From Farm to Fork: PCF to attend The Gullane Festival of Food & Drink

Joining the festival in its second year, the PCF is proud to be a charity partner of the event, raising awareness of support for Scottish farmers and rural communities. With delicious food and drinks produced in the area being a focal point of the occasion, The Prince’s Countryside Fund will give key insights into the families and the farming that make it all possible.

Hosting a stand nestled amongst some of the most creative and innovative local businesses, the PCF will offer visitors the chance to expand their knowledge on life as a farming family in Scotland, and the challenges they face. The organisation will be highlighting the work of Luffness Mains, a local farm to give a behind the scenes look at potato farming. Visitors to the festival are welcome to learn more about the work of the PCF during a farm walk, hearing about life on the farm first hand. Potatoes from the farm will then be available for sale, for a donation going to the charity – an opportunity to really have the farm to fork experience, giving back to the produce origins in the process.

Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund says: “The Prince’s Countryside Fund wishes to see a thriving countryside. Meeting communities coming together to celebrate a joyous occasion such as The Gullane Festival of Food & Drink, is crucial to our vision. With an importance for us on supporting rural businesses and start-ups, we are thrilled to see so many successful enterprises over the event and really get to know the people behind the offerings.”

Visiting communities in Scotland is so important to the PCF, with nearly 67,000 people directly employed in agriculture in Scotland- making agriculture the third largest employer in rural Scotland and the PCF supports these businesses and individuals in the industry in order to thrive.

Over the past seven years, the PCF has delivered the Farm Resilience Programme (FRP) in Scotland for farmers such as Lucy Beattie from Ullapool, who has benefitted from the programme. She says of her experience: “I appreciated spending time with people who you do know professionally from your area. Time spent reflecting on professional practice as a farmer is important.”

In addition to dedicated farming programmes, this year, grants have been issued across Scotland and five key rural projects have received support from the PCF.
The charity invites everyone who is attending to visit the stand at the event to learn more about how working together, we can help those who look after the Scottish countryside to safeguard its future.