The Apple Club Newsletter, Spring 2003, Page 1

After a wonderful beginning to the spring, with all our plants bursting into leaf, I have suddenly become aware that if this spring newsletter does not appear soon, I can wait until next year. so here it is, and I hope that you enjoy it.

The news regarding the solar panels (which I mentioned in last summers newsletter) is good, in as much as they have been installed, and are now providing hot water for the juice pasteurisation and camping site. Altogether we have about 20 square metres of panels, and these are capable of heating our one thousand-litre water tank to 80°C. We are greatly appreciative of the financial support promised by Tipperary Leader Group towards the purchase and installation of these panels. Anyone who is interested in using solar water heating in their homes, or in just having a look at how these panels work is more than welcome at our farm.
Another environmental item that may be of interest is that our farm has switched electricity supplier from ESB to Airtricity. While we have always been very happy with the level of service provided by the ESB, we were disappointed that they generated so much of their power from peat, coal, oil and gas, and so little from renewable resources. Airtricity is an alternative supplier that generates electricity using wind turbines. They have a number of wind farms around Ireland, and are currently working on the Arklow Banks project. Having seen wind farms at close hand in the Netherlands, I must admit to thinking that they are a wonderful addition to the landscape and the environment, reducing the need for polluting power sources.
The way that we subscribe to Airtricity is that we agree to purchase power from them, which they supply through the existing ESB network. If there is no wind, then they top up their power requirements from ESB plants, and if they have surplus power, it is passed on to the ESB. In this way, our electricity supply is just the same as always, except that when we pay the bill, we know that the money goes towards constructing and running wind turbines, rather than purchasing oil or coal for the power plants. So far the system has worked perfectly, and the nice thing is that in calm weather when the wind generating capacity is low, the solar panels work at maximum efficiency, while in windy (cloudy) weather when the panels draw less heat, the wind turbines are operating at their optimum. All in all a great system!

One of the people from our farm (Teresa Murphy, who you may meet from time to time in our shop) is participating in a charity program in Moldova. The program is run by Outreach Moldova, and is involved in caring for disabled, orphaned and abandoned children in Moldova. Each month, care volunteers travel to the Hincesti orphanage in Moldova, to help care for over 200 children. The orphanage has been refurbished by the outreach group, but it is in the care of the children that the volunteers make a real difference to their lives. The children are assisted by the volunteers in music, sports, play, and skills training, as well as all their normal everyday pastimes. As you can well imagine, this is difficult but rewarding work, and it is all done on a voluntary basis. Teresa intends to act as a volunteer care worker in the Hincesti orphanage from late June until late July. However, in order to get there, Teresa needs to raise funds. To this end, Noreen and Josef (two of the other people you will see at our farm) are going to do a sponsored parachute jump in early June. This will be their first (and possibly only) jump, and they will be fund-raising for this via our farm-shop, and by any other means that they can. If you wish to make a contribution towards Teresa's worthwhile trip, or to the parachute jump, we will be glad to accept it at the farm shop, or you can phone Teresa at 052-27071. If you are interested in getting involved in the Moldova project yourself, they can be contacted at: Outreach Moldova, P.O. Box 8039, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, or on the internet at www.outreachmoldova.org.