Welcome to SUPs autumn newsletter – a roundup of news items, events and activities across the Southern Uplands. Read all about the exciting developments at Langholm Producers Market.

Langholm Producers celebrate first anniversary
Langholm Producers Market recently celebrated its 1st Anniversary. With an average of 25 stalls per month Langholm has the largest Producers Market in south west Scotland and as a result many neighbouring communities have sought advice from the group as to how to go about setting up their own markets.

Dates and times: 1st Saturday of every month, Eskdale Sports & Leisure Centre, Thomas Telford Road, Langholm, DG13 0AP. 9am-1pm Tel: 01461500912. This indoor market has solely local producers attending - a wide variety of produce including, meat, cheese, fish, wine, beer, honeys and home baking. Well worth a visit!

Click here to read how a small team of enthusiasts started the market after Communities on the Edge Animator Annette Paterson helped organize a taster food event …

For dates and locations of other farmers and producers markets visit http://www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk/calendar/

SUP Project Update
Click here for an update on SUP's current projects.

Post Office Closure consultation
Many thanks to those who got in touch with comments for our response to the Post Office Closure consultation. The Southern Uplands Partnership has submitted a response to the consultation team urging that the policy of closing rural post offices is revisited with the aim of thoroughly exploring all alternatives before making a decision to close. Click here to read the full text. (opens as a PDF)

Money does grow on trees!
At least it will for Red Squirrels in South Scotland if you buy a Red Squirrel Survival Tree Pack from Cheviot Trees. Two packs are available, ‘Red Squirrel Friendly’ good for red squirrels, even when grey squirrels are present (Dog Rose, Larch, Holly, Cherry, Hawthorn, Scots pine) and ‘Red Squirrel Neutral’ which will improve the general habitat without detriment to the red squirrel. (Ash, Birch, Field Maple, Lime, Rowan, Sycamore, Whitebeam and Willow). Each pack contains 550 trees suitable for a ½ hectare planting at a normal mixed woodland density, and allowing for some open space. A donation of £25 is made to Red Squirrels in South Scotland from every pack sold. For more information contact Cheviot Trees on 01289 386755 or visit www.cheviot-trees.co.uk

Changes to Squirrel Team
Recent changes in Red Squirrel conservation in Scotland have resulted in some changes. Richard Wales, formerly Conservation Officer for the Borders has recently been appointed Southern Scotland Red Squirrel Project Officer for the Scottish Wildlife Trust. This new is a five year post working for the Scottish Wildlife Trust across the south of Scotland and will give Richard a larger territory. We congratulate him on his new post and are pleased to say that while he is moving to SWT he will remain based in our Lindean offices. Stephanie Meyer-Gleaves has joined the SUP staff on a one-year contract as Red Squirrels in South Scotland Project Officer. Stephanie is based in Dalbeattie and can be contacted on 07733 121837 or 01556 610051. The Squirrelpox team of Brian Gibson and Ian Kerr remain as before.

New Energy Advice Service for Dumfries & Galloway
A new one-stop shop for independent advice is now available for individuals and businesses in Dumfries and Galloway with the launch of the South West Energy Saving Scotland advice centre. Click here to read more …

Diversification Planner now available on line.
The New Options for Farm Incomes project in Dumfries & Galloway included a number of consultant led workshops. Some of the exercises and activities from the programme have been put together into a Diversification Planner to help work through new ideas for farm diversification enterprises. To access the Diversification Planner visit the Publications page of our website.

Less Favoured Area Support Scheme Consultation
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation into the LFASS in Scotland. The document can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/09/17083528/0 They are consulting on options for a second interim scheme for 2010-2013, as well as seeking views on how they should respond to possible changes in the relevant European legislation. They are inviting written responses to this consultation paper by 19 December 2008. Members may wish to comment on this directly, but if you have a view that you feel we would wish to include in our response please contact Pip Tabor. The SUP response will be published on our website and/or included in a future newsletter.

The Allotment opens in Dumfries
A new fruit and vegetable shop is opening in Dumfries town centre, The Allotment is a social enterprise which aims to provide affordable fresh produce. Fruit and vegetable options have until now been very limited in Dumfries town centre. Based at 8 Great King Street, The Allotment will sell affordable fruit, vegetables and local produce. The shop will provide a personal, friendly service that is not commonplace in larger supermarkets and shops; catering to individual needs and advising and suggesting new, exciting ways to get the recommended ‘5-a-day’. The Allotment is run in partnership with NHS Scotland, Nithsdale Council of Voluntary Services (NCVS) and other local partners and is managed by Greg Clark. Tel. 01387 69048  Email.Greg.clark@ncvs.org.uk

Whitmuir Visit
Many thanks to Pete Ritchie and Heather Anderson at Whitmuir Organics for hosting a great afternoon visit for SUP members. We enjoyed a BBQ lunch, farm walk including a viewing of the free range turkeys (order now for Christmas!) and pigs, butchery and very tempting farm shop. Lots of ideas were exchanged. If you are passing Lamancha we would recommend a visit! www.whitmuirorganics.co.uk

New Photographs on www.sup.org.uk
You may have noticed some great photographs on our web site over recent months. These are courtesy of the multitalented Sarah Peters who shares the role of COTE Coordinator with John. Access to Sarah’s photographs mean that we get to include some great shots and that we feature South Lanarkshire more often than in the past when most of the photographs were taken by Pip in the Borders or Flora in Dumfries & Galloway.

LEADER Funding for Rural Communities - Second Funding Round
The Scottish Borders LEADER Programme is now accepting grant applications for a second round of funding. £302,277 of LEADER funding was awarded to five projects in the first round of applications which took place on August 25 2008. These include projects to support events and festivals in the Scottish Borders, a network of artists and creative businesses and a facilitator to develop joint environmental projects between farmers and landowners. Click here to read more …

Opportunities for events organisers in the Borders:
BBC South of Scotland  

The South of Scotland section of the BBC website is being revamped at present. There is the opportunity to feature larger events or events with particularly interesting angles, held in the Borders, in the features section of BBC Local for South Scotland. If you have an interesting story or would like to contact the journalist, please do so by emailing details to SouthScotland@bbc.co.uk.

Our Scottish Borders
It’s been an eventful few months for the “Our Scottish Borders” regional identity. Please find attached a brief update on what’s been happening, how the resource can be used by event organisers and promotional opportunities. Visit www.ourscottishborders.com for further details.

For more information contact Stephen McLean, Events Strategy Officer Tel: 01835 825066 or email SAMcLean@scotborders.gov.uk

Interesting Reading:
The Royal Society of Edinburgh Committee of Inquiry into the Future of Scotland’s Hills and Islands.
Copies of this recently published report are available from The Royal Society of Edinburgh (0131 240 5000) or on its website – www.royalsoced.org.uk

A Southerly Aspect: John Gold’s most recent Rural Gateway piece click here

Food & Health Alliance Newsletter – October 2008 click here (opens as a PDF)

Scottish Food Fortnight Newsletter click here (opens as a PDF)

Weblinks: The Crichton Carbon Centre - http://www.carboncentre.org

Events: Dumfries & Galloway Healthy Walks details for 2008 season. Click here (opens as a PDF)

SAOS: Local Food Distribution and Food Hubs Workshops
Aimed at small companies which may be located in rural areas where they don't have a lot of choice in terms of couriers/distributors/wholesalers and who may have been thinking about setting up their own local hub/network. The workshops will explain the different models which operate in the UK, their pros and cons and what people would need to think about if they wanted to develop something themselves. Click here for further information.

Tweed Valley Forest Festival celebrating the people, the land and their true Halloween customs 25 October - 2 November
See www.forest-festival.com for more details.

Small Scale Energy Seminar: Power and Heat for the Future, 30th October. Aimed at practitioners in the small-scale renewables industry, this seminar will look at the development of small-scale renewables being installed in housing and commercial property. There will be an exhibition alongside the event. Please contact the event organiser for more details and to discuss options. Scottish Renewables tel: 0141 353 4980 email info@scottishrenewables.com .

If you have news, events or activities you would like us to include in our next e-newsletter please email information to floramdowall@sup.org.uk. The next circulation will be in the New Year.