Worthy Farm goes Solar Powered

[King Kong]

Just spotted this on the BBC news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11483542

[reallife]

Excellent, and handy to camp under when it rains!

Isn't it sweet when he gets his full title?

[5co77ie]

Excellent, and handy to camp under when it rains!

Isn't it sweet when he gets his full title?

Edited October 19, 2010 by 5co77ie

[5co77ie]

more new on the unveiling here:

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/10/101110c.shtml

[grumpyhack]

There's been a solar powered element to the fest for years with Croissant Neuf.

[G1T]

One of the often missed reasons for the festival still going is that Mr Eavis is extremely canny when it comes to money making opportunities.

I remember chatting to the guys running the infrastructure stores up by the farmhouse last year, very much local friends helping out during the festival. I commented on the barns being particularly new and shiny, and they said 'ooh yeah, Michael got europe to pay for them, the canny bastard'.

Edited November 10, 2010 by G1T

[eFestivals]

One of the often missed reasons for the festival still going is that Mr Eavis is extremely canny when it comes to money making opportunities.

I remember chatting to the guys running the infrastructure stores up by the farmhouse last year, very much local friends helping out during the festival. I commented on the barns being particularly new and shiny, and they said 'ooh yeah, Michael got europe to pay for them, the canny bastard'.

That's all (smart) farmers, not just Michael.

It's known in the trade as "subsidy farming", cos there's more money to be made thru working all of the various schemes to your advantage than there is with growing crops or rearing animals.

While lots of farmers like to suggest that times are always hard, there's few 'normal' folk who'd think times are hard when they were down to their last million pounds or so's worth of assets - which is the case with many farmers.

There are (supposedly) farmers that are hard up, yet I've never met one. And all those I've met are either driving a vehicle way beyond the means of normal people, or if not they have their barns chocked full with shiny new machinery. If there are any hard up farmers I'd guess they're the rather dumb ones.

[G1T]

Hmm, not entirely sure that's accurate, in as much as it's not. The ones that are surviving are the ones that know how to play the game. The rest are becoming B and Bs, switching to small scale farmers market production, getting day jobs or tragically just committing suicide.

I've met many round here who have gone to the wall. That said, i met a very pissed one backstage avalon last year who'd taken a chance on planting corn that year, and had made an utter killing thanks to the chinese boosting the price, and was busy buying rounds for everyone there.

Farming's a career I'd love to go into, but there's no way I would right now. It's like playing the stock market, but with less information and more variables.

[eFestivals]

The ones that are surviving are the ones that know how to play the game.

Yep - as I said, the smart ones.

Running a farm is running a business, it's not about just growing crops or rearing animals but there's plenty of farmers who want to just be about that.

It's little different for a self-employed bricklayer. If the bricklayer is only interested in laying bricks but not all of the business side that is required for him to be able to lay those bricks, then he's going to fail.

Michael is a smart cookie, but also very much a "hard nosed farmer" (not meant in an offensive way) like many farmers are - he knows where the money is and how to get at it, and always ensures he cuts a hard bargain. Anyone else who does much the same can be similarly successful at their farming (tho Michael of course also has the sideline of the festival).

For example, he's done all of the solar stuff without using a penny of his own money, and without putting up anything as security for what's been borrowed to do it - the subsidies available mean that there's people out there who are willing to front up the money for ANYONE, ANYWHERE to put panels on their roofs (if you own your own house, get on the case RIGHT NOW!! It'll put the value of your house up by around 9% too!!).

There's nothing stopping anyone else (including 'hard up farmers') from doing the same, aside from themselves.

[G1T]

There is a bit. Things like education, training, access to information, and the desire to produce quality produce.

If we want to support farmers making money, then we can do that. But if we want to support organic, locally sourced produce with a care for the quality of the produce, then we need to do things differently.

I've just helped my mum go through turning her house into the most solar powered space it can be, and it still took an initial investment of her own money. Negotiating european funding is a very intricate and very real skill, beyond the ken of many traditional farmers, and even my well qualified mother.

[eFestivals]

There is a bit. Things like education, training, access to information, and the desire to produce quality produce.

If we want to support farmers making money, then we can do that. But if we want to support organic, locally sourced produce with a care for the quality of the produce, then we need to do things differently.

I've just helped my mum go through turning her house into the most solar powered space it can be, and it still took an initial investment of her own money. Negotiating european funding is a very intricate and very real skill, beyond the ken of many traditional farmers, and even my well qualified mother.

i was 100% accurate when i said there is absolutely zero need for anyone to outlay anything moneywise to install panels, and it's nowt to do with EU funding.

google, and you will find.

[G1T]

having been through the process directly and recently, I am 100 % accurate in telling you you are wrong.

Try it and you will find.

[4AssedMonkey]

i was 100% accurate when i said there is absolutely zero need for anyone to outlay anything moneywise to install panels, and it's nowt to do with EU funding.

google, and you will find.

[4AssedMonkey]

See the Daily Mash have their unique take on the story:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/glastonbury-to-be-powered-by-jugglers-201011113245/

[5co77ie]

See the Daily Mash have their unique take on the story:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/glastonbury-to-be-powered-by-jugglers-201011113245/

[5co77ie]

Some interesting additional facts in this article:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1701826/glastonbury-chief-dude-unveils-britains-largest-private-solar-plant-atop-a-cowshed

To power the festival they would need they would need between 50,000 and 100,000 square meters (Wow!) and solar panels on marquees and urine conversion also being considered for the future!

[Guest]

The local news covered this yesterday evening. It reported that Michael had taken out a £500,000 overdraft as well as using subsidies and that he's looking into way of using methane from cows muck to produce energy on the farm.

[eFestivals]

The local news covered this yesterday evening. It reported that Michael had taken out a £500,000 overdraft as well as using subsidies and that he's looking into way of using methane from cows muck to produce energy on the farm.

yeah, he said they gave him the money unsecured.

I presume he did it that way cos it was more profitable to borrow the money directly than to use one of the firms that'll fund the installation - they're doing it for their own profit, so it means the person with the installation earns less from it than if they fund it themselves.

The subsidies come as what he gets paid for the electric he feeds into the grid - it gives him a guaranteed price, of more than the price that electricity is sold to joe public.

[Guest]

yeah, he said they gave him the money unsecured.