Interesting ref the pellets being imported from the USA. Our local wood supplier told me last year that he was struggling to buy large amounts of timber as they were shipping a lot by rail from the West Country to be turned into pellets for the Drax power station.. This info is 3rd hand, so I dont know if its 100% correct. I do know we have a "trial" bio digester 15 miles away, that coverts organics into gas, that then powers a generator. Good idea in theory, but they are increasingly going further and further on the roads, over 12 miles, to source the locally grown fuel and hauling it all by a fleet of huge John Deer tractors. I imagine that if you looked at their fuel consumption it would be just as green to burn diesel directly for the generator.
On the other side of this green agenda. I help undertake wild deer management ( with all the certification and training that is involved ), you would think local sourced Venison would be a great green plus point, but we just learnt that our game dealer will not accept any more as they cant get rid of it.. its bonkers.. When they were accepting it, we recieved 1£ per Kg.. for many many hours of work..
Dave those stories are totally bonkers, not so long ago Venison was a delicacy and still remains so for us, I suppose the greens and veggies have influenced the market now.
We are lucky down here and have a source that serves a similar vital role as you do.
p.s. The local posher restaurants still serve it possibly to the older generation that frequent them.
