The dust from Mount Hekla’s 1845 eruption is said to have given Orkney’s potatoes a fine flavour. Could rock dust improve soil and help crops today? We tried it with tatties two years ago, and tomatoes last year, with encouraging results – and now we’re looking at carrots. Growers in Moray and Orkney have set aside areas with and without volcanic rock dust, and with this year a difference – an additional section using Orkney dust from Orkney’s Cursiter Quarry. They’ve brought a selection of carrots to UHI Orkney’s training restaurant, served by Hospitality students, for you to taste and compare.

In between the sampling, Prof. Karen Johnson of Durham University will speak about the effect of rock dust on soil. Gardener Ed Bollom will provide advice on growing carrots. Food writer Liz Ashworth will describe carrots in the kitchen, from casseroles to cakes. The team will be joined by Kevin Drever from Cursiter Quarry, and we will round off with a carrot snack, prepared by the students.

If you would like to try it yourself and grow carrots at home, Ed Bollom has prepared information about the 2025 growing trials, on our new Sufficient Orkney Food website.