It’s question time at Smallholder and Garden Festival
Talks by experts on a wide range of subjects followed by question and answer sessions are among the most popular features enjoyed by visitors to the Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival. Keen public interest in such topical environmental issues as the effects of climate change and the world dependence on oil has led to the inclusion of a full programme of talks in the Festival’s Green Arena over the two days of the event on May 17 and 18.
Because the talks that have been selected cannot possibly cover all the subjects – some of them controversial – that people want to discuss, the organisers are inviting participants to suggest their own informal discussions on green issues which they consider relevant. Subjects flagged up so far include Fair Trade, bio fuels, and community response to climate change. Among talks already on the programme are those on solar energy, the transition to life without oil, tree doctoring, the use of wood fuels and energy from renewable resources.
Outside the Green Arena and of interest to practical smallholders there will be talks staged in the Speakers Corner on the basic training of sheepdogs and sheepdog trialing (given by Meirion Owen who will be also be appearing in the main ring display with his four Border Collies and entertaining Quack Pack), and on tractor maintenance and restoration, profitable smallholdings, the pleasures of beekeeping, Pygmy goat keeping, Welsh Black cattle, sheep and grassland production.
Of special interest to gardeners at this year’s event will be ITV’s popular Gardening Question Time. The programme, which has now been going for 12 years and has covered 1683 shows, will be staged at the Festival on Sunday May 18 at 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm.
In a message to visitors the Festival Chairman, Emlyn Kinsey Pugh, said the event relied greatly on the generous support of sponsors and the stewards and Royal Welsh staff who oversee the competitions and the event in general.
“At the time of the Festival spring will be with us so please join us in a celebration of this unique farming venture and may those who live and trade as smallholders go from strength to strength,” he said.