Balmalcolm
| Balmalcolm | |
| Fife | |
|---|---|
 South of Balmalcolm | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NO319083 |
| Location: | 56°15’44"N, 3°6’4"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Cupar |
| Postcode: | KY15 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Fife |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North East Fife |
Balmalcolm is a small village in the Kettle parish of Fife. Encompassed by the low-lying Howe of Fife, the village is roughly five and a half miles south-west of Cupar, the nearest town.
History
The village first appeared on maps in the mid-eighteenth century and its naming was likely inspired by the name Ballingall, the name of the family which once owned the land on which it lies.[1]
Balmalcolm was the centre of some controversy in the late 1990s when a high level of nitrates were found in the local borehole, which was attributed to the intensive farming of the local area with green vegetables. The area was designated a 'Nitrate Vulnerable Zone', and nine farms were required to follow an action programme in regards to their nitrate usage as a result.[2]
Economy
Surrounded by farms, vegetable packing business Kettle Produce chose Balmalcolm Farm as its headquarters and was founded by two farming families in 1985 after a partnership dating back to 1976.[3][4] The Balmalcolm facility employs 1,000 staff from the local area, but the company has since expanded to the rest of Britain and into mainland Europe.[5]
Farm shop, café, and children's play experience Muddy Boots is a popular local attraction in Balmalcolm. Set on a farm owned by the same family for three generations, the business has its roots in the 1950s but has expanded substantially since then, especially in recent years.[6]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Balmalcolm) |
References
- ↑ "Fife Place-name Data :: Balmalcolm". https://fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk/placename/?id=1249.
- ↑ Buie, Elizabeth (27 January 1996). "Nine farms in fife nitrate vulnerable". The Herald (Glasgow). https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12050564.nine-farms-in-fife-nitrate-vulnerable/.
- ↑ Argo, Andrew (8 February 2017). "Kettle Produce harvests more success in 40th anniversary year". Dundee Courier. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/business/business-news/364520/kettle-produce-harvests-success-40th-anniversary-year/.
- ↑ "Learn About Our 40 Year Journey | Our History | Kettle Produce". https://www.kettle.co.uk/about-us/history.
- ↑ "About Us | We're Passionate About Our Food | Kettle Produce". https://www.kettle.co.uk/about-us.
- ↑ "Muddy Boots Farm Shop, Cafe, and Kids Adventure Play". https://www.muddybootsfife.com/.