July 2023
Staff at the BGI Hub Site have been taking the ‘Connect’ in Biomass Connect seriously during July by hosting a number of visitors and attending local shows.
- 4th July: Visitors from HG Matthews Brickworks, looking at biomass for his brick kilns where they make handmade bricks. Wood comes at a premium, so he wishes to grow his own.
- 9th July: BGI represented Biomass Connect with a stand at the ‘Green Festival’ Chiltern Open Air Museum with over 910 attendees.
- 12th July: A visit from ‘Our Food Story’ who brought a group of 12 interested people for a tour of the Biomass Connect plantation.
- 15th July: BGI hosted a Carbon Neutral Wedding – This made International Press, Daily Mail and even Vogue!
- 19th July: FP Matthew Nurseries visited as they were interested in learning more about agro-forestry and biomass for their clients. They had a tour of the Biomass Connect plantation and had many questions answered.
- 25th July: Councillors from the Green Party and ‘Sustainable Chesham’, were invited up and visited BGI /Biomass Connect Hub with 5 other local councillors and Sustainable Chesham to review the Biomass Connect Project and tour the plantation. They were very interested in biomass for providing a clean resolution for energy in Chesham and loved the compost and Enable probe for the farmers and community.
Weed control was the order of the day on the trial plots.
- Prominent weeds were noted and discussed at the Biomass Connect Hub Clinic with the Rothamsted Research Team.
- Miscanthus Nursery was contacted for advice on weed control of thistles.
- Following consultation with the Biomass Connect teams at Rothamsted Research and IBERS a Herbidome 350 weed sprayer has been purchased.
- The Herbidome has been used to apply glysophate D50 Bio around all SRF and SRC saplings apart from the large area of SRC Willow
- Mowing between the rows in the large area of willow is being used to suppress the worst of the weeds. The Herbidome will be used to spray where the mower can’t reach.
- Pest Control: No grazing has been evidenced, and the fencing is working well
- The Sida planted on 27/6/23 was noted to have emerged on 25th July.
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- Councillors visited and toured the BGI Hub Plantation with a group of 5 other interested parties from ‘Sustainable Chesham’ who are very interested in Biomass for District Heating…. Photo also shows the Sida coming up
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- BGI representing Biomass Connect at The Green Festival on Sunday 9th July 2023
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- Terravesta Miscanthus planted 14/6/23 with only 10% growing (95% no show).
