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Joel Franklyn and Dede McGillivray
Joel Franklyn can turn his hand to anything – organic gardener, chef, builder and restorer… He and partner Dede McGillivray aim to become totally self sufficient at their house and croft (small farm) on the beautiful Isle of Skye
"We've got Gloucester Old Spot pigs, ducks and chickens. We've had sheep but they’re now chilling out in the freezer! We’ve been here now for almost two and a half years now," says Joel.
"This was my grandmother's house and croft. It was empty and I felt that it needed lived in.
"I ran an event catering company in London and Joel was the chef. When we moved to Dorset in the south east of England, we started working and promoting local foods, but the land prices were very high. So we knew the croft was free and could never have afforded a new house in Dorset so we made the move!" explains Dede.
"I had done building and restoration before so thought it would be ideal," continues Joel.
The croft has been in Dede's family since 1871 but things have changed a bit since then.
"Far fewer crofts are being used for agriculture. A lot of them are just left and many just put sheep in them." says Joel.
Joel and Dede find that although life on Skye is more expensive than living on the Scottish mainland, being self sufficient makes it all a bit cheaper.
"We make our own pork sausages, salamis and hams as we were tired of eating tasteless meat. I did a butchery course through the Highland and Island's Enterprise-funded Local Food Network. It's basically a rural skills course, teaching you all sorts of different things, from how to get your poultry slaughtering licensing to chocolate making! I did the two-day introductory course in Inverness." says Joel.
"There were about twelve or thirteen people doing the course. Most of the people doing the course were incomers to Scotland. In Britain in general, there are a lot of people producing great food, and not just for the supermarkets. People who have a bit of knowledge and are willing to try things." he continues.
"For a lot of farmers it's in their blood and they think my fathers, fathers, father did this and so I am not going to change! We’re working to a three to five year plan, developing an organic yard and organic box scheme.
“An organic farmer in Essex has been really helpful and approached the Soil Association (which promotes sustainable, organic farming) and explained that a lot of people on Skye cannot afford to join. We are the only group in the UK that has been allowed to join as a group. It's being funded by HIE-funded Highlands and Islands Local Food Network (HILFN)."
"There are nine members and it allows food producers to exist when before they were up against it because of the size of the area. For example, a hotel in Portree (the capital of the Isle of Skye) may only order a box of salad once a week, which is fifty miles away so it isn’t cost effective."
As well as being self sufficient Joel is also a chef at the renowned Kinloch Lodge Hotel.
"We're planning on growing everything basically, fruit and vegetables. We get so many hours of light here in the summer but in the winter it is so dark. You only get about two hours of darkness in the height of summer. So it evens itself out. The advantage of that is once you are set up you could go away for a couple of months. So we just close the hatches and put the fire on!
Joel and Dede love where they live.
"The best thing about living on Skye is the freedom and being one's own boss, plus it's so beautiful here, you sometimes forget just how beautiful it is. You take it for granted. When we look over to the mainland the light will change and you will think wow, this is where I live!"
"Getting anything here can be difficult, which can be frustrating sometimes, but it works both ways. It's often the reason why people come here but don’t seem to realise. On the mainland you get used to having everything, from builders and plumbers all at a moment’ notice away. You also need to be pretty versatile. Be prepared for a slower pace of life and be patient. If you get a knock back don’t take it personally!"
Information correct at Apr 2008
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