Another rather brisk morning here. Glad to be tucked out of the wind for a couple of hours, the office is a cosy 12C (everything is relative) and I’ve got to put the brain in gear to create a few coherent sentences. I know I always say it’s been a busy week, but it’s happened again. You would think that after 27 years doing this we would stand still for a moment every now and then, but we don’t seem to be able to manage that. Luckily most of the stuff happening is positive in the long run if a little inconvenient just at the moment. We managed to get the reconditioned potting machine plumbed in and running towards the end of the week. Holly, our resident potting machine expert, even managed an overhaul of the conveyor belt, which involved a fair bit of fine tuning with the lump hammer. It worked brilliantly and we now have a near silent potting process having lost the combination of crashes and groans from the machine and an incessant squeak from the conveyor that has plagued the potters for years. Luckily for everyone they can hear clearly now the latest pop tunes from their record collections!
Unfortunately Richard, who many of you will have met or talked to on the phone, is leaving us at the end of the month. He has only been working part time over the last year since his family grew in number, and he has now been offered a very attractive position back at Hillier Nurseries researching, developing and trialling new plants for their production side of things. He has helped us through an enormous period of change since he arrived all those years ago, which we do appreciate and we are left with a much more manageable and rewarding business in the end.
I had a couple of rush jobs to do this week, one a surprise and the other just something that sneaked up on me. The sneaky one was the entry into the local business awards competition. We won a category a couple of years ago (innovation, for the hairy stuff) which was nice, but we had kept a low profile since then. But with the wind turbine planning stuff over the last year we have been noticed again and have had a couple of calls encouraging us to enter. I thought I had weeks to do it but then got an email reminding me the closing date was on Friday. I put aside a couple of evenings to cobble something together, it always takes me ten times as long as I expect, but managed to get something away. Then in yesterday’s paper they have extended the dates! Still, at least it’s done. If we get through to the finals we get to go to the awards dinner and last time there were two free tickets for the finalists, that’s a bit more attractive than the £180 each for the Grower of the Year awards!
With all this change it’s always nice to have some old standards to fall back on. I always enjoy a corny play on words, I’m sure emanating from the day my dad asked me if I wanted a whole piece of toast (when we were little we might only have a half slice), after a positive response I was presented with a slice with a huge hole cut out of the middle. That was to scar me for life! Every time at home when I get offered an avocado the response is of course ‘Yes please, I’ll avacardo’. Hilarious, especially after 27 years. Saturdays example was based on the arrival of a Jamaican Ginger cake for coffee break. ‘Hmm, Jamaca cake’,‘No, I got it from Sainsburys’. When I used to do a lot of knapsack spraying, the chant accompanying the repetitive pumping action was along the lines of, ‘Red Spider Mite, Red Spider Might, Red Spider might.’ I’m easily pleased!
If for some reason you lose your list you can now download it from the http://www.kirtonfarm.co.uk/website which should have the latest up to date version.
Eco news
The surprise job on Friday was to put together a last minute proposal for the bank to fund the turbine project. Having initially been very positive last summer, then the opposite in the autumn, they have had another change of heart at the very last minute. It might turn out to be a fortunate break for us as they are looking to run a pilot lending scheme and they need some ready-to-go projects to play with. This should mean quite attractive rates/charges etc and hopefully a very quick decision, but we still have to press enough of the right buttons to qualify. I have pressed all the buttons I can and we now await some response, hopefully some time in the next week.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Showing posts with label bank holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bank holiday. Show all posts
Monday, 7 March 2011
Monday, 9 August 2010
Just a quickie as I’m supposed to be packing my bucket and spade ready for our week in Cornwall. Just about to dash out into town to purchase my emergency summer wardrobe. I have only managed one trip out to the shops since mid March and that was just Sainsbury’s and apparently my boxers and socks are not in a fit state for such an exciting adventure. I must admit the number of apertures in most of the current stock is far higher than the initial designs intended, so off we go. There is also the chance of a few extra purchases as the ‘one outfit fits all’ may not be enough for all the destinations on the itinerary. This going on holiday lark is not as easy as you would think, especially when you add in all the extra work and planning needed to sort out everything to be away, and then all the effort to catch up what you missed when you get back. When there are so many exciting things going on here it is proving to be quite a wrench to get away, but I’m sure everyone will be glad to see the back of us for a few days as I’m sure the lack of ‘outside world’ contact does send us slightly potty.
We had some worrying news late last week that there had been a fire at one of the pots stores in Sri Lanka in the village that makes our pots. Fortunately there are no reports of any casualties other than possibly our last shipment of pots. Oops. Details are sketchy at the moment but we may have to adjust our potting plans slightly to cope with a slight shortfall in supply, we’ll find out on our return. We are not too worried for our own planning as we have had 75% of our stock already delivered and we can adjust things our end to cope easily enough, but it could be a big setback for the setup in Sri Lanka. I believe we are one of their main customers and so, we do feel, that does put us under an obligation to try to help out where we can, so we are reassuring them that we are not going to abandon them in favour of another supply source and we will be seeing if there is anything else we can do to help them through what could be a difficult time. Being a very resourceful community I’m sure they will bounce back quickly, but until we hear more detail we are not sure quite the level of problem they have. Although this does add a new level of worry for us, it is a potentially rewarding one to have and quite different from the sort of worries we used to have when dealing in the cut-throat world of supplying the multiples (last lorry left on Wednesday, hurrah). Taking some social responsibility as part of running a business can make up a lot for the sometimes thin pickings on the financial front, especially when everyone pulls together as a result.
Eco news
Still no news on bat survey yet.
The quote is in from the electric company for the upgrade necessary for the substation and cable to take in any surplus power we generate. Ouch. Mind you it is still better value than the bat survey (three week wait, one night recording and another 3-4 weeks before results come in = £16,500). Still I’m sure it will be worth it in the end. We are just checking that the sub station and cable are man enough to take a bit extra, in case we want to put in a bit of solar generation at a later date when the price comes down a bit.
This year’s electric consumption is now down by 22.51% (at end of July).
Nature notes
Second batch of swallows have fledged and are getting their first flying lessons this morning. The skies over the nursery and house are now filling up with young house martins and swallows as the youngsters take to the air and move aside for the next lot. They are so busy and quick moving it is impossible to count them, but it is one of those sunny sights of summer that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
Don't forget to do your bit. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.
We had some worrying news late last week that there had been a fire at one of the pots stores in Sri Lanka in the village that makes our pots. Fortunately there are no reports of any casualties other than possibly our last shipment of pots. Oops. Details are sketchy at the moment but we may have to adjust our potting plans slightly to cope with a slight shortfall in supply, we’ll find out on our return. We are not too worried for our own planning as we have had 75% of our stock already delivered and we can adjust things our end to cope easily enough, but it could be a big setback for the setup in Sri Lanka. I believe we are one of their main customers and so, we do feel, that does put us under an obligation to try to help out where we can, so we are reassuring them that we are not going to abandon them in favour of another supply source and we will be seeing if there is anything else we can do to help them through what could be a difficult time. Being a very resourceful community I’m sure they will bounce back quickly, but until we hear more detail we are not sure quite the level of problem they have. Although this does add a new level of worry for us, it is a potentially rewarding one to have and quite different from the sort of worries we used to have when dealing in the cut-throat world of supplying the multiples (last lorry left on Wednesday, hurrah). Taking some social responsibility as part of running a business can make up a lot for the sometimes thin pickings on the financial front, especially when everyone pulls together as a result.
Eco news
Still no news on bat survey yet.
The quote is in from the electric company for the upgrade necessary for the substation and cable to take in any surplus power we generate. Ouch. Mind you it is still better value than the bat survey (three week wait, one night recording and another 3-4 weeks before results come in = £16,500). Still I’m sure it will be worth it in the end. We are just checking that the sub station and cable are man enough to take a bit extra, in case we want to put in a bit of solar generation at a later date when the price comes down a bit.
This year’s electric consumption is now down by 22.51% (at end of July).
Nature notes
Second batch of swallows have fledged and are getting their first flying lessons this morning. The skies over the nursery and house are now filling up with young house martins and swallows as the youngsters take to the air and move aside for the next lot. They are so busy and quick moving it is impossible to count them, but it is one of those sunny sights of summer that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
Don't forget to do your bit. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Rain at last. We were getting very dusty down here and a drop of rain is great for freshening everything up. Not brilliant for gardening today, but at least not everyone has gone to the beach this bank holiday.
Just a short one this week as I’m in a bit of a rush and we are going to make the most of a day of no work shifts, and I have got my mum & dad down for the weekend so we need to spend some quality time with them. So anyway, I’ve just spent a couple of hours doing the stock update, then it’s a few hours label counting together, followed by a seed sowing session and trolley wrapping! Hoping to manage a half day and finish by 5.00! They usually come down at this time of year to deliver our bedding plant display to go in the troughs outside the office so are luckily quite used to mucking in at a busy time. We have a big gang in on Monday to get the week started as soon as we can so hopefully the 4 day week won’t be too upsetting.
Hope you all enjoy your bank holiday as well.
Eco Update
So busy this week I missed my PLATO Sustain meeting, so unable to boast about our energy savings and recycling improvements, let alone let them know about my podcast exploits of last week, although that’s probably best kept between you & me.
Wind turbine planning application is in, hurrah. Hopefully it won’t take too long to get it all processed and the public get their chance to have a final say. Overall the responses so far have been very positive which is heartening in itself.
Nature notes
Ducks and a Moorhen seem to be attending the nursery regularly again, although not seen any nesting evidence. I suspect the Mallards are evictees from Crawley pond, where only ducks of the sufficient class are allowed. A stunning thatched duck house has been erected on the village pond in the last few months (I suspect that it is actually a property investment and before long it will be on the market as a small contained thatched residence in a lovely rural location) so meanwhile we are supplying the duck version of affordable housing.
Just a short one this week as I’m in a bit of a rush and we are going to make the most of a day of no work shifts, and I have got my mum & dad down for the weekend so we need to spend some quality time with them. So anyway, I’ve just spent a couple of hours doing the stock update, then it’s a few hours label counting together, followed by a seed sowing session and trolley wrapping! Hoping to manage a half day and finish by 5.00! They usually come down at this time of year to deliver our bedding plant display to go in the troughs outside the office so are luckily quite used to mucking in at a busy time. We have a big gang in on Monday to get the week started as soon as we can so hopefully the 4 day week won’t be too upsetting.
Hope you all enjoy your bank holiday as well.
Eco Update
So busy this week I missed my PLATO Sustain meeting, so unable to boast about our energy savings and recycling improvements, let alone let them know about my podcast exploits of last week, although that’s probably best kept between you & me.
Wind turbine planning application is in, hurrah. Hopefully it won’t take too long to get it all processed and the public get their chance to have a final say. Overall the responses so far have been very positive which is heartening in itself.
Nature notes
Ducks and a Moorhen seem to be attending the nursery regularly again, although not seen any nesting evidence. I suspect the Mallards are evictees from Crawley pond, where only ducks of the sufficient class are allowed. A stunning thatched duck house has been erected on the village pond in the last few months (I suspect that it is actually a property investment and before long it will be on the market as a small contained thatched residence in a lovely rural location) so meanwhile we are supplying the duck version of affordable housing.
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