Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival

The Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival is a significant event on the Welsh calendar, and has been widely promoted throughout Wales and beyond. During the event, the Severn Wye Energy Agency provided impartial and independent advice on renewable energy, energy efficiency, the feed in tariff, the renewable heat incentive and other related topics on a one-to-one basis to attendees.

The 2011 Smallholders' Festival achieved a record attendance.  The festival attracted 26,026 people over the weekend, which beat the previous record set in 2007.  People interested in sustainable living, gardening, and farming flocked to the show.  A main festival highlight since its inception in 2006 was the Green Horizons (Eco) Exhibition.  This once again proved popular with both exhibitors and public alike with its range of tradestands, demonstrations, family workshops and green-themed entertainment.  With a wide variety of information available on a host of green topics and over 60 tradestands, the exhibition had something for everyone. Exhibitors included Severn Wye Energy Agency (publicising the ENNEREG project), the Energy Saving Trust, and the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). Whether you wanted to find out how to save energy, make the most of compost, install a wind turbine on your land, check out  wood fuel options, plant trees, grow herbs, insulate your house with sheep’s wool – or simply buy a few organic skin products or a second-hand spade – the Smallholders' was the place to be.

Image: Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas mans the Severn Wye Energy Agency stand at the Smallholders Festival on 21st and 22nd May at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys, Wales