Transition Town Rhayader & District  -  Newsletter February 2010

Happy New Year to everyone, and that’s just what we are intending it to be for the transition process. It’s been a long dark winter with a surprising period of cold and snow, which we seem to be coming out of now. All that most of us wanted to do was ‘hunker’ down and hibernate. The first signs of spring can only be weeks away now, surely.  Imbolc is February second so we should be seeing the first snowdrops soon.
With the increasing light comes increased activity and for the Transition group this means launching several new projects and initiatives in the early part of the year.

Our first, and most exciting, project is joining with the Board of Trustees of the Old School in Cwmdauddwr to develop the Eco-refurbishment of the building. The Transition group will be funding a variety of carbon saving measures to enhance the building’s overall carbon footprint and to make it an exemplar of good building practice. These measures will include loft and cavity wall insulation, and secondary double-glazing to reduce energy loss; twin solar thermal panels to heat water for the hand basins and showers; an array of photovoltaic panels to produce electricity for the building and an income from the feed in tariff. We will also be developing the old playground into a community garden with facilities for teaching. It’s expected that the school will become a visitor attraction in it’s own right as it will be able to demonstrate many different aspects of sustainable retro-fitting.

Our second initiative rolls out in early February in conjunction with Domestic and General Insulations. Together we will be contacting every home in Rhayader and District to see what level of insulation they have and to offer upgrades where necessary. Domestic and General will be able to give up to date information on all grants available and will carry out the grant applications on behalf of customers. It couldn’t get any easier! We will be able to calculate the overall carbon and financial savings that the community makes by the amount of houses taking up the scheme. These figures will be released regularly so everyone can see how Rhayader and District is reducing its carbon footprint.

Our third project is still in the planning stage but, if successful, should start happening around the end of February, and comes in the form of a ‘plant growing trial’. The project will have several elements to it so that nobody is excluded.
·    Element one. Trialling grains and pulses not grown in this area before, such as Quinoa, Soya, lentils and a variety of beans. This will require a minimum of 2 square meters so can be in a garden or vegetable patch. Larger areas would be welcomed if any landowners or farmers would like to offer space.
·    Element two. There is a Tea bush that will grow in this country providing the growing temperature doesn’t drop below 10 degrees centigrade. We’re looking for people with greenhouses or conservatories who would like to try growing tea for us.
·    Element three. Similar to element two, but this time involves growing cashew nuts. Cashews grow on a small bush like tree, which, again, will grow well in conservatories that can maintain a certain temperature. We’re looking for people who would like to try producing nuts indoors.
·    Element four. This is for anyone who doesn’t have a garden and is all about growing salads and veg in window boxes.

In all cases the Transition group will supply the plants and containers and will arrange with individuals to monitor the progress of the plants as part of a formal growing trial. The purpose of the exercise?
Well in the world just around the corner where climate change and oil depletion will seriously affect our abilities to have food trucked in to us we feel it is better to adopt the precautionary principal and be prepared. If all these plants can be produced here and there is sound evidence to show that they will, then their production can be stepped up to a commercial level. We already know that we can produce meat, but cereals and grains are sadly missing. Historically we know that oats and rye will grow here and it’s hoped that the farming community still has the skills to produce them if and when needed. Diversity will be key to feeding ourselves, and indeed others, which may be the case as Powys has a low population density and a lot of land to produce food on. The wider the variety of food plants we can count on the better.

So, if you are interested in any of the projects above, or would like to know more about the transition movement in Rhayader then click here
or you can contact Dorienne Robinson on 01597 860167

The Transition group meets on the first Wednesday of every month in the backroom of The Crown Inn, North St, Rhayader.
PLEASE NOTE:  The meeting at the Crown on Wednesday 1st September has been cancelled.  Please click here for future dates & information.