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Koots Calendar |
Winter - 2012
New and Updated Leaflets Available for downloading
The Tool Library
The Tool Library comprises equipment for the growing, harvesting and processing of crops. The equipment is available for members to hire at very reasonable rates.
Web pages are open to all but equipment rentals are for members only
Growing in the Kootenays
Click on the image above to access growing details for a wide range of crops that can be grown in the Kootenays, together with seeding, transplanting and harvest details and a special section on fall planting.
Open to All
Main Sections of the Society's web site
Click on the links below
Kootenay Mountain Grown
KMG is the organic certification arm of the Kootenay Local Agricultural Society.
All of our standards, manuals, forms, rules and procedures are online and may be viewed by anyone.
Membership
Our membership year runs from the 1st January to the 31st December. Click on this box to go to the new membership / renewal page and help support agriculture and growing in the Kootenays.
Beekeeping Course
Please report any links that do not work to the office (klasociety@shaw.ca) The web site is getting so large and complex we are sure that some things have been missed...
New Membership fees and details for 2013
At the board meeting last June, the directors have decided to raise the society’s annual membership dues for those who do not renew their memberships on time. This hopefully will cut down on the administrative burden constantly undertaken at the beginning of the year.
In future, an invoice for membership renewal will be sent to all members at the beginning of December.
For those who renew their memberships in December and January the annual membership fee stays at $40. This functions as an ‘early payment’ discount. For those who renew their memberships from the 1st February onwards, the annual membership fee is $45.
For those new members who join on or after 1st October, the membership fee is $45, and the membership runs until 31st December the following year.
PayPal
In addition there are a couple of PayPal buttons that will appear on the website, to facilitate early and convenient renewal of memberships.
Button one will allow members to renew without using cheques that no one seems to have or use anymore.
This button will be for one annual membership i.e. One year only.
Button two will also allow members to renew without using cheques that no one seems to have or use anymore.
This button will renew for the next year and in addition allow automatic annual renewal of the society membership, until such time as as it cancelled. The membership will be renewed on the same date each year.
This is a great way to ensure that the membership costs are kept as low as possible by renewing automatically in January and taking advantage to the ‘early payment discount’.
If you choose this method of payment, the society benefits by not having to chase for renewals, thus reducing significantly the administrative workload. You as a member, will be reminded that the renewal is coming up as you will receive an invoice in early December - giving plenty of time to cancel if you do not wish to continue your membership.
In addition a third button will be available to allow anyone who is willing and able to make a donation to the work of the Society. For those who want to use this facility, you must set your own amount - and it’s a one time only donation.
All donations in future will be acknowledged both in the Newsletter and on the Website where the names will be listed but not the amount of the donation.
We hope that this will make it easier and more convenient for members to renew their subscriptions.
Jeremy Lack
Chairman
New Additions to the Tool Library
Low Tunnel Hoop Benders
Extend the growing season for cold-hardy crops with a very late season harvest or overwinter them for earliest possible Spring harvest.
These units quickly creates low tunnel hoops out of galvanized electrical conduit (EMT) to withstand brutal fall winds and heavy winter snow loads. 1/2" conduit is recommended for most applications, and can be purchased at your local home improvement store or electrical supply house in 10 ft lengths. The benders will also bend 3/4", or even 1" conduit, which can be used to provide extra strength for tunnel ends.
The Benders comes in 4- or 6-ft wide configurations, so Quick Hoops can span one or two beds at a time.
They mounts to any solid surface, such as the corner of a shop workbench, a picnic table, hay wagon, etc. or, to your farm truck's receiver using our the optional hitch mount, for convenience and portability.
When frost is expected, Quick Hoops are installed over the beds by inserting them into the soil about 10" and then covered with spun-bonded row cover; 10 - 15 ft widths are recommended. When real winter threatens, the row cover is then topped with UV resistant plastic greenhouse cover.
Covers are usually secured with sand bags or some other type of weight placed at the edge of each hoop.
The package Includes curved bender, lever bar (for "finishing" the bend) with removable inserts to accommodate 1/2", 3/4" or 1" electrical conduit, and detailed instructions.
Note: You can over-winter crops in the field using these tunnels…
Three rows of Quick Hoops covering the same area as a 22 x 48 ft. Greenhouse.
Other uses: Use during the summer with shade cloth (30%) to grow better lettuces, chard and spinach, to protect the leaves from scorch and over heating.
The manual is or will be available online in the Tool Library section of the web site together with a video and the units should be on the ground here in the Kootenays by the middle of October.
High Tunnel Hoop Benders
You can now create your own hoophouses at a much lower cost than pre-fabricated kits!
You will be able to extend your growing season and increase both crop quality and yield by protecting your crops from wind, rain, hail, insects, and disease pressure.
The advantages to protected cropping are numerous and you will on your way to more profitable crop production while saving a large amount of money compared to buying a tunnel.
These would be great for growing tomatoes (no early or late blight!!) and cucumbers and other ‘sensitive’ crops.
The January 2013
Newsletter is now available.
This newsletter is available for members to download by clicking on the image above.
Time to Renew your memberships in the Society.
2013 Membership