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Creetown CAFF moves into new premises!

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 20:51:42 GMT

Creetown Alliance for Food moves into new premises!

Creetown Alliance For Food moved into new premises on Sunday 15th June and celebrated with an open day, providing cake, tea and coffee alongside a tombolla and a raffle.

The new premises, The Pavilion at King George V Playing Fields in Creetown, has been unused for several years and Kirkmabreck Community Council were happy to have the CAFF team reopen them and redecorate.

CAFF works with local supermarkets in Newton Stewart and Kirkcudbright to prevent good food from going to landfill if it remains unsold when it reaches its shelf expiry date.

Bread, fruit and veg remains in good condition for a few days while packaged food and meat are frozen. All the food is free to anyone who wants to come and browse, regardless of their personal circu mstances.

The new location has the space and facilities to offer a cup of tea and a chat to alongside the friendly welcome.

Lead Volunteer Fiona Prior said "The CAFF is thrilled to have moved into this new space and the open day was a huge success. Special Thank You to Stan and Elaine for making it possible by decorating and to everyone who helped clean!"

DG3 Community Garden Network and Food Strategy

Sun, 25 May 2025 09:07:00 GMT

DG3 Community Garden Network and Food Strategy

In recent months four community gardens have joined forces to share ideas, knowledge, skills and resources. This network will support all of the food initiatives members to improve the way they provide a space for growing nutritious food, bringing people together to reduce isolation and nurturing a sense of belonging in communities.

Bridgend Community Garden in Penpont (KPT Development Trust), Old School Thornhill Garden, Closeburn Orchard Community Garden and Moniaive Initiative Garden are all supporting local community growing and sharing of food in an effort to reduce food poverty and inequality whilst reducing the impact on the environment by organic growing methods and reducing food miles.

Dawn from DG Community Food Network is thrilled to be supporting this collaboration and had the pleasure to be at the first group skills and knowledge share visit this month, a real Milestone! Sandside Community Garden – A Patch E Land – very kindly hosted the day and shared their amazing project with the group who took away many ideas and lots of inspiration. Not to mention the delicious lunch prepared and provided by the hosts!

You can read about all of these five brilliant food initiatives in their Good Food Stories at this link:

https://www.dgsustainablefoodpartnership.org/community-food-projects

FB Links for each group:

Closeburn - https://www.facebook.com/groups/353550043420612

Moniaive - https://www.facebook.com/moniaiveinitiative

OST - https://www.facebook.com/oldschoolthornhill

KPT - https://www.facebook.com/kptcommunitygardengroup

Sandside - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1772901779602100

A Systems Approach to Child Healthy Weight

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 14:01:27 GMT

Tackling Child Healthy Weight Together in D&G

In 2023, Scottish Government invited proposals from all NHS Boards, in collaboration with local partners, for
additional funding to build local capacity and strengthen support around childhood obesity prevention in the early years. Dumfries and Galloway was successful with its application ‘To develop and implement a system based approach in Dumfries and Galloway (D&G) to improve diet and healthy weight outcomes for children in their early years.’
Cavill Associates Ltd was commissioned to facilitate this process with a series of stakeholder workshops based around system mapping. This report summarises the approach taken, and presents the final system map that was used to develop a comprehensive action plan.

Three workshops were held with key stakeholders. The main task from the first workshops was to produce a basic systems map of the influences on healthy weight in young people, and explore how these issues might be connected.

The second workshop reviewed the system map; added links and made more connections and discussed actions. The final workshop prioritised actions and discussed where those actions could be most effective.

The report is available from the link below, along with an interactive presentation where the links between influences and actions are shown.

BioBlitz and Agroecology at Lochhill Farm

abi@mordin.net (Abi Mordin) — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 13:26:01 GMT

BioBlitz and Agroecology at Lochhill Farm

In early July a highly successful Bioblitz was held at Lochhill Farm near Crossmichael. A Bioblitz is a way for citizen scientists to get out in nature, find and identify species, learn about flora and fauna and add to those important data records.

Over 40 people visited Lochhill on the day. The event was coordinated by Propagate in partnership with the Loch Ken Trust – and some help from Cath Seeds, a Crossmichael resident and Wildlife and Conservation Lead at SRUC's Barony campus. Small groups trekked off across the land with a trained group leader, armed with sweep nets and sample jars. On return, the books came out and the microscope was deployed to identify the plants and creatures. Over 80 species of all types of living organism were recorded – all of which have been added to the national data records.

Feedback from the event has been universally positive, with several people asking when the next one is! Big thanks to Cath and to Barney and Lindsay from the Loch Ken Trust for their help on the day, and to Mitchells, Irvings Bakery and Marchbanks Bakery who all donated refreshments.

The Bioblitz was was just one element in a longer-term eco-agricultural plan for Lochhill.

The farm sits above Crossmichael, on the road leading to Clarebrand. Home to Richard and Jane Middleton who have lived there for 13 years, managing the land organically and planting thousands of trees, the farm extends to about 75 acres and like much of the area includes a mix of different habitat types.

As early members of Propagate’s Regenerative Farming Network, Richard and Jane had been inspired by the knowledge sharing between farmers and by the farm walks they went on. Accepting that they are maybe of an age when some farm tasks are more challenging, they have been looking for a way to still be involved in the farm while sharing tasks with others – and making sure the land is managed in a way that is in keeping with their ethics and principles, including contributing to a sustainable future for the local community.

In April this year, Lochhill and Propagate officially began a new adventure. The aim is to explore ways that Lochhill can:

Maximise ecological diversity
Support sustainable livelihoods
Be a place for education and learning

These elements are influenced by agroecology – which includes social and political ideas alongside environmental and economic drivers for the farm.

This year, a big push is underway to generate a full ecological baseline for Lochhill.

Earlier this year, a group of farmers met at Lochhill for a Biodiversity Recording Training session, led by Malcolm Haddow from South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre. Malcolm showed the group how to use the iNaturalist app to identify and record individual species of plants, invertebrates, fungi, mammals and more. This is important to help add to the national records held on various species – which tell us how well nature is doing in our area!

Soil Samples have also been taken – and sent to a qualified Soil Food Web Lab Technician in North Ayrshire. This produced a report not for soil carbon and organic matter, which have already been analysed, but for beneficial bacteria and nematodes, mycelium, protozoa and other micro-organisms that have important functions in the soil.

The Bioblitz was a further step in the exploration process. The next stage is to look at the viability of farm enterprises. A roundtable event was held in May where 10 other farmers came tgogether to brainstorm different ways that Lochhill could meet its aims. Possibilities include a cow-with-calf micro dairy, pastured poultry for layers and broilers, a rare breed beef enterprise with adaptive grazing, a market garden and orchard, and maybe a venue for workshops and events. The project team are currently working through cost/benefit analysis and identifying the inputs and outputs – financial, social and ecological - for each enterprise. There are a number of experts in these fields lined up to share their knowledge and experience.

Growers Gathering Success at Logan Botanic Garden

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:07:01 GMT

Growers gather at Logan Botanics for a nourishing networking event

On the 5th June lots of growers gathered together at Logan Botanic Gardens for a day chatting, learning and networking organised by the DG Climate Hub and Dumfries & Galloway Community Food Network. Thanks to all who made the Growers' Gathering so successful, including Logan Botanic Garden, The Unexpected Garden - Stranraer, Incredible Edible Stranraer, Aldouran Wetland Garden, The Rhins Seed Library, Glentrool Gardening Volunteers, Machars Abundance, South Machars Crop Swaps, Incredible Edible Whithorn and Stranraer Development Trust.

It was a great opportunity for these growers from Stranraer, the Rhins, the Machars, Newton Stewart, Glentrool & Moniaive to connect & share knowledge.

After introducing the various projects in the region, a round of 'seed dating' saw us swapping seeds with each new encounter, and everyone went home with an opportunity to plant something new. While we experienced sun, wind, heavy rain & 10 degrees in quick succession under a marquee, Lusi Alderslowe, a permaculture educator from Propagate held space for a much needed conversation about gardening in climate chaos (main takeaway: diversity is key). We then wrote on plates our needs and offers to encourage more sharing and exchange .

After a delicious lunch, we had an expert tour of the gardens , thanks also to Richard Baines, Logan's curator. We then got creative doing hapazome (plant prints) with fallen leaves & flowers from Logan with Sarah Thomas from the Climate Hub, and weaving willow bird feeders with Lusi Alderslowe. Thanks to Sarah Jane (Juniper Wood Herbs) for assistance!

Local growers are crucial for food security. Especially with the flooding that's been happening in agricultural regions this year their work and knowledge will become increasingly valuable. There's so much on offer from these groups. Check out your local growing groups - they always welcome volunteers and can support you and build confidence to become a grower yourself.

To find your nearest growing space, see the Dumfries and Galloway Community Food Map here .

The Wellbeing Garden at HMP Dumfries

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 12:33:28 GMT

The Secret Wellbeing Garden at HMP Dumfries

Behind the walls and fences of HMP Dumfries is a wonderful space.

The 5 acre garden is made up of a number of different areas that combine to make a well being haven for the people in their care, staff and the wider community. They grow fruit and vegetables including potatoes, onions, tomatoes, salads, greens, raspberries, apples, pears and much more. The produce grown goes into the kitchen and for the prison community; last year this equated to around £5000 worth of food.

Having this facility allows the people in HMP Dumfries care to get involved and have a feeling of self-worth by giving something back to the prison and community. They are the ones who put in the hard work from ideas, design and physical implementation. Growing your own food really helps to connect people to what you eat, they also run ‘veg box’ cookery sessions to provide skills on what you can cook with a selection of fresh ingredients. This skill of utilising fresh vegetables to provide sustenance could make a huge difference to those reintegrating back into their community, often on an extremely tight budget and with limited cooking facilities to do so.

As well as the food growing aspect of the project, they have created a wellbeing garden that includes seated areas, a pagoda which a group of people here built from conception to reality, ponds with wildlife and fish and paths to allow people to wander around. The garden provides a sensory area and a place for quiet contemplation and is improving the mental and physical health of everyone here.

There are regular visits from groups in the wider community and run sessions and activities for people with Dementia living in local care homes. These activities can be from having a cuppa in the garden, potting up some veg seeds to playing a game of Petanque (French Boules) on the pitch made by the people in their care. Individuals involved have had training in supporting people with dementia and this is helping to improve wellbeing across the prison's own ageing population as well as with the visiting groups. There is also a family day out in the garden in the summer, which brings those in their care and their families together in an environment that feels normal to them all.

Some of the individuals working in the garden mentioned the sense of gratitude for the opportunity to give back to their own community and the wider community through working in the garden. Also, the chance to see food grown from seed to table is giving people connection to what they eat and a sense of worth and achievement as they learn new skills. All of this they feel improves their own physical and mental health along the way.

The project got started In 2018, working in partnership with the NHS IDEAS Team in Dumfries staff presented a business case for a polytunnel in the garden area to facilitate activities with the NHS Ideas Team. These activities supported people living with Dementia and provided learning and experience of working with elderly individuals to prison staff engaging in the project.

After a pause due to the pandemic and fuelled by learning, the Wellbeing Garden really gained momentum with the people in their care really driving this forward with ideas and hard work. Their enthusiasm was supported by Trellis (Horticultural Society) who came in with training and practical support to guide us to the place they are now. We have also been supported by Branching Out organisation.

This month see’s HMP Dumfries facilitating activities with Thera-pets through engagement with Canine Concern.

Sustainability in the garden isn't just about growing vegetables, although It is really important to be able to provide as much food as possible to ensure fresh, quality ingredients are eaten within the prison community.

There's also a wildlife garden to improve biodiversity which also increases food production and a scheme that makes some great compost with an individual who has the experience and skill to maintaining the system. There are 250 solar panels within our garden space to lower the HMP Dumfries carbon footprint and generate cleaner energy for the building.

Almost all of the materials used in the garden are recycled pallets or donated offcuts that the Joinery team here have utilised to create some fantastic infrastructure for the space.

Over the last 18 months they have also grown in excess of 1500 trees including Oak, Elder and Birch that have been donated to the community, going out to schools, local reforesting projects and for shoring up river banks.

As with many projects working to a budget and securing funding when required to keep moving forward is always a challenge. They also have to manage the project with safety and security at the forefront and ensuring to build trust and support with everyone involved. Building and maintaining community relationships with partners and stakeholders is vitally important.

The team have learned that with the right motivation and incentive and change in mindset a great deal can be achieved. In allowing the people in their care to plan, design and work together, they instilled a collective ownership and responsibility and a sense of purpose, not only with those in their care but also the staff and managers within HMP Dumfries. The project has helped to embed both life skills and training through this project that can hopefully have a meaningful impact for the individual and a wider impact for our the community going forward.

This year Greg, the Gardens Officer Instructor’s drive and enthusiasm in coordinating the garden and it’s workforce has been recognised with a Butler Trust Award for outstanding work within the custodial and community justice setting.

In the future the team are hoping to find ways to continue to utilise the garden and it’s produce to engage with community groups, and to share learning and the Wellbeing Garden to improve the health and wellbeing of both communities.

They are looking at a number of ideas that will support the continual development and increase the usage of our gardens for all.

Kitchen Table Talks

abi@mordin.net (Abi Mordin) — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 11:55:12 GMT

Kitchen Table Talks - have YOUR say on the Good Food Nation Plan

The Scottish Government's Good Food Nation Plan is out now for consultation. Citizens across the country are being asked to share their views: what does a Good Food Nation look like, smell like, taste like?

This is your opportunity to find out more about the plan, create your own response and pick up some tips for talking to others about it. This session will be friendly and informal. It's open to anyone who eats food! Food is everyone's business .

There are 6 main outcomes for the Good Food Nation Plan. We'll be discussing and thinking through some of these outcomes, and what they mean for us as citizens, producers, businesses, communities and our shared environment.

1. Everyone in Scotland eats well. They can easily get safe, healthy, affordable, environmentally friendly food that suits their age and culture.
2. Scotland’s food system is good for the natural environment, the climate, wildlife and animal welfare.
3. Scotland’s food system helps everyone to have good physical and mental health.
4. Scotland is known around the world for high-quality food. Our food and drink industry is successful and forward-thinking. It is an important part of the national and local economy. It creates and sustains good jobs and businesses.
5. Scotland has a thriving food culture. Scottish people are interested in and educated about good and sustainable food.
6. Decisions we make in Scotland are good for food systems here and around the world. We share and learn from what other countries are doing.

Join us for a Kitchen Table Talk - a conversation with other citizens of Dumfries and Galloway. Facilitators will be on hand with useful resources designed by the Scottish Food Coalition, to get conversation going.

You'll be able to craft your own consultation response, and contribute to a shared response as we aim to represent the views of those who have attended.

We're hosting 2 Kitchen Table Talks, in Newton Stewart on Thursday 28 March, 6.30pm at Vibe 75, and in Dumfries on Tuesday 9 April, 6.30pm at The Stove. Click the links below to register your spot.

Inaugural Farming for the Future Conference takes place in Newton Stewart

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:37:14 GMT

Farmers Gather in Newton Stewart

The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership , the National Farmers’ Union Scotland (NFUS) and Propagate have together hosted the first ‘Farming for the Future’ conference in Newton Stewart, attracting attendees from across southwest Scotland. The event explored how farming can be good for both the environment and the farm business and was chaired by Dumfriesshire farmer and former NFUS President Andrew McCornick, with a programme of speakers that included Stuart Johnson (Soil Farmer of the Year), Nikki Yoxall (Pasture for Life), Davy McCracken (SRUC), John Newbold (SRUC), Heather Close (Balsar Glen), Tim Barnes (Trostrie Farm), Iain Mitchell (Bagbie Farm), Ross Paton (Torr Organic Dairy) and more.

Held at the Creebridge House Hotel, all 65 tickets for this free event were booked in advance with a waitlist for would-be attendees. The conference programme opened with an overview of current policy and the economic context that impacts production of food, fibre and fuel in and around the Biosphere region, before focusing on nature-friendly practices being implemented on local farms. A panel discussion between expert speakers explored how regenerative farming is both sustainable and profitable, with examples of how caring for soil and adjusting grazing regimes can reduce costs, increase income, and create a healthier environment that is more able to adapt to climate change.

Commenting on the conference’s success, Sara Press, the Biosphere’s Lead Officer for Land Use & Biodiversity, said, “We were delighted to have such a great turnout and to see such enthusiasm for collaboration and positive change. There was a real buzz right through the day and so many conversations taking place between farmers, land managers and others who don’t often have such a forum to meet and share experiences and ideas. As the GSA Biosphere Partnership, we are uniquely placed to facilitate such events and we’re planning additional Farming for the Future events to build on the momentum we have now. Thanks to our co-hosts, the NFUS and Propagate, and especially to attendees who took time out of their working day to join us in Newton Stewart.”

Propagate hosts the award-winning South West Scotland Regenerative Farming Network, which facilitates farmer-to-farmer knowledge-sharing for sustainable and nature-friendly farming. Abi Mordin, Co-Director of Propagate and Network Organiser, said, “The event was a great success with a good range of diverse voices in the room and an engaged, interested audience. The conference built on our knowledge-sharing programme by providing an opportunity to bring people together to share and discuss ideas. Feedback has been brilliant and we’re looking forward to the next one!”

Mhairi Dawson, Dumfries & Galloway Regional Manager for the NFUS, said, “The event was an excellent opportunity for people across the agriculture industry to come together. With policy influencers, researchers, advisors and farmers, we had fantastic conversations and information-sharing about being a profitable, food producing farm business and meeting nature and biodiversity goals. A broad range of experience from speakers and delegates meant everyone could go away with something different to think about and to consider for themselves whether that could be something to implement on their own farming business.”

Look out for more collaborations of this kind, supporting the transition to more sustainable farming systems!

We Won!! Sustainable Food Places Silver Award

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:04:43 GMT

We're excited to share that D&G Good Food - the sustainable food partnership has been awarded Sustainable Food Places Silver !

Dumfries and Galloway wins Sustainable Food award

Dumfries and Galloway has won a prestigious Sustainable Food Places Silver award. The award recognises the work of D&G Good Food – the regional sustainable food partnership to promote healthy, sustainable and local food and to tackle some of today’s greatest social challenges; from food poverty and diet-related ill-health, to the disappearance of family farms and the loss of independent food retailers.

This Sustainable Food Places Award is a national, evidence-based recognition and celebration of places taking a joined-up, holistic approach to sustainable and healthy food. Awardees have demonstrated activity and impact across their food system by the food partnership and their stakeholders to create a local ‘Good Food Movement’. This is a recognition of the excellent work of the food partnership and of stakeholders across your area.

This Award comes in the same month that D&G Good Food have published their 2023-26 Action Plan. This Plan works across 25 actions and 6 themes including moves to improve school food procurement, supporting local, climate & nature friendly supply chains, and enabling knowledge sharing for sustainable farming.

The Action Plan is being shared with communities across the region at the 2023 Local Food Gatherings – in Lockerbie, Moniaive, Kirkcudbright and Stranraer.

Partnership Chair Eva Milroy from D&G College said: “This Award is a celebration of the achievements of the Dumfries & Galloway good food movement. It shows what positive and supportive partnership can be built even in a large rural region like ours. By bringing together social enterprises, public and private organisations and influential individuals we have been making positive differences when it comes to systems and practices that influence the local food movement. At the same time this Award provides the impetus for the growing recognition that we can all play a part in addressing climate change, and a supporting local, sustainable network.”

Leon Ballin, Sustainable Food Places Programme Manager, said: “Dumfries and Galloway has shown just what can be achieved when creative and committed people work together to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of where they live. While there is still much to do and many challenges to overcome, Dumfries and Galloway has helped to set a high benchmark for other members of the UK Sustainable Food Places Network to follow. We look forward to working with them over the months and years ahead to continue to transform Dumfries and Galloway’s food culture and food system for the better.”

Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economy and Resources Committee, Councillor Ian Carruthers said: “This is excellent news, and I would like to congratulate everyone involved. Our region is particularly rural, and farming and food production is a key industry and employer, so to hear that the food being produced from this sector is proven to be healthy and sustainable through this award is a fantastic result.”

Vice Chair of Economy and Resources Committee, Councillor David Inglis, went on to say: “It’s great to hear that the excellent work of the Sustainable Food Places programme and local providers is being recognised. Our Council is committed to addressing climate change, and this recognition is a small step in rewarding the work everyone has undertaken so far, however there is a way to go and we can only achieve positive outcomes with everyone’s help and I encourage all parts of the food sector to participate where they can.”

Coordinator for D&G Good Food, Abi Mordin added: "It's been great working with the partners around the table to get this far. Stakeholders have really pulled together from across community, private and public sectors to look at where real change can be achieved. There's still a lot of work to do but we've shown that through collaboration we can make a difference."

An SFP Silver Award demonstrates a there is particularly diverse, robust, and sustainable cross-sector food partnership is in place with strategic long-term plans. These include a range of local authority policies and food access initiatives as well as effective promotion and access to sustainable and healthy food for all. Also evidenced is a diverse and connected local good food movement. Sustainable food enterprises have a significant role in your local economy, backed by local catering and procurement practices and systemic responses are addressing the negative climate and nature impacts of the local food system.

We've launched our Action Plan

abi@mordin.net (Abi Mordin) — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:10:35 GMT

The D&G Good Food Action Plan 2023-26 is here

A food system describes all the processes needed to feed a population, including growing or producing food, distribution, and getting rid of waste. It influences – and is influenced – by society, the economy, health, the environment, and political factors.

Partners involved in D&G Good Food have worked hard to bring together an Action Plan that covers all these factors - a joined up systemic approach to tackling some of our biggest challenges.

The Plan is split across the 6 Work Themes of the Partnership. Where possible we have identified cross cutting work themes.

1. Healthy Food for All Tackling food poverty, diet related ill-health and access to affordable healthy food.
2. Good Food Movement Building public awareness, active food citizenship and a local good food movement.
3. Sustainable Food Economy Creating a vibrant, prosperous and diverse sustainable food economy.
4. Food Governance and Strategy Taking a strategic and collaborative approach to good food governance and action
5. Food for the Planet Tackling the climate and nature emergency through sustainable food and farming and end food waste.
6. Catering and Procurement Transforming catering and procurement and revitalizing local and sustainable food supply chains.

This Action Plan is based on output from Local Food Gatherings across the region in 2021 and 2022, and other outreach and engagement activities – with citizens, businesses, farmers and organisations.

The Plan also helps to enable action towards the Good Food Nation Act .

Hard copies of the Action Plan are available on request - please get in touch via our online form.

You can download a PDF version of the Action Plan here: