areinterested in arranging localmeetings please let HQ know.We are always happy to help.Young crofters at theannual gatheringFor this edition ofThe Crofter I was hoping tobring you an article from ayoung crofter so you couldsee the work that our membersare doing.However time constraintsand busy schedules put astop to that idea. So insteadyou have me (Karen) again!At the young crofters’Lewis and Harris meeting wesaw progression of the ideasand development of goals andaims of the group. There area number of items which stillneed sorting out includingfunding the group and howit links in with the SCF andexisting projects; in particularCrofting Connections. Withthe help of all concerned anoutline will be set out withthese aims to help take thegroup forward.There has also beenincreasing interest frompeople in Uist and we arehoping to hold a meetingthere very soon.At this year’s gathering,a number of young crofterstook up the offer of fundedplaces. Participants joinedthe other delegates at theannual conference, hearingfrom all of the speakers. Itwas of particular interest tolearn about the predictedfuture for crofting.I think that the youngcrofters group will play animportant role in this future.

24 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 25WantedHelpful Crofter!Helmsdale AreaGentleman seeking regular supply of rawmilk requires able crofter to keep and milka Guernsey cow on his behalf.All associated costs will be met.If you can help, please contact Mr. Turvey:01431 821 112 | a2z4u@tesco.netAngus MacNeil MP1/8th page, mono advertSCF Non-member rate £98Angus MacNeil MPConstituency office31 Bayhead StreetStornowayIsle of LewisHS1 2DUTel no 70 2272E-Mail AngusMacNeilMP@parliament.ukEnquiries welcomeOffice open Monday-FridayLANDMAPSLandmaps provide accurate maps that are suitable for all aspects ofland management from buying or selling land, to farm and forestrymanagement. We can define croft boundaries for land registry purposesand provide Ordnance Survey maps, aerial photos and land use maps.All types of area measurementsOrdnance Survey mapsLand use surveysDe-crofting plansProperty sale plans and land registry mapsCroft, farm and estate management mapsMaps for SRDP applicationsMaps for planning applicationsConstituency Office31 Bayhead StreetStornowayIsle of Lewis HS1 2DUTel no 70 2272E-Mail AngusMacNeilMP@parliament.ukEnquiries welcome – office open Monday-Fridaywww.crofting.orgLANDMAPSKELSOTD5 7QE01573 225 02807789 220 469info@landmaps.co.ukwww.landmaps.co.ukLooking to diversify part ofyour farm or croft?Why not consider woodland planting?The benefits:• Regular annual income• Improved shelter• Use for unproductive land• Conservation and biodiversity.Grants are available now for:• Stock, rabbit and deer fencing• Gates• Initial planting and protection• Annual maintenance 5 years• Farmland premium 15 years.For more details and a no obligation visit, pleasecontact our Inverness office and ask to speak toone of our woodland managers.Tel: 01463 234633Email: phil.diduca@upm.comALLANS OFGILLOCK LTDGILLOCK 52 Seafield MAINS, Road, GILLOCK,WICK, Inverness, CAITHNESS. IV1 1SG KW1 5URTEL: Tel: 01955 01463661211713270UPM TILHILLYOUR LOCAL BUILDERS & AGRICULTURAL MERCHANTSstockists ofFENCING MATERIALSand GATESSHEEP and CATTLEHANDLING andFEEDING EQUIPMENTCAITHNESS, ORKNEY, SHETLAND, INVERNESSTel: 01955 661211 • 01856 761594 • 01950 460417 • 01463 713270Fax: 01955 661244 • 01856 761709 • 01950 460013 • 01463 713393Gliocas bho bheul-aithrisBha mi aig Cruinneachadhnan Croitearan ambliadhnaagus rudeigina chòrd rium gu mòr aig andìnnear, ‘s e Domhnall IainMacIlleFhinnein, a bha nabheat san Eilean Sgitheanachfad iomadh bliadhna, ag innsenaidheachdan, feadhainn èibhinn,feadhainn feumail agus feadhainndhiubh an dà chuid.Nuair a bha mi ag èisteachdris an naidheachd mun tart annam beathach agus na diofarsheòrsachan de dh’ ola a chaidha mholadh airson a leigheas,leis na diofar eòlaichean às a’choimhearsnachd, bha e bualadhorm gum bi mòran de na seannleigheasan a’ dol air dìochuimhnemura bi iad air an glèidheadh andòigh air choireigin.Chuala mi corra eisimpleirmi fhìn, mar dhòigh air fiabhrasbainne a leigheas, agus sin lebhith bleith fhaochagan slàngus am biodh iad nan taois arachadh a bhiadhadh don mhàrtbhochd. Ma tha seo ag obair,tha mi creidsinn gur ann airsgàth a’ chalcium sna sligean a’ceartachadh cion an stuth sin annam bodhaig na bà.‘S ann bhon aon bhodach achuala mi mu leigheas airson a’mhuin dheirg. ‘S e sin uinneana phronnadh agus a bhiadhadhdon bheathach, ach chan urrainndhomh ràdh a bheil sin ag obairno nach eil.Chan e a-mhàin na seannleighisean a tha gan toirt dhuinnle beul-aithris ach tha gliocasanann mu dhòighean obrach a thatric stèidhichte air bliadhnaicheande ghnàth-eòlas. Mar eisimpleirtrusadh nan caorach far monadhcreagach, no bancaicheaniasgaich far am faighear iasg annam pailteas.Tha cuimhn’ am air bodach àsa’ Mhorbhairne innse dhomh muFood… as if people matteredPatrick Mulvany pays tributeWe celebrate the100th anniversary ofE F Shumacher thisyear. He was an advocate forlocalism, autonomy and livingwithin environmental limits.He would have been an ardentsupporter of crofters and crofting.In his iconic book, published atthe height of the oil and food crisisof 1973/1974, Small is Beautiful:a study of economics as if peoplemattered, he expresses prescientideas about agriculture and theland. Alastair McIntosh’s recentwonderful book, RekindlingCommunity: Connecting People,Environment and Spirituality,is rooted in Schumacher'sideas and is well worth reading,perhaps before dipping again intoSchumacher’s seminal work.Schumacher’s time has comeagain with the re-emergence ofglobal energy and food crises.He would have celebrated thefact that, despite 40 years of theintense spread of what he termedpresent-day industrial society(which) everywhere shows theevil characteristic of incessantlystimulating greed, envy, andavarice, local food production stillsupplies more than 70% of theworld’s food.But he would have railed againstthe agribusiness corporationsthat are intent on capturing themarkets, livelihoods and resourcesof small-scale producers. Overmany years, however, theirorganisation, La Via Campesina,of which the SCF is an importantmember, has shown how thesethreats can be mitigated and whatchanges in policy are necessaryto secure future food supplies– all summarised in their foodsovereignty framework – a policyfor a safe, resilient and nutritiousfood system.The food sovereigntyapproach is the type of proposalthat Schumacher would havesupported. New economicsfoundation fellow, Andrew Simms,said in a recent interview for thenewsletter of Schumacher’sorganisation – the IntermediateTechnology DevelopmentGroup, now re-branded PracticalAction – "The food sovereigntymovement, for example, is anideal manifestation of everythingSchumacher believed in. Itis a model of how you wouldapply Schumacher's notions ofsubsidiarity and appropriatenessof scale to the food system."Food sovereignty, with its focuson local food needs and makingsure these are compatible withlocal ecosystems, is a livingvehicle of the ideas and insightsof Schumacher.At Practical Action, we stronglysupport this approach – Food…as if people mattered.For more: seehttp://practicalaction.org/schumacher-centenaryPatrick Mulvany, senior policyadviser, Practical Action andchair, UK Food Groupdhòighean air sìol a chur; gumbiodh tu ga chur cho tiugh ‘s gumfaiceadh tu seachd gràinneachananns gach làrach a dh’fhàgìngnean an eich. Bha cuideachdmolaidhean aige air flagaisa dhèanamh. Chuireadh tusreathan de dh’innear, feamainnagus raineach air muin a chèile,agus chumadh tu a’ dol mar sin.Nuair a bha am flagais air grodadhsin am mathachadh a b’fheàrr achuireadh tu air an fhearann.Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil tòrrde leithid seo sna clàraidheanaig Sgoil Eòlais na h-Albaagus ‘s math gu bheil. Tha naclàraidhean a-nis a’ nochdadh airan eadar-lìn tro shaothrachadhTobar an Dualchais, agus ‘s egoireas air leth a tha sin. ‘S ean dùbhlan a tha romhainn a-nis,an cumail beò, air ar teangannanagus gu dearbh mas urrainn, annan cleachdadh.Gabhan Mac a' PhearsainSmall issuccessfulThe Ecological Land Cooperative,whose mainpurpose is to support thecreation of truly affordable andhighly sustainable land-basedlivelihoods, has produced a veryinteresting report on a studythey commissioned looking atcreating sustainable livelihoodson ten acres or less.As Brett Spiller says in theforeword, Small is Successfulis an enlightening, captivatingand timely read. Through eightcase studies, you will be givenan insight into the aptitude,passion and enterpriserequired to make a small farmsucceed. And all succeedwithout the benefits of anygrant assistance.Small is Successful dispelssome of the prevailing mythsabout the viability of working10 acres or less. It draws acuteobservations on the strengths,weaknesses, opportunitiesand threats faced by eachcase study, culminating in keyfindings and some thoughtprovokingrecommendations.This is a wee book veryworth reading. You can get acopy from:The Ecological LandCo-operativeThe Hub, 5 Torrens StreetLondon EC1V 1NQE info@ecologicalland.coopW www.ecologicalland.coopDates foryour diary –December2011Keep your farmingcalendar up to date withour guide below, puttogether in partnership withScotland’s Environmental andRural Services (SEARS).These are some of thekey dates and deadlinesfor application forms,licenses etc. The list is notexhaustive, and some datesmay change. Keep in touchwith your local office for thelatest information.• 1 December 2011 – SingleFarm Payment Scheme(SFPS) 2011 paymentwindow opens. The ScottishGovernment Rural Paymentsand Inspections Directorate(SGRPID) will be writing toSFPS claimants shortly totell them that this year theywill be able to view theirSFPS 2011 payments onlinein advance of the issue of apaper advice note.• 31 December 2011 – lastday for SGRPID to receiveclaims under the Scottish BeefCalf Scheme (SBCS) 2011.• Additionally the SBCSwill cease to exist at midnighton 31 December. It will bereplaced with a new ScottishBeef Scheme (SBS).• 31 December 2011 – crosscompliance period closes.• From 1 January 2012cross compliance will includea new Good Agricultural andEnvironmental Condition(GAEC) measure relating tothe establishment of bufferstrips along watercourses.The new GAEC measurerestricts the application andstorage of fertilisers anddung along watercourses andbeside springs and wells. Fulldetails will be published on thecross compliance pages of theScottish Government website.You can find informationabout Scotland: National RuralNetwork regional events athttp://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/en/events/regional_eventsFor more information onSEARS visit http://www.sears.scotland.gov.uk/.

26 THE CROFTER, december 2011THE CROFTER, december 2011 27Crofting in SwedenScottish Crofter Advert_1011:Scottish Crofter Advert_0511 17/10/2011 18:19 Page 1Fiona Mandeville reports on arecent visit to SwedenFäbod, an ancienttranshumance farmingtradition, is vital inpreserving the environment andculture of rural Sweden.That was the message froma parliament of pastoralists’organisations held in Stockholmin September. Representativesfrom crofting organisations hadbeen invited to participate at theevent, in recognition of crofting’ssimilarities to this historical way oflife which is still practiced acrossScandinavia and other parts ofnorthern Europe.Reporting on crofting wereCrofters Commission chair DrewRatter, crofter Angus McHattiefrom the Isle of Skye and SCF’sFiona Mandeville.Fäbod literally means a placeto put livestock, but refers to thesummer grazing pastures wheresmall farmers take their stockto benefit from the lush grassand herbage growing on theupland pastures and amongstthe trees. Cows, sheep andgoats are walked from the inbyeland through a network of foresttracks to the settlements of oldwooden huts and barns wheresome of the family, or often justthe women, remain for weekstending the beasts.It’s a hard-working time, upearly to milk then let the stockout, the rest of the day spentmaking butter and cheese, beforebringing them in again at nightfor protection against predators.No electricity supply, no mainsplumbing, no handy shops – allhas to be done the old-fashionedway with water boiled on woodstoves to scald the milk basinsand buckets.Fäboden are usually innational parks and surroundedby popular walking trails, somany have a building speciallyfor guests, who may sleep inthese community-owned chaletsfree. Some farmers provide themwith breakfast, a way of earninga little income. One we visitedon a trip up north was beautifullyfitted out with old hand-wovenbedcovers, rugs and cushionswith traditional jackets, tools andutensils hanging on the walls.But this is not an idyllic way – oflife. There are many challenges.One of the most problematic ispredation on stock by wolvesand bears – re-introduced inSweden in the 1980s – and sincethen numbers have multiplieddramatically. One speaker lostseveral cows, goats, lambs andsheep each year. Farming since1993, he had to give up keepingcattle in the traditional summerpastures, as they would notstay in a place where they wereaware of bears. Once the wolfor bear got the taste of a kid orlamb, it would return each nightfor more.Permission from the localauthority for emergency protectivehunting was theoretically possible,but consent usually took up to amonth to be granted, no good at allwhen immediate action is requiredto protect the herd or flock. Dogsare used as guardians, but theytoo are not-infrequent victims.Now this young family are aboutto give up fäbod farming. Witha 10-year-old son very keen onanimals and the farming way oflife, this is a real loss.Compensation is given whenpredator kills can be provedwith evidence, but this is notpossible when stock disappearcompletely, which happens notinfrequently. One farmer tookhair samples from the seriouswounds of his dog, certain theywere from a bear. The localauthority lost the samples.Minister for culture LenaAdelsohn Liljeroth openedthe event, emphasising theimportance of fäboden andtheir contribution to the culturalidentity of the country as wellas to the environment. Thegovernment recognised thisimportance and was verysupportive of transhumance.However, when I asked herlater if this recognition wastranslated into specific supportmeasures, the answer was no.Fäbod farmers receive the samesupport as other farmers inSweden. They were interestedand envious when told of thespecific support mechanismsenjoyed by crofters in Scotland.Some of the other speakersconcentrated on biodiversity whichwas enhanced by fäbod farming.The fäbods are mostly in the“highlands” of Sweden, just belowthe snowline. In winter, of course,most of the country lies under asnowy blanket for months. Theextensive husbandry supportscountless landraces which needto be conserved and biologistsrecognise that fäboden make avital contribution to this process.Speakers from several northernEuropean countries spoke ofidentical farming systems in theircountries. Transhumance still hasa vital role to play in agricultureand more needs to be done tomake governments favour itssurvival. United action was theway ahead.The Scots explained aboutcrofting, how it was administeredby the Crofters Commissionand how crofters got togetherto represent themselves via theScottish Crofting Federation.Finally, Maasai warriorRaphael ole Moono told how hispeople keep cattle in the bushand protect them from predatorssuch as lions and hyenas. Theyknow the life patterns of theseanimals, can identify individualsand kill them with spears if theytake stock. The Maasai live inharmony with their territory andcan exist in desert and semidesertland. They move with theseasons, taking their herds to newwater sources as other pasturesdry up. They drink the milk andeat the beef, supplementing theirdiet with herbs. The Tanzaniangovernment would prefer thatthey abandoned their seminomadicexistence but the peoplehave resisted. Recently, Oxfamhas claimed that the lifestyle ofthe Maasai should be embracedas a response to climate changebecause of their ability to farm indeserts and scrublands.Raphael the Maasai'spassionate description of hisfarming and culture brought thegathering to a conclusion, withthanks to all the participants andparticularly to Pauline Palmcrantz,president of the SwedishAssociation for Transhumanceand Pastoralism, who hadorganised the event.www.fabod.nuStrange,not everyone knows we do Crofters InsuranceWe do.Find out more by contactingyour local NFU Mutual branchat www.nfumtual.co.ukWe do right by youNFU Mutual is is The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No. 111982). Registered in England. Registered Office:Tiddington Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ. For security and training purposes, telephone calls may be recordedand monitored. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. A member of the Association of British Insurers.Fäbod house interior Checking out the herbage at the fäbod Fäbod farmers in traditional dress

28let's liberate diversityTHE CROFTER, december 2011Celebrating crofters’ seeds and breedsThe Let’s LiberateDiversity forum is theannual gathering offarmers and associationsworking on agriculturalbiodiversity in Europe.The SCF is delighted to behosting next year’s forum, theseventh, which will take placein Strathpeffer from 9th to 11thMarch 2012. This will enable asmany of our members as possibleto attend the event, which will beheld in conjunction with the SCFannual gathering.The theme of next year’s eventis "Celebrating Crofters’ Seedsand Breeds" – looking at how theycontribute to sustainable land useand the high nature value of thecrofting counties.The first Let’s Liberate Diversitymeeting was held in November2005 in Poitiers, France, where150 participants, farmers andassociations exchanged viewsand experiences on the rights offarmers linked to the production,exchange and conservation ofseeds. This was followed byevents in Bullas in Spain, Hallein Germany, Ascoli in the Marcheregion of Italy and Graz, Austria.SCF was part of the organisinggroup for the 2011 forum heldin Szeged, Hungary. Its centraltheme was the question of farmers'rights related to the conservation,sustainable use and developmentof agricultural biodiversity. Lastyear’s event was attended by some280 delegates including farmers,gardeners and seed artisans,as well as local communitiesimplementing initiatives onagricultural biodiversity in Europe.This year’s event is beingorganised by the Europeancoordination of Let’s LiberateDiversity in conjunction with theSCF heritage seed library/GardenOrganic, Practical Action and othermembers of the UK food group,with support from the EU. Thefirst steering group meeting washeld in Balmacara last June; andwith the majority of the work sincethen accomplished by e-mail – inthree working languages – thenext meeting is due to take placein London this month.The programme for celebratingcrofters’ seeds and breedsincludes among others a posterexhibition, seed exchange, filmfestival and workshops on foodsovereignty, the Scottish actionplan, livestock health and policyissues – and poses the questionWhat is sustainable food?To find out more aboutthe event, visit our websitewww.liberate-diversityscotland2012.orgor keep up todate by following us on twitter at@LLD2012 or find us on FacebookLet’s Liberate Diversity Scotland.Further details and a bookingform are enclosed with this editionof The Crofter.Farmers' Seed steering group in BalmacaraSteering group members visit DuirinishSCF Board of Directors:Eleanor Arthur (chair)Derek Flyn (vice-chair)Marina DennisNorman LeaskAlasdair MacMhaoirnPaddy ZakariaFiona MandevilleCompany secretary:John BannisterSCF registered office: Unit 26,Kyle Industrial Estate, Kyle, IV40 8AXCompany Number SC 218658Charity Number SC 031919Scottish Crofting Federationrooted in our communitiesHow to contact ushq@crofting.org 01599 530 005SCF HQ, Unit 26, Kyle Industrial Estate, Kyle IV40 8AXCrofter editor –Fiona Mandevillefiona@crofting.orgTo advertise, contactClaire Nicolson onads@crofting.org 01471 833 239Printed using vegetable oil based inks on paper from sustainably managed forestsby Strath Print Ltd, Broadford, Isle of Skye email: info@strathprint.co.uk tel: 01471 822 555 www.strathprint.co.uk