STAFF at Dumfries House in Ayrshire were in celebratory mood as a section of the estate was officially certified “organic” during a Burns Supper event for local school children.
The new organic status of the 2000-acre estate’s education garden marks the realisation of a major element of the vision of Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, who saved the East Ayrshire site for the nation ten years ago.
The Kauffman Education Gardens, where thousands of school children each year learn about the skills involved in cultivating and cooking vegetables, is set to inspire greater investment in organic principles across the estate. Nearby Home Farm, a commercial operation, is currently in conversion and should attain full organic status in January 2019.
READ MORE: The National's guide to the celebration of Robert Burns
The Soil Association’s representative Abi Catt presented Dumfries House education gardener Chris Jones with a certificate denoting the Kauffman Education Garden’s organic status. Jones was proud to have played a part, alongside head of gardens Brian Corr, in ensuring the achievement.
“Organic growing focuses on creating a healthy living soil,” said Catt. “Having the organic certificate is a way of ensuring that people know exactly how we grow our produce at the education garden.
“Ultimately, if you follow the standards and best practice, when you finish with your garden or farm, you should leave it in better condition for future generations.”
Twenty pupils of nearby Netherthird Primary School’s P6/7 class helped to harvest the first vegetables on the estate to come from organic soil and then attended a Burns Supper alongside Dumfries House staff, with neeps and tatties from the garden served alongside haggis.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here