Pilot Project No. Lt/04/B/F/pp-171000 minutes

No. LT/04/B/F/PP-171000

2005 May 17-21d.

Covered such main items of the Project:

1. 
   Visit Windsor Farm shop, retailing both organic and conventional production. Organic produce from Prince Charles’ estate.
   
2. 
   Visit to Waltham Place organic farm, near Maidenhead. As well as organic vegetables, there is a small herd of Jersey and Guernsey milking cows, a flock of Jacob and castlemilk moorit sheep, Berkshire and Tamworth pigs, and laying hens, plus a small herd of bagot goats. The extensive walled gardens produce a wide range of seasonal vegetables and salad crops. There are also ornamental gardens, a potager and butterfly garden.
   

1. 
   Visit to the Soil Association, Bristol. Introduction to SA & SA Certification (Mr. Rob Hardy, International Development Manager). The Regulatory Framework for Organic Production (Mr. Ditto). The Certification Process (Ms. Sarah Hardy, Technical Manager Certification of Production). The Inspection Process (Ms. Dawne Summersfield, Inspector Manager). Standards & Standards Development (Ms. Isabel Ross, Standards Department). The UK Organic Marketplace (Mr. John Feege, SA Certification Account Manager).
   
2. 
   Visit to Ms. Helen Browning Organic farm, Swindon. Helen Browning began the organic conversion of Eastbrook Farm in Wiltshire when she took over the family farm from her father in 1986. This mixed organic farm of 1,337 acres includes pigs, two dairy herds, beef, sheep, arable crops and organic vegetables. With certification from the Soil Association, the first organic livestock were produced in 1989.
   

1. 
   Visit to Riverford Farm, Totnes. Part of the South Devon Organic Producer group, a co-operative of 13 family run farms in South Devon. By planning the cropping together they are able to grow 85 different varieties of vegetables. Innovative marketing via a “box scheme”.
   
2. 
   Final meeting in Oxford Soil Association and return to London area.
   

Seminar program covered all necessary spheres in Organic agriculture of Berkschire, Somerset, Wiltshire and South Devon lands. There were made many new personal contacts among people from Baltic States and Great Britain. It will be very helpful for Project’s goals implementation and future collaboration.

Project’s leadership and seminar participants appreciate useful and interesting content of the seminar, it’s management by responsible Partner BBC and great personal efforts of Mr. Colin Dennis.
Project coordination results during the study seminar

1. 
   Four Project’s programs contents analysis has been made:
   

• 
  Organic crop production and horticulture - responsible Lithuanian and Latvian Agricultural Universities (Mr. Prof. Dr. A. Motuzas, Mr. Assoc. Prof. V. Makunas)
  
• 
  Ecological animal husbandry - responsible Lithuanian Veterinary Academy (Mr. V. Liorancas)
  
• 
  Economics and marketing in ecological farming - responsible Latvian and Lithuanian Agricultural Universities (Ms. Prof. Dr. D. Kreismane)
  
• 
  Agri-environment - responsible Estonian Agricultural University (Mr. A. Vooremae)
  

With this, BBC organised seminar, has been finished the first work stage of the project in building up a stable linkage between vocational advisory system and agricultural academic community in the partner countries. The last two seminars made background for the second project’s stage - vocational training curriculum development and validation by partner institutions methodological officers.

Project coordinator Virginijus Butkus

Kaunas,

23.05.2005