Food Growers Collective Launch at Tyninghame

Join us for the launch of the East Lothian Food Growers Collective in  in Tyninghame. You will have the chance to meet other local growers, exchange ideas and get a farm and orchard tour at the brilliant Tyninghame Community Farm.

We will meet at Tyninghame Village Hall at 9.30am. Travel and parking instructions below (please read as parking is very limited). We will have an hour to get to know each other, to discuss what our needs are in terms of resources, skills, or funding, and how we can support each other as well as what we would like a Food Growers Collective to achieve in East Lothian.

We will then walk up to Tyninghame Community Farm, who have very kindly agreed to give us a farm tour by their Head Grower, Dave, and an orchard tour by Danny, the Board Director. They will be in full growing season so there will be plenty to see and discuss. Please see below for more info on the farm.

You will need sturdy shoes and clothes appropriate for the weather. We will provide teas and coffees in the hall.

We encourage people to get public transport or car share as parking is limited. Please get in contact if you have car space to offer or if you need a lift: tess@eastlothianclimatehub.org

The Food Growers Collective looks to bring local growers together to learn, exchange and support each other across East Lothian. This is aimed at community gardens, community farms, allotments, community orchards, school gardens or anyone that produces with sustainable intentions (even if they are on the beginning of the journey). This is an open space of learning and mutual support, to help us grow local growing in East Lothian. 

There will be opportunity to:

• Connect with other growers across East Lothian
• Collectively learn about food growing
• Get a tour of Tyninghame Community Farm and orchard
• Share needs and what we have to offer with the group, from tools to seeds to fundraising
• To explore what we would like to see in East Lothian in terms of scaling up/increasing community-scale food growing projects

About Tyninghame Community Farm
TCF is run as a not-for-profit ‘Community Supported Agriculture’ (CSA) scheme. These aim to create a partnership between farmers or growers and their customers, often called ‘members’. Members commit to buying local produce for a season and this predictable income mitigates the risks of small-scale sustainable agriculture. In return members get weekly veg boxes and a direct relationship with the farm, often involving farm visits and volunteering. This promotes transparency, trust, and a sense of community as members get to understand where their food comes from and how it’s produced.

Tyninghame Community Farm (TCF) had its first year delivering vegetable boxes in the East Linton and Dunbar area in 2024. It has received overwhelmingly positive feedback for its fresh, sustainably grown veg and will be expanding this year to around 60 boxes to people who register on its website.

TCF is one of only 10 CSAs in Scotland and the first in East Lothian. It hopes to inspire more across the county to create jobs and improve food resilience. In 2024 it established key infrastructure, including two 30 metre polytunnels, thanks to various grants primarily via East Lothian Council. One part-time grower and 40 volunteers produced high-quality, tasty veg and herbs, harvested the same day as delivery. Although grown to UK organic standards they are not certified due to the extra work involved.

Please read more here: https://www.tyninghame.farm/home

Main picture is a TCF photo.

Transport and parking 

Address: Tyninghame Village Hall, Main St, Tyninghame, Dunbar EH42 1XL

There are a couple of parking spaces behind the hall for the people hiring the hall - please do not block the side lane which is needed for access by residents. Parking in the village is very restricted and can be a bit of a problem especially when there is a meeting in the village hall, a busy cafe and the everyday needs of residents. We encourage people to use the 120 bus, an hourly service that runs between Dunbar and North Berwick stations stopping at Tyninghame Village Hall. You can view the timetable here: https://www.lothianbuses.com/timetable/?service_name=120

If you want to car share, please email me if you need a lift or have space in your car: tess@eastlothianclimatehub.org

Photography - There will be photos taken at the event. Please send us an email or let me (Tess Humble) know on the day if you dont want your photo taken: tess@eastlothianclimatehub.org