It is members of the public who provided the seed funding to help make this conference happen. During the recent crowdfunder campaign for The Ethical Dairy, the funding goal was reached with almost a week still to run, and in a short thank you video David Finlay announced we would use any additional contributions to host a small conference.
With consumers so clearly behind the idea we approached other farmers in the south of Scotland who also focus on ethical working and sustainable approaches. This conference is a collaborative event co-hosted by The Ethical Dairy, Peelham Farm, Whitmuir Organic and Mossgiel Farm.
We then applied to the Connect Local Regional Food Fund which is financed by the Scottish Government, and they match funded the crowdfunding donations. This has enabled us to invite international speakers and to deliver a much larger event than we had initially planned.
Please note, this event is being run on a not for profit basis. Delegates will be invited to decide whether an Ethical Farming Conference or future industry initiated events addressing consumers concerns should be organised on a regular basis. Any funds remaining after covering event costs will go towards supporting future industry events and knowledge sharing.