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Past to Present & Forward Thinking

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Poly tunnels growing soft fruit. Photo: Angus Growers

In response to some of the challenges facing local producers - from a shortage of seasonal farm workers to a loss of the restaurant market, Feast developed two talks panels exploring questions of labour and alternative models of production. Panel participants introduced a range of perspectives on commercial growing in an effort to present pathways for a more sustainable future.

In addition to the talks the film ‘Foreign Pickers’ by artists MyVillages & Company Drinks was screened throughout the day as well as an edition of Sneha Solanki's ongoing project eating/things.

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Agricultural worker picking soft fruit. Photo: Angus Growers

Past to Present – Exploring the Shifting Demands of Farm Labour

From the soft fruit industry’s reliance on Scottish school children picking fruit in the summer holidays to a contemporary migrant workforce the panel explored the practicalities and cultures of fruit picking and the future of seasonal agricultural labour.

Speakers:

Rowan Marshall of Peter Marshall Farms: Located near Alyth, Marshall use industry leading fruit farming methods coupled with cutting-edge technology to grow, manage and supply a range of high quality fresh fruits and produce. Marshall grows raspberries and blueberries as well as strawberries and cherries, supplying to leading high-street supermarket chains and food suppliers throughout the United Kingdom.

Heidi Saxby of the Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University: Saxby’s recent PhD thesis entitled ‘I am not a number’ is a study on seasonal agricultural workers in labour-intensive production of fruit and vegetables in Yorkshire, England.

Facilitated by Kim Cameron of The Gin Bothy. The Gin Bothy began by reusing waste fruit and berry juice from the jam making process to flavour gin.

Forward Thinking – Alternative Economies of Production

The panel explored regenerative and sustainable models of growing including Community Supported Agriculture initiatives and locally focused distribution networks that are emerging as viable alternatives to established economies of industrial farming.

Speakers:

Jillian McEwan, Lunan Bay Farm: Lunan Bay Farm (formerly Myreside Farms Produce) ethically produces free range goat meat, asparagus and honeyberries, and have other niche products with provenance in the pipeline. The farm is based at picturesque Lunan Bay in Angus where three miles of unspoilt beaches meet the surrounding countryside.

Connie and Tom, East Neuk Market Garden: East Neuk Market Garden is a 2 acre, small-scale, agroecological farm growing over 50 varieties of vegetables, salads, herbs and fruit in the East Neuk of Fife. Connie and Tom grow as wide a variety of vegetables, salad, herbs and fruit as possible following agroecological principles. They grow on a human-scale without the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilisers and follow methods that enrich and regenerate biodiversity and soil fertility. East Neuk Market Garden currently run a 40 member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We believe everyone should have access to local, sustainably produced food that enhances the wider ecosystem rather than degrades it.

Facilitated by Kirsty Black. Kirsty is both Manager and Distiller at Arbikie Highland Estate.  She has been there since the distillery conception in 2014, overseeing all aspects of its conversion from a disused cattle shed to a multi award-winning farm to bottle distillery producing vodka, gin and whisky.

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CSA small veg bag from East Neuk Market Garden

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Lunan Bay Farm

‘Foreign Pickers’

The film by Myvillages and Company Drinks offers an insight into the culture and economics of ‘going picking’, bringing together former hop pickers ‘who went down to Kent’ from East London and today’s pickers who come there and are both key to British agricultural success. They share the experience of being so-called foreigners in the Kent countryside: East Londoners and current ‘foreigners’, often EU citizens from eastern Europe. Both groups of pickers are and have been essential to British agriculture, providing the en masse low-cost manual labour necessary to pick certain crops and fruits. Furthermore, both have developed their own cultures around being seasonal and casual workers on low income, from adapting mobile or low-spec accommodation, securing cheap travel, inventing free spare time activities, to socializing away from home. The film will be screed in the Paddock area at Beer & Berries playing on a loop throughout the event.

Myvillages was founded by artists Kathrin Böhm (UK/DE), Wapke Feenstra (NL) and Antje Schiffers (DE) in 2003, to advocate for a new understanding of the rural as a place of and for cultural production. Commissioned by Delfina Foundation Politics of Food Programme

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Going Picking, Company Drinks annual Hop Picking trip to Kent, Photo: Elena Heatherwick

Both talk panels and film screening were lived streamed throughout the day to enable people to participate and view from home.