Progress over the last few months

And he asked for time off for a honeymoon!



Eric, one of our key workers got married in February..... he keeps muttering 'my wife and I' all the time. Alison is her name by the way!


Team REAL



Also since January, we have been training up a group of youngsters to work on our shops.... they have been meeting after school on Thursdays and looking at areas of work such as how the shop works, product history, displaying goods, dealing with money, working with customers, health and hygiene and understanding the ethos of REAL. There are also some going through their cycle proficiency so that they can work for us delivering orders on bikes to houses immediately around the school.

VILLAGE MARKETS




Since September, the marketing side of REAL Organics has really developed and pupils are learning all about the retail side of things. Under the banner of REAL Food we have been working with a primary school-based ‘village market’, setting up for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. We have piloted this at Kirkhill, but are presently looking to replicate the idea in four other locations across the area. And we seem to be pushing at open doors; local people really want a real alternative when it comes to buying their food.

The scale of this is developing all the time, and pupils are also buying in other products to sell alongside the farm goods to offer a good choice of fresh local food. During the winter, when our farm is not producing so much, we take in wholesale vegetables from other producers, striking a balance between market regularity, choice and customer satisfaction. Other local businesses are encouraged to join us and we regularly have Les Bates and David Hendry selling their garden and gift based produce as well as Mary Croak with her tablet.

The market is very much to the advantage of the school and is enthusiastically supported by the headteacher at Kirkhill, Cris Ford. It allows the school pupils to develop their enterprise and eco-school credentials as well as offering a platform for relaxed interaction with parents and with the community in general. The workforce would be drawn from local adults, local volunteer primary aged pupils and IHS pupils.





CHRISTMAS

Here is the team enjoying our Christmas lunch together



SELLING IN DALNEIGH






Just after Christmas, we have been running a wee stall at the James Cameron Community Centre in Dalneigh. Jennifer, who is with us through Project Scotland, runs the stall ably assisted by Kitty, a local volunteer. It has turned out to be a real hit...with the Cromarty bread and free range eggs disappearing like snow off a dyke!