Grow Local
While many producers would like to supply the local market, they face a number of barriers including:
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lack of time – finding the time away from what they already to
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land – access to small parcels of better quality land
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investment capital – for polytunnels, fences, tools etc
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skills – growing new crops and dealing with many customers
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support – access to technical expertise and practical advice for several years until they get fully established.
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processing – access to local facilities for meat preparation and commercial kitchen facilities for processing and preserving.
Take a look at the following links to find out more:
Setting up a CSA
The Highlands and Islands Local Food Network promotes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a way to link producers and consumers directly. In CSA schemes consumers join with a nearby producer to make local food available. They commit to purchasing in advance, giving the farmer a secure market and the consumer a guaranteed supply of what is produced. The CSA approach is quite new to the Highlands, but is already well established elsewhere.
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