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
Showing posts with label energy prices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label energy prices. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Morning all,
I can’t remember which day it was, but I took someone, can’t remember who, up to see the wind turbine site, luckily I did manage to remember where that was. I do recall it was a rare sunny moment in the week and that very noticeably spring was springing with loads of skylarks doing their thing. Sometimes it’s good to lift your nose from the grindstone for a second to take in the simple stuff. Bit grey today and lots of bird song but no skylarks yet.
Sadly we didn’t win the Nursery Stock Grower of the Year Award which was presented on Thursday, we will have to make do with reaching the final three. I couldn’t bring myself to part with the ticket money (£180 each + travel, drinks, parking, sleeping etc) at a time of the year when cash flow tends to be a bit tight and the total cost of night out for two would keep us in logs for the winter. As an alternative night out we took a few friends out to see Imelda May in Southampton on Friday, which was great value (just 17.50 to see a big selling live performance). She and her band were brilliant, lively, slick and professional, the night just flew by. If you get the chance go and see her, and the support band Big Boy Bloater!
Struggling to walk this morning after a late night on Friday and hockey yesterday. Last week’s result got worse with the news that it was 0-10 not the nine I counted. We did better this week 1-1, so pride restored a bit, although scabby weepy knees and elbows resulting from a few close encounters on a sandy pitch are a high price to pay. No Saturday night cuddles for me!
Excitement on the nursery this week with the return of the potting machine which has been off at the menders all winter having its bearings, sprockets and chains replaced. Everything on it had been moving in odd directions and making a lot of strange noises during last year and now it is reported to be a smooth operator. Can anyone do the same for worn out nursery chaps?
Lots of fresh chunky spring growth coming on the plants especially the perennials which is great to see. We have a few casualties after the December freeze but hopefully not too many. The nursery is looking quite tidy after the big winter sort out. Nearly all the plastic stuff has gone off to the recycling man or other nurseries for reuse, with just a few old tunnel sheets to repack into bulk bags when we get a dry spare moment. Much of the stock has had its winter tart up and the last of the irrigation plumbing is nearly done. We sent some of the pallets we have accumulated down to the farm for reuse this week, sorted out the broken ones for the wood burner and kept a few for reuse here, a very satisfactory job and a bit more space too.
Eco news
We had a visit this week from our PLATO Sustain group leader/consultant to see how we were progressing on the sustainability front and where the group might be able to help us progress further. Although not a horticulturist it was a useful couple of hours and helped me focus a bit more on what else we can go for in the short, medium and long term. Lots to think about from water use and recycling, waste management and recycling, to longer term future transport issues and how that could affect us and the industry in general. It is something that will need to be addressed soon. With escalating transport costs, the problem of getting stock to the customer on anything but a local level is going to become a major factor in plant prices. For example one trolley distributor is charging £59/ trolley plus £10 collection from our site and a fuel surcharge, to deliver from us to East Anglia, North Midlands & Devon/Cornwall. This gets us to £75+ per trolley with no multiple drop discount until you reach 4 or 5 trolleys per delivery. Luckily we rarely deliver this far, we mostly use our own lorries and I’m sure there are slightly cheaper alternatives, but energy prices are only going to increase over the years and it is something that will need some thought over the next few years.
As soon as we start potting again we will be incorporating the new bio-insecticide Met52 in all our potting composts. This is a fungal inoculation that gives long term protection against the dreaded vine weevil. Since introducing the herb and soft fruit ranges we have shied away from using chemical control in favour of introducing the safe nematode controls, but they are expensive, not always effective and take a lot of time to apply. Although not all our stock is attractive to this pest, by using the fungus in all compost mixes, it should give us an opportunity to get right back on top of its control.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
I can’t remember which day it was, but I took someone, can’t remember who, up to see the wind turbine site, luckily I did manage to remember where that was. I do recall it was a rare sunny moment in the week and that very noticeably spring was springing with loads of skylarks doing their thing. Sometimes it’s good to lift your nose from the grindstone for a second to take in the simple stuff. Bit grey today and lots of bird song but no skylarks yet.
Sadly we didn’t win the Nursery Stock Grower of the Year Award which was presented on Thursday, we will have to make do with reaching the final three. I couldn’t bring myself to part with the ticket money (£180 each + travel, drinks, parking, sleeping etc) at a time of the year when cash flow tends to be a bit tight and the total cost of night out for two would keep us in logs for the winter. As an alternative night out we took a few friends out to see Imelda May in Southampton on Friday, which was great value (just 17.50 to see a big selling live performance). She and her band were brilliant, lively, slick and professional, the night just flew by. If you get the chance go and see her, and the support band Big Boy Bloater!
Struggling to walk this morning after a late night on Friday and hockey yesterday. Last week’s result got worse with the news that it was 0-10 not the nine I counted. We did better this week 1-1, so pride restored a bit, although scabby weepy knees and elbows resulting from a few close encounters on a sandy pitch are a high price to pay. No Saturday night cuddles for me!
Excitement on the nursery this week with the return of the potting machine which has been off at the menders all winter having its bearings, sprockets and chains replaced. Everything on it had been moving in odd directions and making a lot of strange noises during last year and now it is reported to be a smooth operator. Can anyone do the same for worn out nursery chaps?
Lots of fresh chunky spring growth coming on the plants especially the perennials which is great to see. We have a few casualties after the December freeze but hopefully not too many. The nursery is looking quite tidy after the big winter sort out. Nearly all the plastic stuff has gone off to the recycling man or other nurseries for reuse, with just a few old tunnel sheets to repack into bulk bags when we get a dry spare moment. Much of the stock has had its winter tart up and the last of the irrigation plumbing is nearly done. We sent some of the pallets we have accumulated down to the farm for reuse this week, sorted out the broken ones for the wood burner and kept a few for reuse here, a very satisfactory job and a bit more space too.
Eco news
We had a visit this week from our PLATO Sustain group leader/consultant to see how we were progressing on the sustainability front and where the group might be able to help us progress further. Although not a horticulturist it was a useful couple of hours and helped me focus a bit more on what else we can go for in the short, medium and long term. Lots to think about from water use and recycling, waste management and recycling, to longer term future transport issues and how that could affect us and the industry in general. It is something that will need to be addressed soon. With escalating transport costs, the problem of getting stock to the customer on anything but a local level is going to become a major factor in plant prices. For example one trolley distributor is charging £59/ trolley plus £10 collection from our site and a fuel surcharge, to deliver from us to East Anglia, North Midlands & Devon/Cornwall. This gets us to £75+ per trolley with no multiple drop discount until you reach 4 or 5 trolleys per delivery. Luckily we rarely deliver this far, we mostly use our own lorries and I’m sure there are slightly cheaper alternatives, but energy prices are only going to increase over the years and it is something that will need some thought over the next few years.
As soon as we start potting again we will be incorporating the new bio-insecticide Met52 in all our potting composts. This is a fungal inoculation that gives long term protection against the dreaded vine weevil. Since introducing the herb and soft fruit ranges we have shied away from using chemical control in favour of introducing the safe nematode controls, but they are expensive, not always effective and take a lot of time to apply. Although not all our stock is attractive to this pest, by using the fungus in all compost mixes, it should give us an opportunity to get right back on top of its control.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
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