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Koots Calendar |
The tool library was started with a grant from the
Columbia Basin Trust.
They have our grateful thanks.
About the tool library
Discussions and planning for the Tool Library project was started over two years ago by a group of local farmers who were concerned that the Kootenays lacked the availability of small scale equipment to support agricultural production. They were also concerned that their own farm incomes were too low to support group purchases of equipment to share. They were also concerned that breakdowns of the limited equipment that was available during the growing season had severe impacts on their income.
With the development the Kootenay Local Agricultural Society, there was an accumulation of sufficient like-minded people able to get together and to implement the project.
The key objectives of the project are to:
· Support the sustainability of local agriculture
· Support the stability of local farms
· Increase the availability and production of locally grown agricultural produce
The Tool Library project is regarded as a priority by the society, as it has the potential to quickly and dramatically increase the production volume on existing farms in addition to supporting new farmers with equipment access.
All agricultural tools and equipment are expensive. One of the chief draw backs of an area such as ours is the lack of affordable agricultural equipment for small farmers either for purchase or for rental.
Therefore one of the main components to build agricultural production in this area of small farms is to provide equipment for hire, so that individual operations can expand their production without having to finance the capital cost of equipment.
The goal of the project is to set up in the Kootenays, three depots, one each in Castlegar, Kaslo and Creston, to provide tool sets for hire on a non profit, asset replacement plus maintenance basis.
It is anticipated that this project will be self sustaining.
The tools sets have been formulated based on input from farmers and growers throughout the region and the lending process, the rules under which the project will operate and the method of operation have been under intense discussion for over two years.
New Collection and Return Times
Collections of and return of equipment have gotten out of hand with people wanting to collect from 6 am and return equipment up to 10 pm.
We have therefor had to change the times for collection and return to the times listed below
All equipment is inspected when it is returned - something that is not possible to do at 6 am or when it is dark at night and it is inspected to ensure that it is in working order prior to being lent out.
Thus the daily hire of equipment will run from 12 pm to 12 pm on the next day - this will allow the equipment to be inspected with the hirer when it is returned in daylight and will allow time to show a new hirer how the equipment works prior to it being taken.
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Tool Library - Hours of Operation | ||
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Collection of Equipment |
12 pm to 2 pm |
Monday to Sundays |
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Returns of Equipment |
12 pm to 2 pm |
Monday to Sunday |
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Booking of Equipment |
9 am to 5 pm (Telephone) Anytime (Email) |
Monday to Saturday Anytime |
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All Telephone Bookings of equipment must be made on this telephone number: (250) 608-0334 | ||
The Tool Library rates for 2011 have now been finalized,
Please click in the image to download your copy.
New Releases