Cheshire Smallholders Association

Training

The training courses are a mainstay of association activity and cover a range of subjects. As well as all the husbandry and horticultural courses you’d expect, we also run courses on subjects as diverse as butchery and cheese making, running B&Bs, spinning, hurdle making and welding.
Course dates are arranged when sufficient interest is expressed in individual training courses. Please review the current course listing. Contact Jane to book your place or for further information by email.

To help with the organisation of the course we always need volunteers to do the phoning and organisation of each course, if you are attending a course please consider giving a little time to help organise it as if it all falls to the same few people it limits the number of courses we can organise. We are all volunteers and  have limited time and the committee members have probably attended all the courses at least once.


30 April - Introduction to Traditional Pig Keeping- Being run at Tatton Park there were a couple of spaces left contact Jane on 01538 306510 to see if these are available or to book on overflow course in September.

10 July - Sheepdog Handling Course.
This is being run by Gus Dermody of "One man and his dog" fame. Most places have been taken but contact Jane on 01538 306510 to check availability and the possibility of another course.

3 September - Introduction to Traditional Pig Keeping. This will be run if there is enough demand. Contact Jane on 01538 306510


TBA - Vet and Medicine - We are trying to organise another event - If you have not already placed your name on the list let Jane know. This was a very successful course last year, the topics to be covered will be determined by the animals available and the interest of the attendees.


Pig Butchery

We will be planning another when demand requires.

Lamb Butchery

The last one was an advanced lamb butchery course in November 2010, more will be organised as demand requires.


Beekeeping

Due to the small number of people who could attend they have been referred to the local Beekeeping associations. There is an active local organisations see British Beekeepers for details.



Reaseheath

Reaseheath run a variety of courses suitable for the smallholder see Reaseheath for details, look at their leisure and Short courses under Agriculture. 

Dry Stone Walling  

See The Dry Stone Walling Association of GB    for details of their courses. Cheshire contact is secretary Mrs. Delia Davies, 0161 338 3537 after 6pm,