Zoom notes Feb 15 2021
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:34 am
Glasshouses project: Zoom notes Feb 15 2021
Next meeting March 1st 2021 5pm. Neil to send us a link.
Present: Peter MacDonald, Wendy Price, Ant Watkins, Neil Sutherland, Dennis Overton, Angus Marland, Jo Hunt, Jo Cumming
We were joined by Peter MacDonald from 4c, a mechanical engineer with experience of a range of renewable projects including marine and thermal
We decided to focus on 5 key areas that will enable us to collect the data we need to create a blueprint for the project:
1. The economics of the GH project. (Angus, JoH)
2. Best sources of energy for heating and lighting (Neil, Peter, Dennis, Angus)
3. Best practice in GH growing at our latitude, including skills required (JoH, JoC, Wendy, Ant)
4. The structure of our group and the implications for funding. Source funding for admin and support for research we can’t, or don’t have time to do ourselves (Dennis, Wendy)
5. Our place in tackling the climate emergency and reducing the carbon footprint (Neil, Ant)
Background information
There are 15 root veg farms between Inverness and Elgin that are complementary to the glasshouses (GH) project.
Major local veg wholesalers are Magnus Swanson and Gavin Williamson who import from Spain, have UK wide supermarket customers and are very price conscious. Not clear if they would work with us and be prepared to put a premium on Highland veg or see us as a threat.
There are no major row veg (eg brassicas and alliums) producers locally. There is no large transplant producer in Scotland which means having to buy in large quantities from Lincoln which adds to the cost and carbon footprint and the travel can affect the quality of the product. This could be an opportunity for our GH.
We need to research successful GH projects in UK and other countries growing at a similar latitude. Holland appears to be sustainable. Were some unsuccessful and why? Seek out government agencies that would support a study tour. See about working through government representatives working in the countries we want to research. Rather than reinvent the wheel, draw on best practice from elsewhere and adapt to our circumstances.
China is taking off as a GH producer having built 80,000ha of GH and their organic veg acreage is increasing. While culture very different, may be worth looking into the technologies they are using.
A major problem is a dearth of skilled workers and no local training. UHI have an HND in Horticulture but it is focused on garden centres. UHI are interested in developing sustainable/local food production and marketing degree units: JoH did some scoping work for them on this (in 2018). The barrier is that SG agri department don’t think it a priority, and see SRUC as the only possible actor. With more encouragement and the right support, JoH thinks UHI would and could have an interest in a more comprehensive degree around growing at this latitude. France and Spain have degree courses and local growers have been bringing over skilled students for summer work. However, producers face uncertainty this year because of Covid and Brexit. Could we and other HGFC groups create a demand pull for training? In the short term could a dearth of skills for community growing and a large GH be a show stopper?
Funding: find relevant body for different phases. Liaise with HGFC about applying to bodies like HIE. Could become confusing and annoying for HIE if different project groups start applying and HIE perceive overlap not taken into account. Find out the HIE priorities and objectives for the different strands of the organisation and pitch our application to their needs. [NB my last interaction with HIE was very frustrating because they were only interested in innovation and not in the type of project they perceived was running elsewhere in the UK, regardless of what benefit it would bring to Highland. JC]
Renewable Energy: sources worth exploring are ground source and waste heat from sewage, Norbord, Highland Distillery. Where is there energy going to waste?
Group member interests and ongoing contribution to the action plan
Neil: climate emergency, net zero carbon, renewable energy. I would add that the future for development generally is for mixed-use approaches rather than the mono cultural single function 20th C approach favoured by planners for too long.
If we are serious about reaching Net Zero by 2045 and making tangible inroads over the next decade, we need to be ambitious about delivering multiple function development across Scotland, which will include – food and energy production, economic and educational activities etc, etc.
A glasshouse as part of a developer proposal for an edge of city, town or village needs to be the norm! Sounds far-fetched – it’s my prediction by 2030, perhaps 2025.
JoC: GH research. Research bracken and fleece compost and fleece mulch which appears to be successful in the Lake District. Liaise with HGFC steering group to see what their thoughts and intentions are regarding issues such as umbrella or individual funding applications, admin support etc. Will ask if we could map growing projects already operating such as Thurso and Helmsdale. Anna has added a link to a HC Community Growing List in our flakblag
JoH: GH research, demand studies and food crops, smaller GH structures around the Highlands (are there HGFC growing networks, or others, that connect to our large GH project?)
Wendy: GH research. Keep in touch with Thurso Growers who have just taken over HC greenhouses. Happy to contribute to research into funding, talk to SOAS.
Dennis: building in learning and connection with FE institutes. Interested in what other countries do and what sources of funding we might access. Interested in sources of energy.
Peter: best practice technology and infrastructures for construction. Just completed a study for HIE. Interested in use of effluent waste heat. Will sound out the specialist department about research into growing at higher latitudes. Has limited time for pro bono work but would be interested in paid research.
Angus: we need to understand the economics. Interested in how others are using waste energy, eg distillery water, sewage works, and why some projects were not sustainable. Would like to research energy requirements of GH and the impact on price using different sources.
Ant: happy to research best practice in growing. Could find out from a colleague in SEPA how our project might contribute to climate gain
Anna?
Next meeting March 1st 2021 5pm. Neil to send us a link.
Present: Peter MacDonald, Wendy Price, Ant Watkins, Neil Sutherland, Dennis Overton, Angus Marland, Jo Hunt, Jo Cumming
We were joined by Peter MacDonald from 4c, a mechanical engineer with experience of a range of renewable projects including marine and thermal
We decided to focus on 5 key areas that will enable us to collect the data we need to create a blueprint for the project:
1. The economics of the GH project. (Angus, JoH)
2. Best sources of energy for heating and lighting (Neil, Peter, Dennis, Angus)
3. Best practice in GH growing at our latitude, including skills required (JoH, JoC, Wendy, Ant)
4. The structure of our group and the implications for funding. Source funding for admin and support for research we can’t, or don’t have time to do ourselves (Dennis, Wendy)
5. Our place in tackling the climate emergency and reducing the carbon footprint (Neil, Ant)
Background information
There are 15 root veg farms between Inverness and Elgin that are complementary to the glasshouses (GH) project.
Major local veg wholesalers are Magnus Swanson and Gavin Williamson who import from Spain, have UK wide supermarket customers and are very price conscious. Not clear if they would work with us and be prepared to put a premium on Highland veg or see us as a threat.
There are no major row veg (eg brassicas and alliums) producers locally. There is no large transplant producer in Scotland which means having to buy in large quantities from Lincoln which adds to the cost and carbon footprint and the travel can affect the quality of the product. This could be an opportunity for our GH.
We need to research successful GH projects in UK and other countries growing at a similar latitude. Holland appears to be sustainable. Were some unsuccessful and why? Seek out government agencies that would support a study tour. See about working through government representatives working in the countries we want to research. Rather than reinvent the wheel, draw on best practice from elsewhere and adapt to our circumstances.
China is taking off as a GH producer having built 80,000ha of GH and their organic veg acreage is increasing. While culture very different, may be worth looking into the technologies they are using.
A major problem is a dearth of skilled workers and no local training. UHI have an HND in Horticulture but it is focused on garden centres. UHI are interested in developing sustainable/local food production and marketing degree units: JoH did some scoping work for them on this (in 2018). The barrier is that SG agri department don’t think it a priority, and see SRUC as the only possible actor. With more encouragement and the right support, JoH thinks UHI would and could have an interest in a more comprehensive degree around growing at this latitude. France and Spain have degree courses and local growers have been bringing over skilled students for summer work. However, producers face uncertainty this year because of Covid and Brexit. Could we and other HGFC groups create a demand pull for training? In the short term could a dearth of skills for community growing and a large GH be a show stopper?
Funding: find relevant body for different phases. Liaise with HGFC about applying to bodies like HIE. Could become confusing and annoying for HIE if different project groups start applying and HIE perceive overlap not taken into account. Find out the HIE priorities and objectives for the different strands of the organisation and pitch our application to their needs. [NB my last interaction with HIE was very frustrating because they were only interested in innovation and not in the type of project they perceived was running elsewhere in the UK, regardless of what benefit it would bring to Highland. JC]
Renewable Energy: sources worth exploring are ground source and waste heat from sewage, Norbord, Highland Distillery. Where is there energy going to waste?
Group member interests and ongoing contribution to the action plan
Neil: climate emergency, net zero carbon, renewable energy. I would add that the future for development generally is for mixed-use approaches rather than the mono cultural single function 20th C approach favoured by planners for too long.
If we are serious about reaching Net Zero by 2045 and making tangible inroads over the next decade, we need to be ambitious about delivering multiple function development across Scotland, which will include – food and energy production, economic and educational activities etc, etc.
A glasshouse as part of a developer proposal for an edge of city, town or village needs to be the norm! Sounds far-fetched – it’s my prediction by 2030, perhaps 2025.
JoC: GH research. Research bracken and fleece compost and fleece mulch which appears to be successful in the Lake District. Liaise with HGFC steering group to see what their thoughts and intentions are regarding issues such as umbrella or individual funding applications, admin support etc. Will ask if we could map growing projects already operating such as Thurso and Helmsdale. Anna has added a link to a HC Community Growing List in our flakblag
JoH: GH research, demand studies and food crops, smaller GH structures around the Highlands (are there HGFC growing networks, or others, that connect to our large GH project?)
Wendy: GH research. Keep in touch with Thurso Growers who have just taken over HC greenhouses. Happy to contribute to research into funding, talk to SOAS.
Dennis: building in learning and connection with FE institutes. Interested in what other countries do and what sources of funding we might access. Interested in sources of energy.
Peter: best practice technology and infrastructures for construction. Just completed a study for HIE. Interested in use of effluent waste heat. Will sound out the specialist department about research into growing at higher latitudes. Has limited time for pro bono work but would be interested in paid research.
Angus: we need to understand the economics. Interested in how others are using waste energy, eg distillery water, sewage works, and why some projects were not sustainable. Would like to research energy requirements of GH and the impact on price using different sources.
Ant: happy to research best practice in growing. Could find out from a colleague in SEPA how our project might contribute to climate gain
Anna?