Getting the best out of your soil and marketing your produce

'Low-powered marketing' and 'soil management for beginners' will be topics covered in a series of spring training days being run by the Highlands and Islands Local Food Network (HILFN).

HILFN works to provide people with the option to buy fresh local food and brings producers and consumers together through the development of Community Supported Agriculture.

Each HILFN training course is designed to give an intensive day's training in key aspects of successful local food production, and will feature talks by experts and visits to experienced local businesses.

The low-powered marketing course, to be held on March 15 in Dingwall Mart, will provide a wealth of advice on finding good customers, meeting their needs and setting a fair price. Crop rotation, green manuring and composting are the main themes for the soil management for beginners day on March 23 in the Glachbeg Education Centre on the Black Isle.

Jo Hunt, Network Leader for HILFN will be running this course with the support of experienced growers. "There's strong demand out there for fresh local food," commented Jo Hunt.

"These courses will give both new and established local food producers practical approaches and new ideas for developing successful local food production and marketing."

There are still some places left on the courses, which are funded by the Scottish Agricultural College and the EU through the Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme, and are supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Places cost just £23.50 per person, and anyone who would like to book or get further information should either contact Caroline Vawdrey on 01381 600525 or book via the website on www.hilocalfood.net