DownLoad Summer Issue


At last there are signs of warm days coming through for Summer 2008.  You’ll see from this Newsletter just how exciting things are here at Angus Horticulture Ltd with plenty of new markets shaping up and our appearances around the country at all sorts of events.   Angus Garden Products are selling very well, including of course SEER Rockdust, which is fast becoming a household name!

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1.  GARDENING SCOTLAND - 30th May to 1st June

We held a stand for our 4th year in succession at Scotland’s top garden show in Ingliston, Edinburgh - see www.gardeningscotland.com.  It was a great chance to meet the public and the most significant feedback is just how many gardeners are now using SEER Rockdust.    Cameron and Moira Thomson, Co-founders of the SEER Centre were both on the stand.   For a few more photos visit our NEWS page.

 

2.  SOPA – SCOTTISH ORGANIC PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION        
        6th June – www.sopa.org.uk

SOPA that organically approves SEER Rockdust products held its 2008 AGM in Dingwall Mart.  There was a field trip to the impressive organically approved Connage Highland Dairy.   Jennifer Cook, our Sales Manager was pleased to attend and she met up with a SOPA registered farmer, Mr Sandy Smith of Haughton Farm, Alford, Aberdeenshire.   Sandy has just taken delivery of a bulk load of SEER Rockdust to use on a re-seeded field and a field where he had recently harvested silage.


3.  BBC GARDENERS WORLD - 11th to 15th June - www.nsalg.org.uk

Jennifer, who is also an NSALG Member, National Assoc. of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners, helped on their stand in BBC Gardeners Live in Birmingham NEC for 5 days this year.  She greatly enjoyed working with Maurice Lander, NSALG West Midlands Regional Representative and Chris Brown of the Birmingham and District Allotments Council.   The event demonstrated the massive UK rise in interest in Allotments - one association said their waiting list at start of 2008 was 2, now it is 49!

4.  SCOTTISH ALLOTMENTS & GARDENERS SOCIETY
        ANNUAL CONFERENCE - 21st June - www.sags.org.uk 

SAGS Conference was held in Dunblane and was chaired by Aileen Campbell SNP, MSP who strongly supports their work and sees it as integral to the Scottish Government’s first National Food Policy that is now being developed.   www.scotland.gov.uk/food.    Jennifer held a stand and plenty of Members went home with a bag or bucket of SEER Rockdust.  “It is great to support the massive increase in folk who, motivated by cost savings and all the other benefits, are now gardening at home or on their allotment.  SEER Rockdust will help new and experienced gardeners alike grow more productive, nutritious, tastier, pest and drought resistant crops.  We are on this journey together.”  says Jennifer.

Angus Horticulture Ltd now has an ALLOTMENTS STARTER PACK to supply SEER Rockdust and the full range of Angus Garden Products for Allotment groups who want to save by buying in bulk.

 

5.  ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 19th – 22nd June  www.royalhighlandshow.org

Angus Horticulture Ltd was once again represented as a Member in the SOPA tent at the Royal Highland Show.  Jennifer went along on the Sunday and enjoyed meeting organic horticulturalists and farmers– so much so that she thinks she will have to spend more time in the SOPA tent next year!

 

6.  Approval by the ORGANIC CERTIFYING AUTHORITIES

UK Government’s Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, DEFRA, has 9 UK approved certification bodies to independently approve farmers and growers as “organic”.    The standard is set by an EC Council Regulation, and whilst general farming is a devolved issue for the Scottish Government, organic farming is not.  To get organic approval for a product you have to approach each certifying body to enable their Members to use it.  

So far SEER Rockdust, Rockmix and Rocksoil are approved by SOPA, Scotland’s largest organic accreditation organisation www.sopa.org.uk and by Organic Farmer & Growers www.organicfarmers.org.uk.

Biodynamic Agricultural Association, www.biodynamic.org.uk is one of these bodies. It promotes “a unique form of organic husbandry as inspired by the research of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) and it is founded on a holistic and spiritual understanding of nature and the human being”.  Whilst we will be applying for their certification we have been granted approval to state “SEER Rockdust is permitted by Demeter Standards for use in biodynamic farming and growing”.  

SEER Rockdust is also featured in the summer edition of their “Star and Furrow” magazine.

Organically approved Dr Wendy Seel, who co-runs Vital Veg, www.vitalveg.co.uk that produces boxes of organic vegetables for local Aberdeenshire folk, is using a bulk load of SEER Rockdust this year.

 

 

7.  SEER ROCKDUST GETS FARMER MORE BALES!

Alan Brownie of BA Stores, near Lynne of Skene, Aberdeenshire runs both a Farm Supplies Store and a farm.   After noting how much repeat business he was getting in the shop for the 20kg bags of SEER Rockdust he decided to try a bulk load of SEER Rockdust on his silage crop.   “After a cold spring and an early cropping to make way for the Vintage Rally we hold on this field I am pleased to say that we got a higher bale count in the half of the field where we applied the SEER Rockdust.  In this time of rising prices for standard fertilisers I expect to see more SEER Rockdust being used in farming.”

 

 

8.  FOUR OAKS TRADE SHOW (Stand B111) – 2 to 3 Sept.  -  www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com

Angus Horticulture Ltd includes GRAZERS (effective against damage by rabbits, pigeons etc) in our range of Angus Garden Products.   This year Jennifer is going to be present on GRAZERS’ Stand at this event and Jonathan Tebb Roger, Grazers MD is going be present on Angus’s stand at GLEE.

9.  GLEE (HALL 5, Stand E31) – 21 to 23 Sept. - www.gleebirmingham.com

We return this year to Glee, the UK’s largest garden trade event.  We will be promoting our Angus Garden Products with SEER Rockdust and Rockmix being our star attractions.  With POS material including sturdy, waterproof, eye catching Pallet Display Stands, dedicated fliers and posters, a full Testimonial Folder and bright packaging for our bags, buckets and sachets, we are looking forward to attracting plenty of new suppliers to fulfil the growing demand from right around the UK and beyond.   All stockists are added to our website and so benefit from our extensive media coverage as it directs the public to them.    ALISTAIR BALLANTYNE, Sales Director; STEPHEN APPLETON, Technical Sales Manager and JENNIFER A COOK, Sales and Marketing Manager will be attending the stand.

10.   “R & R – ROCKDUST AND REMINERALISATION” COURSES PLANNED FOR SEER

These residential (or day attendance) courses will be announced over the next 6 months. They are for people from all walks of life with an interest in gardening, environmental issues and good food quality.  SEER Rockdust has so much untapped potential to benefit our soils, our crops, ourselves and our planet.  The Centre founders, Cameron and Moira Thomson will provide theory plus gardening experience at the SEER Centre.   Expressions of interest are now welcome on www.seercentre.org.uk.

STOP PRESS:   Cameron and Moira Thomson will again be presenting on their work at the SEER Centre, down at the Eden Project in Cornwall, www.edenproject.com, on 27th November, 2008 with their last appearance here being in 2005.