A training visit to Easter Balmungie

Ever since REAL got going, we have had a really good working relationship with Easter Balmungie, a farm near Rosemarkie. Anne, the farmer, and her team rear a whole range of animals, but we were there to find out more about poultry and ducks; the cuddly bits, the gory bits and the nice oval bits that we have for breakfast. Look on....

LifeScan

New shop at both the LifeScan plants in town.....

A visit from Lochardil Primary

Finding out what we grow and how things grow



Thinking about where our food comes from and why local food is so important



And growing their own!

Mixing it with the suits!

REAL young people at the HISEZ Conference in the Aviemore Resort

Getting a pond installed

We are hoping to have a pond in place soon to encourage wild life onto the farm with the aim of a little amphibian pest control. The S3 Rural Skills class get to grips with the project.

How do we sell? Training for the REAL team

Thanks to Brian Weaver at HISEZ for his wisdom!

New crops for a new summer

The poly tunnels are ready to go; the LifeScan team put new doors to complete the job.




Thousands of seeds have been planted; all we need now is lots of sunshine and just the right amount of rain!

Winter rebuilding.....

Over the winter we have been working very hard to redesign our growing area into more accessible 3 metre wide beds with paths to suite. We beds are now much higher and therefore deeper, with the paths in between being filled in with woodchip supplied by local tree surgeons.





We have also been greatly helped by various work parties. We have had one crew from LifeScan (in the pics below) and also from Green Gym. David from Green Gym has been back to help us a lot since his first visit

The Highlands Food & Drink Awards

We won the Innovation Award... well done team!

Reporting Scotland

We have also been featured on Reporting Scotland recently.... have a look at this link. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/scotland_video_and_audio/7427950.stm

Smoothies for sale

Ali Sloggie and Tyler MacKenzie...IHS's very own celebrity chefs!





Lauren, Eyah and Tyler selling our smoothies at Dalneigh Community Centre

Shop in the Victorian Market

Early June saw us starting our shop in the Victorian Market in the middle of Inverness

TRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visit our farm

The REAL social enterprise received a very real boost to its profile with the visit of TRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in early June. The weather forecast was the rain, rain and more rain; but things dried off for the whole visit. Fantastic!

Their Royal Highness' spent 35 minutes inspecting the farm site, talking to pupils at various locations as they progressed around.

Cara and Emma before the event looking relaxed!

Cara and Emma explaining aspects of the polytunnel!



Prince Charles having received a hamper of local produce



The Duchess of Cornwall loved the smoothies and came back for a second sample!

Prince Charles just before he left for his next engagement

Eilidh and Jennifer working away at preparing a bed for planting.

Central Primary School P7 class getting involved in planting and growing their own potatoes

New shops; new workers

May was really hectic for us with us starting up shops in Raigmore Hospital and new village markets at Strathpeffer, Culbokie and Evanton.

We have been running a grow school over the summer with Doug Patterson and Sue Mullins from Highland Liliums taking a number a number of people through the basics of how to grow your own vegetables.

New growth in the new season

The team pic...


Exploring the properties of water at close quarters