ORFC is coming to the Southern Highlands of Scotland!
In partnership with Comrie Croft, Tomnah’a Market Garden, and CoDeL this unique, hands-on event will explore how young people are finding a way back to the land and farming, re-introducing traditional skills, applying new agroecological knowledge and practices, and inspiring and encouraging more young people to do the same.
Over three days, we will host an exciting series of practical workshops and talks in the 230-acre grounds of Comrie Croft which offers a variety of options for accommodation and food from local, low-input/organic suppliers. There will be delicious local food offerings for lunches and dinners as well as folktales and music in the evenings. On the third day, there is the opportunity to visit a variety of local farms to see some of your learnings in practice.
Small groups, guided by leaders in their field, will have the opportunity to take part in workshops including:
- Cultivating and integrating various mushroom species into your garden or farm with Rhyze Mushrooms Co-op
- Learning how to make a Lazy Bed to produce great soil with seaweed
- Heritage Seeds: understand their importance and how to save your own seeds with Seeds of Scotland
- Tour Comrie Croft Farm with Andrew Donaldson and learn about Andrew’s journey to accessing land in Scotland
- Explore Tomnah’a Market Garden with lead grower, Catherine Kwella
There will also be the chance to take part in a visioning session, and create your own vision for a small parcel of land led by the founder of CoDeL, Theona Morrison, as well as an in-depth talk on how to access land in Scotland with Tara Wight from Land Workers Alliance and Josh Doble from Community Land Scotland.
Following the workshops, there is an optional day of farm visits (Friday, 11th October) where you can see some of the best Scottish agroecological farms. These include:
Tombreck Farm
Tombreck Farm is in Highland Perthshire beside Loch Tay and on the south-facing slopes of Ben Lawers. Tober Brown inherited the farm in 1997, and since then has planted thousands of trees and helped to create the community at Tombreck, which currently numbers 20 people. They have a herd of pedigree KuneKune pigs, Castlemilk Moorit rare breed sheep, hens, herb, flower and vegetable gardens and sell produce at their on-site farm shop.
East Neuk Market Garden
East Neuk Market Garden is a 4-acre agroecological farm growing vegetables, salads, herbs and fruit in the beautiful East Neuk of Fife. 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. They are currently transitioning to a deep mulch or ‘no-dig’ system throughout the farm. They experiment a lot and are always trying new methods, whether to improve the ecological impact of the farm or to get the most flavour and nutrition out of the food they grow.
Meet the ORFC in the Field Tutors and Speakers
Andrew Donaldson
Andrew could be described as a social entrepreneur and wannabe farmer. He’s also the founder of Comrie Croft, together with his better half, Malize. He has a varied background that includes a stint in East Africa working on community projects around national parks and more formal schooling in countryside management. He lives within walking distance from the Croft with Malize, their three teenagers and two dogs.
Catherine Kwella
Catherine is the lead grower at Tomnah’a Market Garden. Tomnah’a was set up in 2015 with the aim of creating a beautiful and abundant garden that could provide growers with livelihoods whilst being a vital community resource and wildlife heaven. Tomnah’s grow delicious, fresh and vibrant produce including breathtaking cut flowers and a huge variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit while working in partnership with nature by using wildlife-friendly growing methods to increase biodiversity and resilient long-term productivity.
Marco Tenconi and Lauren Waterman
Marco (he/him) and Lauren(they/them) are part of the team at Rhyze Mushrooms, an urban mushroom farm and hub for radical mycology in Edinburgh.
Marco researched and developed most of Rhyze’s mushroom cultivation techniques, facilities and educational resources. He wants to help turn Edinburgh into a city teaming with edible fungi that anyone can eat for free.
Lauren looks after the Rhyze farm and specialises in medicinal mushroom tinctures. They are excited about growing, preparing and enjoying food as a means of connecting and building mycelium-like networks of mutual aid and global solidarity.
Finlay Keiller
In Spring 2023 Finlay and his partner Haley started Seeds of Scotland, a Highland-based seed company located just north of Inverness. Their Inaugural seed catalog was released in January 2024. At Seeds of Scotland, they are growing vegetable, herb and flower seeds in Scotland using organic farming practices. They are particularly interested in growing Scottish heritage varieties as well as varieties that will grow well in the Scottish climate. They strive to pay respect to the historical and cultural significance of each seed we sow and the stories they tell.
Pàdruig Morrison
Pàdruig is a musician and crofter from Grimsay, Outer Hebrides. He took over the family croft at a young age and has continued to develop through the making of haylage and the reintroduction of cattle to the croft (after a 50-year absence). He keeps small traditional cattle along with pedigree Hebridean sheep, Blackface sheep, hens, and ducks. Pàdruig is a director of the Scottish Crofting Federation and has a huge passion for traditional crofting practices, as well as for the Gaelic culture and language. Pàdruig has also completed a PhD in Composition.
Theona Morrison
Theona is a Crofter, Scottish Rural Action Chair and Director of CoDeL a social enterprise which focuses on young adults and their contribution to rural and island communities. A member of the Scottish Food Coalition led the development of curriculum materials in crofting, local food production and community land ownership. She lives in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, a crofting and Gaelic-speaking community. She sees the ‘indigenous knowledge of crofting as key for the future.
Tara Wight
Tara is a scientist and activist working on agroecological transitions and land justice in Scotland. She coordinates the Agroecology Research Collaboration and works in advocacy for the Landworkers’ Alliance. She has a background in crop science and is currently facilitating a farmer-led research project investigating the holistic benefits of agroecological practices.
Josh Doble
Josh is Policy Manager at Community Land Scotland having previously worked in policy and research for the Scottish Government. He has also taught and researched at the Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds, as well as holding a research fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He is passionately committed to further community land ownership as a transformational way of tackling the biodiversity and climate crises.
Col Gordon
Col is a researcher who’s based on his family’s farm in the Gàidhealtachd, where he grows heritage grains and helps his father raise livestock. He’s a director of multiple organisations including The Shieling Project and The Landworkers’ Alliance.
Meals
There will be teas and coffees freely available over the two days. Please prepare to bring your own breakfast. Spacious kitchen facilities are open for use for those who would like to make their own meals as well a farm shop that stocks a delicious array of tasty local and organic produce.
Lunch on both days is included in the ticket price. Lunch will be provided by a local cafe using produce from Tomnah’a Market Garden. Please indicate any dietary requirements when booking your ticket.
On Wednesday 9th October and Thursday 10th October, a local food truck will offer locally sourced evening meals (around £10 – £15 a meal) this will not be included in the ticket price. Please indicate whether you would like an evening meal on one night, both nights, or neither upon booking. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.
Accommodation
Comrie Croft offers a range of accommodations, including posh hostel rooms, camping, campervan spots and Nordic Kata huts. Accommodation is limited therefore we highly recommend booking your accommodation at the same time as booking your ticket. Please find below a list of different accommodation options.
Steading Hostel Accommodation
The Steading is a traditional Scottish farmstead lovingly converted to attractive hostel-style accommodation. It is a great place to enjoy the camaraderie of a shared kitchen and comfy spaces to chill out. You will be sharing with other participants on the course in your choice of women’s men’s or mixed dorm rooms. A 3-night stay will cost £90 and can be booked on the link above along with your ticket.
Further information on Steading accommodation can be found on the Comrie Croft website.
Camping
Comrie Croft has plenty of camping plots with facilities. All pitches have a fire pit and wheelbarrows are provided to make it easy getting your kit to where you want to pitch in the meadows. Pitches cost £15 per person per night and can be booked through this link
More camping information can be found on the Comrie Croft website.
Campervans
There is a limited number of Campervan spots with facilities available. Pitches cost £15 per person per night and can be booked through this link
More campervan information can be found on the Comrie Croft website.
Nordic Kata Huts
Unique handmade kata tents have been hand-crafted by Croft staff. Each kata has a toilet out house, and covered outdoor kitchen. You can keep cosy in them in all weather using the wood-burning stove in the centre of the tent. Maximum of four adults per Kata. For 3 nights one Kata costs £330 and can be booked through this link
More Nordic Kata information can be found on the Comrie Croft Website.
Parking
Parking is available onsite at Comrie Croft. Braincroft, Crieff, PH7 4JZ.
Subsidised Tickets
A limited number of discounted tickets are available at £70 each for young people based in Scotland. To apply, please email caitlin@orfc.org.uk by Monday, 12th August explaining (1) why you are applying for a subsidised ticket and (2) why you would like to attend ORFC in the Field.