View Full Version : Organic Veg Box Scheme
Wondering if anyone knows of any organic veg box schemes serving Caithness?
Wondering if anyone knows of any organic veg box schemes serving Caithness?
I'm afraid I don't know about availability in Caithness, but when I went googling I discovered an interesting website for the Highlands & Island Local Food Network (http://www.hilocalfood.net/index.asp).
Good luck in finding a box scheme where you are. I can highly recommend it. Having had an organic fruit and veg box delivered every week by a (reasonably) local farmer for the best part of a year, I wouldn't go back to buying fruit and veg in supermarkets.
Where do you get your fruit and veg from Drutt?
Would love to get good organic produce. I try to get local produce whenever I can.
Can't seem to get a decent tasting tattie?!:~(
Where do you get your fruit and veg from Drutt? I get my delivery from Bellfield Organics (http://www.bellfield-organics.co.uk/). The veg really looks and smells like veg should, rather than looking like pristine plastic and smelling like nothing. And it's fantastic to see the veg change with the seasons, just as it ought to.
Can't seem to get a decent tasting tattie?!:~( Then I can highly recommend getting your hands on some of the varieties from Heritage Potatoes (http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/). Sadly, their attendance at farmers' markets doesn't go any farther north than the central belt, and that's an awfully long way to travel for a bag of potatoes.
Drutt you are so lucky having access to such great organic produce.
As far as I know there isn't any in Caithness but could be wrong?
It is sad with all the varieties of tatties there are that we get such a pathetic choice in the shops!
Drutt you are so lucky having access to such great organic produce.
As far as I know there isn't any in Caithness but could be wrong?
It is sad with all the varieties of tatties there are that we get such a pathetic choice in the shops!
Liz - take a look at this link:-
http://www.caithness.org/foodforthought/
Not organic but definitely local & fresh
Bill Fernie
25-Mar-06, 13:19
The Food for Thought Scheme is a very good idea but if it is to succeed it will need a lot of local support. It is still expanding and more poly tunnels were recently added so hopefully over the coming year more produce will be available.
I am sure if you spoke to the organiser out there he would be able to tell you what is organic amongst the items they are growing. He might even be bale to swing towards that if there is sufficient demand and regular orders. Small projects like this need to be able to get regualr customers quite fast as distribution is always goping to be problem for them. If you are able to call out and pick up that is good but not many folk will make trips out to Spittal for a few vegetables.
What we really will need is for us to get more organised to help them with shared pick ups once they have enough supplies and maybe we could do it via the message board and set up a section for folk heading out to pick up half dozen lots at once and deliver it to neightbours and take turns in going to get it or from supply points in Wick Thurso Lybster etc.
I am sure they would be delighted if the message board were to take it on to organise at least some of the pick ups once they have enough supplies.
I will speak to the organiser and see what he thinks about us using the message board to help his distribution. They have grants to help them and they have other aims as well as growing food so perhpas their Food For Thought needs all of us to have some thoughts about their longer term future. They are just gettng going but if they are to remain growing fresh food it will need plenty of local support.
I will report back here once I have established exactly how they intend to distribute and what exactly they will be growing. We can certainly offer them free advertising to help them move things around. Once we know what is on offer we can set up lists to place orders and either pass on to them or organise folk to pick up. but lets not run before we can walk. I will talk to the organiser.
Thanks Moira and Bill.
I would definitely be interested in purchasing local produce on a regular basis and if it is organic so much the better.
You're right though Bill in that not many people would want to travel out to Spittal, including myself, so some kind of supply point would be a great idea.
pulteney person
25-Mar-06, 15:07
I would buy my fresh veg from Food for Thought if it was available for pick up in Wick. I'm sure it would be better than supermarket bought veg. It won't have been lying in storage for months or years!?
I always buy the local veg in the shops when it is available and in season and it is usually very good quality.
I might be interested as well, but wouldn't manage regular trips to Spittal - I have to rely on my chauffeur I'm afraid!
I'm definately interested! The nearest we can get organic veggies at the moment is a place in Dingwall, but they have to send it up by courier...
I'm sure someone told me the guy out at Spittal's stuff is Organic but he is not certified as yet.
Bill Fernie
25-Mar-06, 18:31
I have phoned and left a message at Food For thought for them to get back to me.
I am sure the website should be able with our online community to co-ordinate pick-ups and help with distribution which is often a big problem for small veg schemes organic or otherwise. The more folk involved the easier it gets once aschedule is set up and of coure if folk are reliable to meet and pick up at the agreed times and places.
This could be really practical test of the web site to see if it can move into the real world as well as operating in cyberspace.
Some cooperatives have been very successful in built up areas of larger towns and cities. Our scattered community with only two larger centre of poplation will be a challenge but not impossible if there is plenty of co-operation.
This has lots of possibilities but we need to see what the Food For Thought organiser can deal with first.
I will get back here after speaking to him.
Good one Bill! As of August, I would be willing to help with deliveries if needed... I'm just out of Keiss. Will be interesting if we could get something going.
The potatoes and veg that appear in the supermarket nowadays is forced with fertiliser that's why it has lost it's taste, and the type of potatoes that they sell is what the housewife wants, personally I wouldn't put them in a pan and boil them because a lot of them are big white tatties that are what I call a wet tattie. For me the best tatties for early season are sharp's express and my maincrop is either foxton or kerr's pink. Fortunately we grow our own tatties and veg and the only fertiliser we use is good old farm yard manure. There is definatley an opening in Caithness for decent produce but we have a short growing season and unless you have poly tunnels you wont have an all year round supply.
I would definitely be interested - fantastic idea - been hoping just such a thing would start in Caithness
i've often wondered why there is no farmers market in thurso, having a stall down the street on a saturday morning i'm sure would do great guns, the veg boxes are another great idea too, if this gets going, count me in....
This is not much help to those looking for it in Caithness, but I've been following this thread and you've inspired me to try a local supplier here in Edinburgh - my fruit and veg box should be with me on Thursday. So you can all take pride in being responsible for my improved diet *grin*
Squeezy... if you went with Damhead.. they're awesome.
Bill Fernie
28-Mar-06, 15:00
I have now spoken withe the Food For Thought organiser and he is delighted to hear of the interest from the Caithness.org community. Iin about week or so they will let me have list of produce that they will be growing and hopes that some of the first crops will be ready about the end of April.
The crops are not certified organic as they will not be registered - its too expensive at present for them. They will however be growing everything chemical free and using organically produced seed wherever possible.
The project has a number of aims including growing veg and will be teaching people with various problems how to grow things.
Distribution is indeed one of their problems and if folk are willing to band together for deliveries or be notified of places where they will distribute to then this will help them a great deal.
They hope to use the Dial-a-ride to take some items away after they deliver the folk coming out to work at the new centre at Spitall. But this will not get all over the county.
The project is also looking for people - possibly crofters to grow some crops to be sold via the project - root crops and perhaps some other greens. They do not have many folk interested as yet. If some folk can get involved this will allow the project to widen what is on offer particularly in the heavier vegetables like potatoes. Potential growers might give them a shout.
Once the list comes on here everyone can look to see if there is anything they want and then if there are enough people coming in we could perhaps help split eveyone into geographical areas and then see hwo things could be moved around or picked up from Wick, Thurso Lybster etc with arrangements from the project. they do hope to sell at places like the Wick Saturday market once they have enough to make it worth while.
This type of enterprise is very difficult to get going in our rural environment with so many folk scattered around who might want to eat fresh chemical free food. Maybe we might be able to give them ahelping hand by getting together in sufficient numbers to make difference and that might ensure the project can keep going.
Look back in week or so for the list of produce that will be coming along later.
Buttercup
28-Mar-06, 15:07
Wondering if anyone knows of any organic veg box schemes serving Caithness?
:grin: Good 2 Go Scotland Ltd, who run the Spar shops in High Ormlie (Thurso), Castletown, Helmsdale, Brora and Golspie, will have it up and running within a month. So you'll be able to order your boxes there. :grin:
connieb19
08-Jul-06, 12:08
Has anything ever come of this? :confused
Thanks for bringing this to the top of the board, Connie. I'd been wondering the same.
Me too!
Couldn't get a decent tasting tattie but Somerfield's organic tatties are lovely.
Would much prefer to get nice local veg.
Let's hope we hear something soon.
Buttercup
17-Jul-06, 18:39
:grin: Good 2 Go Scotland Ltd, who run the Spar shops in High Ormlie (Thurso), Castletown, Helmsdale, Brora and Golspie, will have it up and running within a month. So you'll be able to order your boxes there. :grin:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I've been told this has fallen through and will no longer be happening.
dirdyweeker
18-Jul-06, 22:31
Still no news from Food for Thought? I too would be interested in fresh local produce, organic if possible
Bill Fernie
05-Jul-07, 21:47
It has taken longer than hoped to get a box vegetable schem going. the group are trying to guage likely demand and are holding meeting to get information from people.
See here
http://www.caithness.org/foodforthought/index.htm
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE
Meeting 10th July @ Family Centre Wick @ 7 .30 pm
Caithness Food For Thought
Working with the Community for the Community
Wick Family Centre can be found at -
6 - 7 Bank Row
Wick
KW1 4JH
Does anyone up here produce cabbages on a large scale, I go through a couple every night with the rabbits and would like to buy locally if possible as opposed to supermarkets
Does anyone up here produce cabbages on a large scale, I go through a couple every night with the rabbits and would like to buy locally if possible as opposed to supermarkets
Have you tried Mowats @ John O Groats, Corgiman?
no I have not do you have contact details for them? can you pm me them if so thanks :D
Great idea. I was thinking about this a while ago but didn't think it would ever be available here. Put me on the list!
i cant wait to get good floury tatties for mash and some waxy tatties for soup (they dont disintergrate)im not very good at knowing the kinds of tatties but hopefully the suppliers can tell which is which! yum!
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