Legal question? Are end-of-the-track farm tables allowed?

[Frances144]

Are you allowed to have a table at end of your track with eggs, surplus veg, small children, etc for sale with an honesty box (and yes, I know where the Westside theiving boobalubes live!) or have H&S and EHO got rid of that?

 

Just asking. BTW, I might not sell the small children as child labour is so hard to come by these days!

[khitajrah]

Let me know when you've set it up and we'll take a wee drive out your way.

[paulb]

there is no reason not to but are you going to get the passing trade. defra and the scottish bods allow you to sell eggs without a packing number at the farm gate/ farmers markets/door to door and to friends. The sale of children should come under the dangerous animal act. I don't know about any rules about veg there should be none so go for it the kids will have fun.

[Frances144]

Thank you for your replies. It is very much at the development stage.

 

I was thinking of a cool box (so the sheep can't help themselves) by the side of the road at the end of the hill track, which leads to our house with a sign saying something like :-

 

FOR SALE:

FRESH FREE RANGE ORGANIC EGGS

FRESH ORGANIC VEGETABLES

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

 

and then prices on the lid of the box (laminated A4) also requesting they put the lid back properly, plus a thief-proof paying in box.

 

I might also leave a large teenager to man the box some of the time, depending on mood of said teenager (don't want to scare the potential punters!).

 

So, technically, the box won't be on our property. It will be on the entrance to our access track.

 

How much for 6 eggs then? £1.00?

 

Ah well. Suck and see. That's my motto! I'll let you know when we are up and running.

[tlady]

£1 is a good price for fresh free range eggs .. and well worth a Sunday run

[paulb]

unless your registered as organic then you can't use it. try farm fresh or free range. The animal folks on the council recommend that we don't go down the organic route. mainly on cost. imput is high and there is not enough demand to cover it.

if you want to be organic it involves the land being clear of chemicals for years and that your neighbours are not spraying. the birds have to be from organic stock, the feed has to be purly organic. you cant use scraps. your limited on medication for them as well. you then need to be inspected by the soil association and after seeing the cost i gave up on it. but go for it if you want. but get registed and sell them in scoop.

[Frances144]

Thanks.

 

Free range happy hens with smiles on their little faces that have the run of 50 acres plus a couple of henhouses.

 

I do think it sucks, however, that the term "organic" has almost been copyrighted, for want of a better word, so that us lesser mortals can't use it unless we fill in forms.

 

My hens have no chemicals, are roaming around outside and are probably alot better off than the "organic" oval egg-like imitation that stock the supermarket shelves.

[paulb]

i agree totally they are far better off on a croft than a massive organic egg unit. Don't be put off most folks don't care to much about the offical organic status you just can't claim it. as you said use there free range as the selling point. with a bit of organization all us small producers could supply all of shetland's egg needs. which would be better for us and the birds.

[paulb]

it costs £190 to apply then for the first two years £420. the conversion takes 2 years. so a guess it would only work for a big producer which is a bit of a joke.

[Frances144]

Do you think anyone would have a hissy fit about homemade chocolate brownies - the only cake I can make!

[khitajrah]

MmmmMmm. brownies.....

[paulb]

are they nice chochie brownies. if good your kids are better than ours. can we have free samples before we buy. get a stall on one of the farmers markets. we have done tingwall and vidlin both are good. shame about bixter choosing to stop doing it. its not a massive earner but you get a small return.

[Frances144]

Ok, four chocolate brownies (one each) about 2" x 2" - how much? Made from 80% cocoa Fairtrade chocolate and butter and sugar, etc. None of your Scotbloc and marge rubbish.

[paulb]

work out you ingrediants costs and add 50%

[Fifi]

Thanks.

 

Free range happy hens with smiles on their little faces that have the run of 50 acres plus a couple of henhouses.

 

I do think it sucks, however, that the term "organic" has almost been copyrighted, for want of a better word, so that us lesser mortals can't use it unless we fill in forms.

 

My hens have no chemicals, are roaming around outside and are probably alot better off than the "organic" oval egg-like imitation that stock the supermarket shelves.

Great stuff, Frances. Wonder who you could been speaking to about 'happy hens' and the honesty box? Glad to hear you're considering it instead of freezing your surplus. We can't keep up with demand for our eggs from Happy Hens and folk love our pink box with the pic of the girls on with their names, so that could be an idea. A little birdie told me recently that one Jimmy Moncrieff of the Amenity Trust has been buying them - quite a long way to come just for eggs..

 

Still.. now when someone comes to see the Happy Hens, they can also come and see our brand new peerie crafts and gift shop - Oily Muggie - which opened yesterday!! Eclectic mix of local crafts and one or two other things too - you can even get the Shetland DVDs produced by Frances! It's attached to the side of the house, feel free to have a wander round the garden, see the veg garden and the trees. And the Happy Hens of course. And don't forget their Westside Happy Hen cousins if you're out for a run that way.

 

PS - £1 a box is way too cheep. Ours are £1.40 and that's pretty reasonable as some of them are monsters and we can't get the box lid anywhere near closed.. Prices could vary but I've seen some local eggs priced £1.90+.