Monday 6 June 2011

Yet another eventful week, not sure how we fitted it all in with only 4 days.

We managed to get one of the vans back into the garage again this week. This time it wasn’t for tyres but a suspension issue from a couple of weeks ago when they replaced some parts. We were stopped by a very helpful off duty policeman who pointed out that the van was travelling in a slightly crab-like fashion and perhaps we ought to get it checked out. He was quite right and the garage repositioned the suspension in the right mounting hole and we were cured. So a big thank you to the policeman for helping out and the embarrassed garage for getting us back on the road very quickly, although I’m sure it would have been spotted at the next regular check-up.

I need to press on as I’m due in Stafford for lunch and time is slipping by. So another quick summary of another hectic week. We got our three electric buggies serviced by a pro as they were all in need of a refreshing overhaul of the electric leads and a couple were due a new set of batteries, ouch. They are whizzing about so no excuses for lack of mobility now. We had our ace box making experts in to take a look at making a shallow tray/insert to create a bit of a reservoir in the bottom of the wooden trays as a further watering aid. We are hoping it will hold on to enough water to absorb more thoroughly into the free draining pots on watering rather than running straight away. They are coming up with several options and we are hoping to trial some very shortly.

On Friday we are attending the local business awards dinner to see if we have pushed any of the right buttons with the judges. We are finalists in the green innovation category for our product, overall business sustainability and the turbine project which will be the biggest of its kind in the area (although it is weeny really). We have also been selected as a finalist in the overall business of the year which was great, although we are up against some very stiff competition. We will enjoy the evening as an excuse to dress up with a few of the staff who we rarely see all poshed up. Luckily we are not particularly competitive so it will be nice to just to have some little bit of recognition for what we are trying to do.

The wind turbine foundations got finished over the week which was great, lots of digging, steel weaving and concreting. I got the irrigation system programming sorted so it is almost back in automatic mode which is a relief as it means we can get off the nursery again for a several hours at a time, even if the sun's out and we can water out of hours which means fewer of us getting wet!

Eco news
Foundations in and looking good and I'm sure that you have already spotted the pics! Trenching for cable should start next week for a couple of weeks, then we hang on for the grid folk to fit the new transformer/substation thing and the turbines to arrive in early July. It’s all go at last.

Nature notes

The nursery and garden are all full of newly fledged youngsters, swallows, greenfinches, goldfinches, starlings, great tits, jackdaws. It all seems to have happened this week.

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

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