INISHOWEN ORGANIC GROUP

ORGANIC INFORMATION

Ian

I would like more information about turning my veggie plot organic. I have read a few books but would be grateful if you could put me in touch with any organic group in Inishowen. Thanks T.M Carn


Reply.

Hi Tom. You will be pleased to know that Inishowen does have a really strong organic group here in Inishowen. They meet every last Thursday in Simpsons bar in Carndonagh , so you won't have far to travel!. The main focus of the network is on subsidised training, and now they have such a large membership, most of the training can be done here in Inishowen. An earlier meeting included guest speaker John Long from North West Organics, based in Derry. He spoke about farmers markets. NWO now organise several markets,including Donegal town and Strabane. The markets are slowly becoming more popular as people are getting the 'buy local' message, The group are always looking for organic growers. So if you have a large plot with loads of surplus stock to sell or just produce enough for youself them contact Mary Reilly at jandmreilly@eircom.net> . Mary will happily answer all of your questions.

Horticultural.

BIO FUEL

IS BIO FUEL THE WAY TO GO?

Steps towards motoring without petrol and diesel came one stage closer recently, with Volkswagen, Shell and biotechnology firm Iogen agreeing to look into producing a new biofuel in Germany. A European Union directive on cutting greenhouse emissions means that by 2010, 5.75% of fuel in use in the EU has to be biofuels. In this agreement, VW, Shell and Iogen are looking to produce a new biofuel called cellulose ethanol, which is produced from the straw and leaves of agricultural cereals. Two vehicles that run on biofuels are already sold in Europe at the moment. Saab launched its 9-5 Biopower saloon and estate models in November of last year. These run on a bioethanol mix known as E85 and Saab claims this fuel cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 70%.

Bioenthanol-powered cars could offer the best of both worlds. They can run on bioethanol (effectively alcohol derived from fermented cereal crops), petrol or any mixture of the two. The concept of bioethanol is simple. The crops grown to produce the renewable bio-fuel absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This almost cancels out the carbon dioxide produced when the fuel is burnt. An engine using bio-ethanol produces no sulphur and generates less carbon dioxide than an engine using petrol. Currently, Saab has BioPower version of its 9-5, Ford is selling the Focus Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) and Renault has just released details for a Bio-Power Clio. In theory, this all sounds great, but just how useable is one of these bio-cars when compared to a petrol equivalent? Apart from the colorful livery on the car, there is no easy way to tell a bio-ethanol Focus from its conventional petrol sibling. Get in, turn the key, and drive off, and you won't notice anything different and you don't have to treat the car in any special way. The Focus FFV uses a 1.8-litre engine modified to cope with a mixture of ethanol and petrol. The engine constantly measures the combination of fuel in the tank and adjusts itself to get the best performance. That means you don't have to worry about what ratio you put in the tank -just fill up when you want to. Once you take into account that the crops grown to produce the ethanol have already absorbed carbon dioxide, the 1.8 FFV engine produces only 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted when running on petrol. Engine power is slightly improved when running purely on bioethanol, but only by five bhp you'll struggle to notice any real improvement.. Unlike LPG systems, there's no need for a separate fuel tank, hidden in the boot or spare wheel recess, so even luggage space isn't compromised. The Ford Focus FFV is priced between the existing 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol-only models. As with any car in the Focus range, you can order it in LX, Sport, Zetec and Climate trim levels, and you can order from any Ford dealership. One area where the Focus FFV seems to let itself down is fuel economy. A tank of bioethanol will only take you about 200 miles and, according to the car's trip computer, this averages roughly 28mpg on a mixture of faster roads and urban driving.

Ford quotes an official combined fuel consumption of 40.4mpg for the FFV when run purely on petrol, but admits that will drop by up to 25% when you switch to bioethanol A litre of biofuel should be about 10 cent cheaper than unleaded. Drivers who use bioethanol currently pay 20% less fuel tax than for petrol and diesel, and company drivers will also pay slightly less road tax. Owning a biofuel car will not be practical yet around here, because it is almost impossible to get your hands on the fuel. However, in England last month, the supermarket chain Morrisons started selling biofuel and already has 10 stations up and running. Hopefully the large petrol companies in Ireland will add a pump to the forecorts. So, the future for bioethanol may look bright. Other parts of Europe are already keen on biofuel cars. In Sweden, 80% of all Ford Focus models sold are biofuel-ready, and Renault is claiming that by 2009, 50% of all its petrol-engined cars sold in Europe will be bio-powered. Currently all the bioethanol sold here is imported from Brazil, but the first two manufacturing plants are now being built in England, with production starting next year. The Ford Focus is one of the best small family cars on the market, and the FFV is a fine replacement for a conventional petrol model. Once more petrol stations stock the biofuel, and if the Government keeps the tax down, bioethanol cars could prove a real hit, especially as petrol prices are on a sharp incline.

Environmental.

THE DUCKS OF SWAN PARK

NOTE: Since writing this, Killian has set up the North West Wildlife Park. Check out the website by clicking on the title.

Recent visitors to Swan Park in Buncrana have been delighted to see ducks swimming about on the river. Many locals are bringing bags of bread on their walks to feed the ducks and enjoy their lively antics. But where did these domesticated mallards come from? The Inish Times tracked down Leaving Cert. student Killian McLaughlin from Scoil Mhuire to find out the full story.

Killian lives with his family in Swilly Road, Buncrana. Walking into his back garden is like walking into a wildlife park. A huge turkey is knocking on the french doors with his beak. A female turkey is sitting on eggs. Ducks and geese roam happily about the garden. Cages and pens hold quail, pheasants, lovebirds, parrots and all manner of beautiful and well cared for birds. Pigeons fly overhead and a cheeky orphaned blue-eyed jackdaw sticks his head though the aviary wire and chats to any one who’ll listen. Killian also has a baby peacock, ferrets, terrapins, a lizard and an Old English Sheepdog. He has built ponds, aviaries and sheds to care for his wildlife. Here he tells the story of the ducks of Swan Park.

In the autumn last year I purchased two ducks and a drake from a breeder. They were the first ducks I had ever kept so I had a lot to learn. I welcomed the challenge and cared for the ducks all winter watching them grow and mature.

Spring arrived and the two ducks began to lay. One duck built her nest of twigs, leaves and feathers close to the garden wall under a concealing immature willow tree. She laid 17 grey blue eggs over a period of as many days. She rarely left the nest, only to eat and drink. After the designated 28 days incubation time I looked under her. To my absolute astonishment three of the smallest black and yellow ducklings I had ever seen sat underneath their mother unphased by my presence. They made faint whistling noises.

Over the next three days the rest of the chicks began to hatch. After the fifth day I checked on her again and very unusually all seventeen had hatched. She began to leave the nest and take the ducklings on tours of the garden and the ponds.

Over the next few months I watched my duck family flourish. The mother duck also adopted four orphan ducks, which she treated as her own.. Unfortunately the day came when the family were going through more food in one day than the original ducks had eaten in a week. I offered the ducks to a good home with natural ponds and they seemed to be happy in their new home. However, after a while the ducks started to wander onto the road and a few of them disappeared. The new owner felt they needed a safer environment and chose Swan Park as their new home.

I only found out about this some time after they had been released and was very worried, as I did not believe domestic ducks would survive in the wild. I went to the Park with a net to try to recapture the birds. To my utter amazement the ducks were not the skeletons I had envisioned but were healthy and very beautiful drakes. As I could not have pictured a nicer setting for the ducks and they are getting a steady food supply from the river and from visitors providing bread I decided to let them stay.

Two ducks have since gone missing bringing the original six to four. The risks for these domesticated mallards are high. They can’t fly and could fall prey to otter, mink, foxes and even dogs. Carelessly discarded hooks, weights and lines could prove fatal to the ducks if ingested, so I would encourage fishermen to carefully dispose of their line and dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead. Although the risks are high the benefits outweigh the dangers. The ducks get to live their lives in freedom on a beautiful river and to feast on a wide variety of natural food. At present they possess very bright yellow beaks, which indicates that they are very healthy indeed.

Although these ducks appear happy on their river home I would not encourage the release of any more ducks onto the river system or any other river. This would put pressure on the environment to feed the population and it would put strain in the pecking order of the group of drakes. If another duck or drake was introduced this could result in the death or isolation of one, or the entire group.

The winter will prove hard for the four brothers on the river but I hope a constant supply of food from good willed walkers will see them through to the spring. If the ducks are respected, they could live for many years and be a great attraction in the park for countless kids to go and feed.

FINAL NOTE :These ducks are domesticated mallards and are NOT bred for the table.

Environmental.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN WITH ROBERTA MORROW

This week we are in the lovely garden of St Mura’s National School in Buncrana talking to Roberta Morrow.

How long have you been working on the garden?

26 years. I inherited the garden from Mrs Emily Bryce a previous teacher. She and the children had planted some lovely shrubs and beautiful roses.

What is your favourite plant?

The cherry blossom. The children love the confetti like petals that fall.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?

The bird table. We have daily visits from blue tits and greenfinches.

What is your favourite season and why?

The spring. Watching the shoots from bulbs push their way up out of the ground. We have tulips and daffodils in the garden.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?

Watching the wildlife return to the garden. We had starlings in the air vents before the renovations. We are looking forward to seeing more butterflies after planting some buddleia’s.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?

Some of the daffodils get broken with footballs. We just gather them up and put them in the classroom.

What is your best gardening tool?

My hands. I don’t like wearing gloves.

Top Tip for spring?

Now is a great time for taking slips from honeysuckle and hydrangea. Cut off a twig just below a leaf node and stick them in the ground.

Any plans for the future?

A small shallow pond. And we’d love a garden seat to sit and enjoy the fruits of our labour!! We might even try growing a few herbs

Horticultural.

ME AND MY MOTOR-CAROLINE WALKER

Caroline Walker from Burnfoot is in the motoring spotlight this week. Caroline is a familiar sight around Buncrana and beyond with her mobile catering trailer (Caroline’s Chippy). The job demands a sturdy vehicle and what better than a 2005 Land Rover Discovery.

How long have you had the car?
I bought it from new two years ago.

Any plans to change?
No, I plan to hold on to it for a while longer yet.

Is it reliable?
It is. This is one of the benefits of having a newer vehicle.

Best thing about the car?
Four wheel drive is very handy and great for soft ground. The clutch is far tougher than other workhorses. You don’t smell the clutch burning like other 4X4’s that I have had.

How often do you wash it?
My husband, John, washes the car once a week

Any modifications?
It has corner enhancement and air suspension to cope with the trailer. I chose air suspension because the weight of the trailer is on the front end and this has been very heavy on tyre wear. A Mitsubishi 4X4 I had before this needed the back tyres to be changed after three months as they were down to the wire.

If you were the minister for finance what would you do to help motorists?
Consistency on the road surfaces. The bumps and hollows are accentuated when you tow a trailer.

What would you really like to be driving around in?
I would like to be driving around in our motorhome, that would mean we were on holiday!

Motoring.