Tatties
Joining the expedition I’m leaving behind my potato patch which is doing rather well as are my carrots, onions, lettuces, tomatoes, herbs and strawberries. It was Sustainable Uist (SU) that inspired us to start growing our own veg again when we moved here earlier this year.
To quote directly from the SU leaflet: “Food miles are a significant contributor to carbon emissions. Foodstuffs brought to the Hebrides have some of the highest food miles in Britain, partly because of the distances involved, but also because relatively few households in Uist grow their own vegetables. SU conducted a survey of Uist households in 2009 and found that up to 75% of families would like to try growing their own produce. However most also said that it was not possible to get good results because of the difficult growing conditions on the islands. During 2010 SU carried out a series of crop trials on half acre of land behind the Dark Island Hotel. The aim was to develop growing techniques that give an improved chance of success in the challenging local weather and soil conditions. In the first season, the trials tested different techniques of wind protection and improving soil fertility. In addition, nearly 50 varieties of salad and vegetable type were grown, to see which grew best. The crop results were carefully recorded and made public through a series of open days, the SU website, leaflets and evening classes during the winter months.”
Further different cropping trials are currently underway and other SU projects include renewable energy studies, development of a lift sharing scheme, improving energy efficiency of hard-to-treat houses and events to showcase local food produce.
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