Forestry and woodlands

A limited number of free Farm Woodland Assessments are being offered across the Central Scotland Green Network area.

The Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) Trust are offering the assessments on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland to help farms and estates identify opportunities for new and existing woodland to support their farm businesses.

Lewis: Trees for the Croft

A practical outdoor day with a short introductory indoor session. Suitable for potential contractors and hands-on planters.
All you need to know about:
Planting design and know-how.
Ground preparation.
Planting technique.
Protection and aftercare.

Tea, coffee, soup and sandwiches provided.
Please bring a spade, a strong bag or bucket, a lump hammer
and gloves. And come prepared for the weather!

Local Course Director: Viv Halcrow

Contact training@crofting.org to book your place!

Argyll: Croft Woodland Workshop

Croft Woodland Workshop

A one-day course delivered by Woodland Manager Gordon Gray-Stephens including a short in-door session followed by a site visit to local woods.  The course will cover a variety of topics including woodland establishment, managing trees for timber, adding value to trees and timber,
managing woods for shelter and stock, grants and licences, tree health and managing invasive species. 

Tutor: Gordon Gray-Stephens

Contact training@crofting.org to book your place.
ADVANCE BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Angus delegates, interested in driving forward rural skills in Angus, participated in a learning visit to Fife Rural Skills partnership recently.

It was really useful to hear how the work of the partnership has developed over the last few years and a number of new connections were made.  

One Angus delegate said:

"I was inspired by today's visit and see many opportunities for work to be developed in Angus."

The SRUC Rural Policy Centre has launched its Rural Scotland in Focus 2016 report.

The report provides a fast-track to up-to-date evidence and commentary on key topics of rural and national importance, in order to inform policy, practice and research.

Rural Scotland in Focus 2016 is the fourth report in the series, and was launched at an event in Edinburgh on 29 November attended by over 90 people.

Mike Strachan from Forestry Commission Scotland reports on the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) workshop on 'New value chains from multi-functional forests held in Vienna on 10 and 11 November 2016.

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) aims to bridge the gap between Research and Practice in Agriculture, Food and Forestry across Europe.  I was fortunate to be invited to attend the workshop in Vienna where I helped to lead discussions on the role of Agroforestry in supporting value chains. Eighty participants from 21 countries attended.

Woodland: making it work for you. Management, woodland creation and woodfuel

A practical on-farm afternoon looking at benefits of managing farm woodlands, new plantings, business opportunities and agri environment schemes. The event will include discussion on woodland creation, how to manage existing woodland, opportunities for wood fuel production and biomass boilers. Speakers include Simon MacGillivray, Chartered Forester; Joe Fergusson, Energy Agency,  Richard Huston, Farm Business Services and Forestry Commission Scotland.

Woodland: making it work for you - Management, planting and utilisation

A practical on-farm afternoon looking at benefits of managing farm woodlands, new plantings and business opportunities. The event will include discussion on woodland creation, riparian and shelter belt planting, how to manage existing woodland and opportunities for wood fuel production. Speakers from Woodland Trust Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Jeremy Thompson, Forest Direct.

Booking is required. For further information please call Lyn on 07899 791748 or email lwhite@soilassociation.org

Building a transnational capacity-building network for common land graziers – taking the first steps

Creation of a formal capacity-building, experience-sharing, mutually-supportive and collaboration-catalysing network for graziers of common and communal land and their organisations from across Europe.

Find out more

The latest newsletter from the European Innovation Partnerships in agriculture and forestry (EIP-AGRI) is now available.

Farmers and foresters from all over the European Union are trying out new ideas and finding solutions to problems with the help of researchers, vets and others. 

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