Morning all,
Slightly warmer this morning after another very cold week. Luckily the very coldest nights have been over the weekend so we have just about managed to keep things defrosted enough to keep us all busy. The new van arrived on Wednesday just in time for it to get snowed in on Thursday, so we haven’t yet been out in it. Disappointingly, it looks remarkably similar to the la st one, mostly due to the fact it is the same make with a direct copy of our previous body on the back. The paint job is new and it looks quite smart but for the amount these things cost it should have been more satisfying and made the blood pump a bit harder. I did try to find a more exciting alternative but I will just have to make do with a little bit of extra efficiency and its cleaner running.
I have been able to abandon the ‘Chums’ fleece lined trousers this morning which is a relief. They do a great job in the cold but the combination of multiple fleece build up and vigorous movement does make for a sparky time. I can relight the wood burner by just earthing myself with the poker on the casing. As soon as I start removing layers the crackling and sparking starts and I know at some point I am going to find an earthing point. Caroline seems particularly sensitive to static at this time of year and any human contact is discouraged, offers of an earthing rod to help out are not very well received so I keep my distance.
As we get a bit closer to spring and you get organised for your first orders feel free to let us know if you need any new wooden pot labels to replace any that may have rotted away over the winter
This week I lashed out on a new computer programme to help created online fillinable availability lists. This means that with a bit of luck if you have MS Word on your computer you should be able to fill it in on screen and email it back to me. We haven’t had many requests for this but I know a few of you would like to use it so let me know if it works. Naturally it was child’s play to set it up, it converts, with one click, the pdf file our nursery stock production programme produces into a Word document which can then be typed over. It took me most of the week to get it to work, the programme is a lot cleverer than me. We can also combine multiple files into one which makes it simpler to send, so if you print it off just check you print only the pages you need.
Eco News
We are still hopeful that we might actually receive our first feed in tariff check this week. It will be 8 months since we st arted but eventually the stalling and rubbish organisation will sort itself out and the payments we come become a bit more regular, maybe. If we were this slow paying our electric bills we would have been cut off months ago.
If anyone lives in Hampshire and is short on house insulation go to http://www.insulatehampshire.co.uk/ where you can now get free cavity wall insulation and either free or very cheap loft insulation to top up to the minimum requirement of 11.5 inches. We paid a bit more for ours last year and did a bit extra ourselves under the floor too and it made a huge difference. There are lots of scare stories about on the internet about damp etc with cavity walls but there are long term guarantees with the installation and we have had no problems, in fact we have less internal condensation than we did before. The house is warmer and the bills much lower. If you have a good heating system you might not notice a temperature change but the bills will be less and that will save a little, or in our case a lot, every year, so the cumulative affect can be huge. If you are not in Hampshire check out your local area, this type of scheme is sponsored by the energy companies and I’m sure must be fairly wide spread.
Nature Stuff
The cold spell has brought a few extra visitors into the garden, we have a couple of very smart Fieldfares feeding on the remains of the fallen apples and a very aggressive male Black Cap on the suet feeder. It’s a shame they missed out on the RSPB Garden Watch survey of a couple of weeks ago, we only had plenty of the usual common garden suspects with no exciting ones to record at all.
We had been keeping an eye on the ponds over the week or two before the freeze, thinking the frogs might start up soon, good job they didn’t, but I suspect spring will leap on us once this snap gives up. Can’t wait.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Showing posts with label cavity wall insulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cavity wall insulation. Show all posts
Monday, 13 February 2012
Sunday, 15 May 2011
I was looking forward to this week being a bit easier as the orders dip a bit after the long run of good weekends and the bank holidays. Then there was the luxury of 5 days in the week again, it should all have been a breeze. Naturally it went pear shaped from day one. The big van lost the back end of its exhaust and went in on Monday for a replacement which was ok but while it was in there they found a broken part of the suspension which had to be replaced. Not a huge job but they couldn’t get the right spare parts until Wednesday morning so we had to managed with the little comedy van and the borrowed farm transit to ensure we got all the orders away this week. The first delivery on Monday in the comedy van suffered a blow out on a rear tyre so that meant a breakdown call out and replacement. Then that was followed on Thursday morning by the big van having a flat and another breakdown callout, but luckily only needed a new valve. The great thing about all this was at least it didn’t happen a few weeks ago when we were so incredibly busy.
Feeling pretty smug again this week with all the news about rising energy costs expected over the next few months. Electric prices we know are rising again on the wholesale side as we have been getting quotes for one of the farm contracts and the prices are back to the high long term contract terms of three years ago when we last fixed the price. They dipped significantly just after we set that one up and now as renewal approaches they are back up again. Can they see us coming?
Anyway, higher prices will make the payback quicker on the turbines which is good for us and may make people make a bit more effort controlling their waste. Certainly we have felt huge benefits from all our insulation projects in the house with the costs being returned in less than one winter. Mind you we do suffer from living out in the sticks and relying on expensive heating oil as a fuel source which increases the savings. Insulation was top of the agenda on breakfast telly of things to do to combat the higher prices and we know it can work. There has always been some negative vibes about insulating houses with scare stories of extra damp and such things, but our experience has been brilliant. We have experienced less damp in the bathroom where the cold outside walls used to run with condensation when you were showering. Cavity walls and roof insulation is very well subsidised so quite cheap to do and free in some cases and then we topped it up by fitting more expensive (no subsidy on this bit) insulation board under the floorboards which stopped a lot of draughts and warmed the floors up hugely. We also put in a wood burning stove to take the pressure off the central heating. The savings so far have covered all the insulation costs and a bit towards the log burner. Next year will see the burner paid off through the ongoing savings then it’s win win over the following years. Probably the best return on investment we have ever made, it certainly beats investing in a nursery!
Eco news
All quiet on the turbine front this week but pre-installation tension is beginning to mount.
Nature notes
We see sparrows, wagtails, blue and great tits feeding in the tunnels all the time. They can be seen working quite systematically down the tunnels visiting all the nooks and crannies where the insects tend to get caught. Years and years ago we saw a Long Eared Bat in a tunnel, apparently they can be active in the daytime too. This week we found a tiny roosting Pipistrelle Bat just hanging on the side netting of a tunnel, I assume it was the one I see most evenings scooting about the nursery or maybe a passing stranger. Anyway he had gone the next day. However in the next tunnel on the following day we saw a Long Eared Bat hanging from the tunnel roof frame, he only stayed a couple of hours then flew off, but how bizarre to see two different bats in two days after years of seeing none.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Feeling pretty smug again this week with all the news about rising energy costs expected over the next few months. Electric prices we know are rising again on the wholesale side as we have been getting quotes for one of the farm contracts and the prices are back to the high long term contract terms of three years ago when we last fixed the price. They dipped significantly just after we set that one up and now as renewal approaches they are back up again. Can they see us coming?
Anyway, higher prices will make the payback quicker on the turbines which is good for us and may make people make a bit more effort controlling their waste. Certainly we have felt huge benefits from all our insulation projects in the house with the costs being returned in less than one winter. Mind you we do suffer from living out in the sticks and relying on expensive heating oil as a fuel source which increases the savings. Insulation was top of the agenda on breakfast telly of things to do to combat the higher prices and we know it can work. There has always been some negative vibes about insulating houses with scare stories of extra damp and such things, but our experience has been brilliant. We have experienced less damp in the bathroom where the cold outside walls used to run with condensation when you were showering. Cavity walls and roof insulation is very well subsidised so quite cheap to do and free in some cases and then we topped it up by fitting more expensive (no subsidy on this bit) insulation board under the floorboards which stopped a lot of draughts and warmed the floors up hugely. We also put in a wood burning stove to take the pressure off the central heating. The savings so far have covered all the insulation costs and a bit towards the log burner. Next year will see the burner paid off through the ongoing savings then it’s win win over the following years. Probably the best return on investment we have ever made, it certainly beats investing in a nursery!
Eco news
All quiet on the turbine front this week but pre-installation tension is beginning to mount.
Nature notes
We see sparrows, wagtails, blue and great tits feeding in the tunnels all the time. They can be seen working quite systematically down the tunnels visiting all the nooks and crannies where the insects tend to get caught. Years and years ago we saw a Long Eared Bat in a tunnel, apparently they can be active in the daytime too. This week we found a tiny roosting Pipistrelle Bat just hanging on the side netting of a tunnel, I assume it was the one I see most evenings scooting about the nursery or maybe a passing stranger. Anyway he had gone the next day. However in the next tunnel on the following day we saw a Long Eared Bat hanging from the tunnel roof frame, he only stayed a couple of hours then flew off, but how bizarre to see two different bats in two days after years of seeing none.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday, 25 October 2010
Hello all,
Another lovely sunny day but bit nippy again. A real autumnal feel, which usually means things start to quieten down as we prepare for a bit of a holiday, Christmas and next spring’s madness. But we have so many plans and projects on the go, I’m not sure if we will find time for Christmas.
This week I have been updating the catalogue for the coming year which will be winging it’s way to you very shortly, a few new varieties and a few encouraging words on how we are building in more affordable sustainability into the business. It is very easy to believe that getting more sustainable means increasing the costs but we are finding an increasing number of savings associated with the changes we are making. Sometimes it takes a bit of initial investment to reap longer term savings but occasionally it just takes a bit of focus and application. We are working on a combination of simply reducing our consumption and waste in all areas and changing kit, which both lead to reduced costs and lower carbon output.
Unfortunately although we are achieving very positive progress, there are not enough savings to prevent a price increase for 2011, our two major costs labour (50%+) and coir pots (12%) have gone up significantly and there is no slack in the system to absorb the increases. The cost of the coir pots alone have increased by over 4p/pot after the devastating fire at the production plant on top of the high inflation experienced in Sri Lanka over the last couple of years. Since the fire it has come to light (no pun intended) that although we were paying a rate that provided a valuable income for all the staff it didn’t allow enough to be put aside for reinvestment which is now going to be so vital to their future development. Naturally the insurance company involved are doing their best to wriggle out of paying back what is needed to get back to where they were before the fire and delaying the payments too (nice to know insurers are the same the world over!). So in the interest of continuing a sustainable relationship with them into the future, we have volunteered a big increase to get things back on a more realistic level. Having researched potential alternative supplies we have found that we are still getting a competitive deal and don’t forget that this is very much a handmade, multi-processed product and as, such still provides exceptional value for money.
Eco news (Don’t forget that if you receive this via fax we can save paper and email instead, just let us know)
SAVE, SAVE, SAVE.
Ok, now here is a top tip for saving loads of dosh almost instantly. This is on a personal level but makes its importance no less significant. With all the eco stuff going on we have been looking at our personal impact and heating costs have come up as a major cost both financially and carbon wise. Insulating things seems a really dull way of spending money but can be extremely effective if you don’t have much installed yet. We had a man take a look at the house this week for cavity wall, roof and water tank insulation. Despite having some loft cover we didn’t have the recommended 11 inches and cavity insulation would be easy to do. Now here is the exciting bit, we would need over £1,000 to complete the job but with the grants available we can get it done for a little over £300 and we don’t even have to apply for the grants, the company does all that. Anyone is eligible, owners or tenants (although not quite sure how this side works) and if you are over 70 it is free (yes I realise you are all under 35). Your financial situation and house size seems to make no difference. It’s a hell of a bargain. With our leaky old house we should make the cost back in a very few months and we will make those savings year on year. Don’t delay, Google ‘cavity wall insulation’ and loads of sites will offer their services, all at very similar rates.
Our wind turbine and sustainability efforts got recognised on the 10:10 website this week with a great little blog article. Fame at last. Link: http://www.1010global.org/uk/2010/10/making-cut-kirton-farm
Electric consumption on nursery down by 23.37% for 2010 up to the end of September. Water consumption down 15.6%.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Another lovely sunny day but bit nippy again. A real autumnal feel, which usually means things start to quieten down as we prepare for a bit of a holiday, Christmas and next spring’s madness. But we have so many plans and projects on the go, I’m not sure if we will find time for Christmas.
This week I have been updating the catalogue for the coming year which will be winging it’s way to you very shortly, a few new varieties and a few encouraging words on how we are building in more affordable sustainability into the business. It is very easy to believe that getting more sustainable means increasing the costs but we are finding an increasing number of savings associated with the changes we are making. Sometimes it takes a bit of initial investment to reap longer term savings but occasionally it just takes a bit of focus and application. We are working on a combination of simply reducing our consumption and waste in all areas and changing kit, which both lead to reduced costs and lower carbon output.
Unfortunately although we are achieving very positive progress, there are not enough savings to prevent a price increase for 2011, our two major costs labour (50%+) and coir pots (12%) have gone up significantly and there is no slack in the system to absorb the increases. The cost of the coir pots alone have increased by over 4p/pot after the devastating fire at the production plant on top of the high inflation experienced in Sri Lanka over the last couple of years. Since the fire it has come to light (no pun intended) that although we were paying a rate that provided a valuable income for all the staff it didn’t allow enough to be put aside for reinvestment which is now going to be so vital to their future development. Naturally the insurance company involved are doing their best to wriggle out of paying back what is needed to get back to where they were before the fire and delaying the payments too (nice to know insurers are the same the world over!). So in the interest of continuing a sustainable relationship with them into the future, we have volunteered a big increase to get things back on a more realistic level. Having researched potential alternative supplies we have found that we are still getting a competitive deal and don’t forget that this is very much a handmade, multi-processed product and as, such still provides exceptional value for money.
Eco news (Don’t forget that if you receive this via fax we can save paper and email instead, just let us know)
SAVE, SAVE, SAVE.
Ok, now here is a top tip for saving loads of dosh almost instantly. This is on a personal level but makes its importance no less significant. With all the eco stuff going on we have been looking at our personal impact and heating costs have come up as a major cost both financially and carbon wise. Insulating things seems a really dull way of spending money but can be extremely effective if you don’t have much installed yet. We had a man take a look at the house this week for cavity wall, roof and water tank insulation. Despite having some loft cover we didn’t have the recommended 11 inches and cavity insulation would be easy to do. Now here is the exciting bit, we would need over £1,000 to complete the job but with the grants available we can get it done for a little over £300 and we don’t even have to apply for the grants, the company does all that. Anyone is eligible, owners or tenants (although not quite sure how this side works) and if you are over 70 it is free (yes I realise you are all under 35). Your financial situation and house size seems to make no difference. It’s a hell of a bargain. With our leaky old house we should make the cost back in a very few months and we will make those savings year on year. Don’t delay, Google ‘cavity wall insulation’ and loads of sites will offer their services, all at very similar rates.
Our wind turbine and sustainability efforts got recognised on the 10:10 website this week with a great little blog article. Fame at last. Link: http://www.1010global.org/uk/2010/10/making-cut-kirton-farm
Electric consumption on nursery down by 23.37% for 2010 up to the end of September. Water consumption down 15.6%.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
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