SHOP PRICES 2013
	EACH	pack /	1 lb	2 lbs	7 lbs	BAG	1 MTR
		bottle					RUN
Blood Fish and Bone			£0.25	£0.50	£1.75	£13.75
Bonemeal			£0.25	£0.50	£1.75	£13.75
Bug Clear		£2.75
Calcified Seaweed			£0.50	£1.00	£3.50	£27.50
Canes 5'	£0.20
Canes 6'	£0.30
Canes 8'	£0.60
Crop Protection Netting							£1.35
Disinfectant		£4.00
Dithane		£3.50
Doff Seaweed Feed		£3.65
Doff Tomato Food		£1.40
Garden Twine		£0.60
Gem Compost Maker			£0.30	£0.60	£2.10	£16.50
Grit						£3.30
Growmore			£0.30	£0.60	£2.10	£16.50
GrowOrganic			£0.60	£1.00	£3.50	£27.50
Grobags	£2.35
John Innes # 1						£3.35
John Innes # 2						£3.35
Lime			£0.15	£0.30	£1.00	£7.75
Maxicop Tomato Food		£3.00
Multi-Purpose Compost (Durstons)						£3.85
Mushroom Compost						£3.35
Onion Bags	£1.00
Perlite			£0.15	£0.30	£1.05	£8.25
Potato Bags	£1.50
Potato Fertiliser			£0.40	£0.80	£2.80	£22.00
Racumin Rat Killer		£4.25
Rock Dust			£0.35	£0.70	£2.10	£19.25
Round Up Spray	£2.75
Scaffolding Netting							£1.00
Sharp Sand						£3.65
Slug Gel		£2.75
Slug Pellets			£0.50	£1.00	£3.50	£27.50
Slug Bait		£3.40
Sulphate of Potash			£0.40	£0.80	£2.80	£22.00
Superphosphate			£0.40	£0.80	£2.80	£22.00
Tomorite		£2.70
Vitax Q4			£0.70	£1.40	£4.90	£35.00
Wasp Nest Killer		£2.40
WeedStop (1 mtr wide)							£0.70
WeedStop (2 mtr wide)							£1.40

 

Minutes of the Committee Meeting 8/01/2013

Present: Margaret Jackson (Secretary), David Jackson (Treasurer), Gill Chamberlain, Glyn Platt, Barry Savage

Apologies: Rob Hellyer (Chair)

The meeting commenced at 7.30 p.m.

1. SHOP

a)      The initial order from Maher’s was agreed.

b)      Clearing the shop in preparation for its reopening will take place from 10.00 a.m. on 22^nd January.

c)       The Secretary will place a notice in the Brew Room, after which a draft Shop Rota will be drawn up

 

2. DRAINAGE

 

a)      The Council has completed drainage work on Plots 1-3, this appears to have resolved the problems on plots 1-3. However, the position with the compost bins remains unclear. It was suggested that a contractor be brought in to excavate the flooded bin, and then the base be filled with gravel.  

b)      There are still problems with water entering the brew room after heavy rain, it has been suggested that a contractor be employed to scrape the parking area (reducing the level) and also to sink a drainage trench across the front of the Amenities Hut.

c)       It was agreed that any decisions in respect of 2 (a) and 2(b) be delayed until the Society gets a response from the Council to its proposal to take over operational management of the site.

 

Subsequent to the meeting (9/01/2013), the Allotments Officer has informed us (through Barry Savage) that the contractors who carried out the drainage work on plots 1-3 did not follow his plans. He intends to call them back to re-lay the drainage along the road and past the garage area. It would appear that if this is done, the problems with the compost bin and with the Amenities Hut may be significantly lessened.  

 

3. SELF-MANAGEMENT

 

a)      The response from the Council to the Society’s Proposal for self-management which was promised for the end of November 2012 has not been received. Glyn Platt reported that he had e-mailed Cllr. Cliff Morris about this, and Cllr Morris had agreed to meet the Committee. This meeting has now been set for January 21^st at 2.00 p.m. at the Town Hall.

b)      All actions relating to implementing the Co-operative structure(including opening new Bank Accounts and organising an initial Quarterly Meeting have been postponed pending the outcome of this meeting.

 

4. PROJECTS 2013

 

a)      The Society has proposed establishing some communal cultivation projects (hugel beds, soft fruit planting and potentially bee-keeping and chicken enclosures) in the woodlands areas of the site. The Council’s Woodlands Officer has visited to discuss this. He intends to have the woodland thinned which will create better growing conditions for the tress and also some clearings. He has agreed that the Society could use some of these clearings for our projects.

b)      The Allotments Officer has agreed in principle that the Society can establish a Communal Polytunnel on the area below the car park at the Riefield end of the site. Initially the society will cover the area with a weed suppressing membrane. The society currently possesses the framework of a polytunnel and an attempt will be made in early Spring 2013 to erect this framework, after which a cover will be purchased and final permission sought.  It is intended that this polytunnel will be used to grow a range of seedling plants which can then be sold through the Society shop (an extension of the seed scheme).

 

5. AOB

 

a)      The only vacant plot at present is plot number 3. The previous tenants are transferring to a new plot, and have been granted a period in which to transfer their greenhouse and shed to that new plot. It is hoped to re-let the plot in the Spring.

 

b)      The Treasurer was asked to clarify the expected purchase price of the brush-cutter whose purchase was agreed at the AGM. That price is in the region of £350.00.

 

6. Date of Next meeting

 

a)      It was agreed to postpone setting the date of the next meeting until after the Committee have met with Cllr Morris.

 

The meeting ended at 8.45 p.m.

 

Dobies Seeds

Please note that new supplies of the Dobies Seeds catalogues and order forms have been placed in the Brew Room. There are substantial discounts on seeds and also on potatoes and onion sets.

Please place orders through the Secreatry (Margaret) before December 16th 2012.

Committee Minutes 6/11/2012

Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night was a success, all went off well and safely.

The Committee agreed that safety would be improved by better outside lighting around the Amenities Building. Simple Spotlights should suffice.

All monies collected were handed by the Chair to Mick Carcione to defray the costs of providing burgers etc. The Treasurer has been asked to ensure that there had been a sufficient amount to cover Mick’s costs. The Society wishes to thank Mick and Caroline , Gill and Sue, Barry and Rob  and all others who helped with the night.

 

AGM Report

Copies of the minutes of the AGM (together with a copy of the accounts) have been placed in the Brew Room.

 

Co-operative

 It was agreed to take no further action on the Co-operative (other than joining Co-operatives UK) until either the January Committee meeting or the receipt of a response from the Council to our proposals for self-management, whichever is the earlier. The Council has promised at least an interim response by the end of November 2012.

In January we shall commence setting up Bank Accounts and Member and Share Registers.

We should hold an open meeting of the co-operative in January / February.

 

Big-Dig Prestwich

The Society / Co-operative is a member of Feeding Manchester / FoodLink Manchester. As part of Feeding Manchester #10 – Gill and Margaret have been asked to present a session at the next meeting in Prestwich on November 10^th.

 

Food4Bolton

Alan Brown of the Bolton gathering of Organic Growers has asked to speak to the Society about an initiative called Food4Bolton – he will be at a meeting in the Brew Room on Novmeber 25^th at 1.00 p.m

 

Shop

David will check when Maher’s need the supplies order for the shop. If it can wait until after 8^th January it will be drawn up at the next Committee meeting, if not we will simply repeat this year’s order. Arrangements for re-opening the shop in 2013 will be agreed at the 8^th January meeting.  

 

NSALG

The Society has now rejoined the NSALG. Paperwork should be received by early December

In the meantime the Society remains a member of theAGC and is insured through their brokers until 31^st December 2012.

The Society has received a quotation for 2013 insurance from the NSALG’s appointed brokers.. This quotation is acceptable. The Treasurer will re-insure the Society with those insurers from Janaury 1^st 2013.

 

Equipment

The Society will purchase a strimmer / brushcutter in the Spring. Any other equipment owned by the Society will be professionally serviced for the 2013 season. All equipment etc. has been removed from the Amenities Building.

 

Site Maintenance

Alan Crook (Bolton MBC Allotments Officer) has visited the site and it is hoped that the following work can be arranged:-

 

1.       A field drain cut across between plots 1 and 2 to prevent the flooding of plots 2 and 3 in future years. The outlet for this drain needs to be ascertained.

2.       As part of the above the path between plots 1 and 2 will be re-aligned and relaid.

3.       Excavation of the communal compost bin area to determine and remedy the water collecting under the bins and flowing out onto the road.

4.       A survey by the Tree Section of trees etc. shading plots 1-4, with a view to cutting out dead growth and ‘crowning some of the larger trees.

 

Other work identified includes the prevention of the flooding of the brew room. Independent advice suggests that we need a cut across the front of the brew room, stone filled and draining out onto the roadway, and thence down into the drain system on the D-shaped area. Similarly it would help if the circulation road surface could be scraped and a guttering system installed to take road water down onto the D-shape.

 

The Committee is aware of the poor condition of the road around the site, particularly the bottom road. The Secretary is trying to find affordable sources of surfacing materials.

 

The Committee hopes that as part of the negotiations on self-management a budget can be established to cover site maintenance works, if not the Committee will have to prioritise the use of Society / Co-operative funds.

 

The next meeting (for Committee members only) will take place at the Finishers, at 7.30 p.m. on 8/01/2013. Any members wishing to have matters discussed at that meeting should contact a Committee member.