Speakers
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Maria ScholtenScottish Crofting FederationMaria Scholten has researched Scottish landraces and is associate of the Scottish Crofting Federation.
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Mike HyattCrofter on the small island of Lismore in the west of ScotlandCrofter on the small island of Lismore in the west of Scotland
Established and run by crofters themselves, SCF is dedicated to campaigning for crofters and fighting for the future of crofting. By actively engaging with agencies and government at local, national and international levels, we influence policy on rural, agricultural, social, environmental issues. Originally set up in 1985 as the Scottish Crofters Union, the organisation continues to protect and promote the interests of crofters and the crofting community.
- https://magnethaz.hu/
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A place that provides space for programmes, lectures and discussions, focusing on community and social initiatives, sustainability, self-awareness and culture.
Reintroducing small-scale grain-growing in the Highlands of Scotland
This workshop is part of of the 11th Let’s Liberate Diversity! Forum!
Challenges for re-introducing small-scale grain growing in Highlands of Scotland: addressing issues of seed sourcing, knowledge of grain husbandry, machinery and equipment and developing new value chains.
Starting with the issue of why the Highlands of Scotland have turned into ‘grain deserts’, we will present a broad overview of recent developments, challenges and opportunities for reintroducing grain-growing.
🌾 Its disappearance in some areas up to 150 years ago also meant that seeds, knowledge about grain growing, and machinery to cultivate and process grains have gone. Drivers behind the emerging interest in grain growing is the ‘grain-to-loaf’ bakery movement, but also the artisan distilling markets. In several projects this triple challenge has been addressed in grain trials with historical Highlands grain varieties as well as introduced types. The current lack of processing machinery for small-scale grain growing is tackled in a unique project to develop an open-source piece of equipment for dehulling oats (Avena sativa) for small-scale growers, both in Scotland and in Wales.
