Relevant info on the website

[TonyW]

What sort of stuff do we want on the website? There has been a suggestion to put a bit about Fairmondo on http://fairmondo.uk/

Seems like a good idea, but there is no mention of organic and therefore maybe not relevant? If we put that up what else should we put up? Do we need a policy or should we just put up anything on the grounds that we need something up there to stop the site looking like it’s been abandoned?

[PeterT]

I think we discussed a similar issue a while ago. I seem to recall it was a campaign of some sort. We decided at the time that if it was directly related to our activities, ie growing, local growing, organics, etc, it was suitable for the website and the member should put it up there. Tony would help but it would be the members responsibility. If on the other hand, it didn’t meet any of these criteria, but the member felt it was important, they could still circulate it to the committee.

So a bee campaign, or GO’s recent news on glyphosate, would be OK but disaster appeals or political campaigns would not.

Is this sufficient or do we need to agree a policy?

[PeterT]

Here is an interesting example which arrived today. These are the people who used to come to the show selling copper tools. Do you think it’s suitable for our website? I seem to have lost the links in copying it across but their catalogue can be found at https://www.implementations.co.uk

“Implementations
Spring 2016 newsletter

saxifrage&thyme

Dear gardener

Welcome to our twice-yearly newsletter.

The longer days, young leaves on the trees and the new growth in the garden tell us that spring is here. But the weather still feels like winter in the centre of England where we live. It’s so cold!

Part of the philosophy with the tools is to work with Nature rather than against it. To that end, I looked out for what grows naturally in this area – and brought some of the bits I want into the garden. Wild garlic, ransoms thrive in the hedgerows and stream banks around here. A few years ago I planted some bulbs on the north-facing side of a hedge. This year they evidently decided they like it and have taken off. The leaves and flowers add a zing to salads and they look lovely too.

ransoms1

Here they are, keeping the nettles out (we keep a few of those, for the insects) and next to the Babington leek, a native British onion.

No dig gardening

Another practitioner of the minimum interference approach is Charles Dowding, the champion of no-dig gardening. He has been a longstanding user of our tools. His favourites are the Hydra Hoe and the Castor Trowel. We are happy to offer readers of this newsletter a 10% discount on his no-dig gardening courses at his smallholding in Somerset. Go to his website and enter the promotional code coppernodig. This offer is valid until the end of May.

Shows

2016 is the year when Nigel and I stop doing shows. But the shiny new tools will still have their days out. Two of our resellers in particular will have a busy summer this year. You can find the complete diary of their events at the bottom of our stockists page. You will also see on that page that the number of resellers is growing too.

Kindle edition
E-book

Our booklet telling the story of the tools is now available on Kindle at 99p.

We have added a new chapter, ‘Copper or Bronze?’ to try to clear up the confusion between those two words.

If you would like it uploaded to another e-book format, please let us know.
2015 Christmas Gift

Every year we ask our customers to nominate a charitable or community venture that they feel would make good use of our tools. The recipient last year was Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens in Machynlleth, mid-Wales.
taurus 3-claw

They chose a Taurus 3-claw and a Spika Weeder.

We wish all at Gerddi Bro Ddyfi a successful season.
New tools?

Not this season, I’m afraid. PKS in Austria have been so busy coping with existing demand that any new tool projects have gone to the end of the ‘to-do’ list. There are a couple of ideas in the pipeline, which we hope to be able to introduce later in the year. We want to continue expanding the range however, so if you have a favourite tool that you would like to see made in bronze please email your suggestion, preferably with an image.

Wishing you a rewarding and productive 2016, whatever the weather.

Warm greetings from

Jane and Nigel

[Author]

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