Rural Community Gateway

How to market local food

A new Local Food Marketing Guide from the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) has launched.  The easy-to-read guide features a range of marketing advice, including ‘Ten keys to Successful Marketing’ and ‘Local Foods Success Factors’.

You can find out how organisations use marketing effectively through a series of case studies from companies such as Donald Russell Direct, a mail order meat company, and the Ayrshire Food Network.

The guide is part of the food marketing element of the Scottish Government funded Scottish Agricultural College Advisory Activity programme. This part of the programme provides information and advice on the marketing of food from Scottish produce.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said, "The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the local food industry and I have made this a clear priority since I came into office earlier this year. This is in recognition of the importance of food production to both the rural and wider Scottish economy.

"Scotland has a world-renowned reputation for high-quality, innovative food produce and I would encourage local producers to think big and build capacity to meet the growth in demand for quality local food. This guide provides practical support and advice to help rural businesses grow and prosper."

More grassroots action encouraged

BTCV Scotland’s Supporting Communities and Environmental Volunteering Guide aims to encourage more grassroots action to conserve Scotland’s green spaces and wildlife habitats.

The colourful guide includes case studies from a range of inspiring community conservation projects, from a green gym in Invergordon to the annual BTCV Action Break in Shetland.

You will also find tips on how to engage young people with the environment and community conservation projects. The guide also includes information on the support that BTCV Scotland can give environmental projects.

You can request a hard copy of the guide by sending three first class stamps to cover postage to BTCV Scotland, Balallan House, 24 Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2QG.

SRDP Implementation update

The Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2007-2013 Implementation Update: September 2007 newsletter from the Scottish Government’s On-the-Ground team has proved very popular with Gateway users recently.

This newsletter, and further updates, will help keep you informed on the new SRDP, its development and implementation. In this edition you will find news on:

• A timetable update
• What’s changed since July?
• More on new programme
• Capacity-building events programme for 2007.

You can find out more about the SRDP in the Rural Gateway articles below:

Rural Development Programme update
Rural Development funding - key facts for communities
Announcement: Rural Development Programme seminars
NFU Scotland host Rural Development Programme events
Response round up - SRDP funding announcement
Scottish Rural Development Programme funding plans announced

Watch marine wildlife responsibly

If you regularly watch, or take other people to watch, marine wildlife then Scottish Natural Heritage’s Guide to Best Practice for Watching Marine Wildlife is for you.

This document is intended to complement the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code and provides practical advice on how to avoid disturbing marine wildlife.

The guide explains that in practice avoiding disturbance is not simple, because what is disturbing for one species may not be for another. For example, what is disturbing to an otter in the water may not be disturbing for a seal hauled out on the rocks. The guide provides specific advice for watching a range of marine wildlife from whales and dolphins to basking sharks and turtles.

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