Thirteen Moons -The Sustainable Cafe

 

Thirteen Moons is not just another cafe and shop. It is a business, whose social aims fundamentally underpin how it trades.

 

When Thirteen Moons set out their business plan, they were concerned not only with profit margins, but also the impact it may have, both positively and negatively, on the environment and the community. It is with this in mind, that Thirteen Moons based its approach to business on a serious attempt at sustainability and inclusion. Not to be trendy, but it was felt that anything less would fall way short of what was actually needed here. They trade in a holistic manner, and as a way of life, not only one element of it.

Whether it is the recycling business waste, or choosing to re-use fine bone china crockery sourced from local charity shops, Thirteen Moons continually seeks to trade in a sustainable manner, whilst remaining financially viable in today's uncompromising economic climate. As well as a being a welcoming, friendly tearoom, it serves as a small farm shop and hub for local artisans to display and sell their crafts, and as a venue for communal gatherings and projects. Thirteen Moons operates as a working smallholding. All produce is sourced as locally as possible. Thirteen Moons also offers an outlet for local growers of fruit and vegetables, supporting other independent concerns, and minimising food miles. On the small holding,  pigs are raised for meat, chickens and ducks free range across the site, laying delicious fresh eggs for the individual to find and collect themselves. Even bees do their bit pollinating plants, making honey, and generally doing what bees do. Mr Magnifico, the donkey, Rhum and Mouse, the Highland ponies contribute some quality manure that will be used later this year on vegetable beds, to naturally fertilize and improve the soil. And there are plans afoot to train them to do some work in harness, but we are keeping that to ourselves for now!

The determination to engage their customers with the food they eat, and the environment they effect has made Thirteen Moons an ideal venue to educate the young and old alike. Their aim is to encourage, support and build on the existing knowledge that their visitors have of the natural cycles of life, seasonal changes and food production, in a fun and close up and personal fashion. So far, this has been received in a positive, enthusiastic, and interactive way. Customers have responded favourably to the requests from Dawn and Richard, to bring back their empty egg boxes for refilling, and return empty jam/marmalade/chutney jars for re use, in exchange for 10% off the price of their next jar! Some kind souls have even gone as far as donating beautiful unused china tea sets, furniture, good old fashioned tips, even their own time voluntarily. Truly embracing the best of the good old days, without the hardships! In a true make do and mend approach to the whole project , approximately 90% of the companies assets are second hand, or pre loved.including many of the animals that reside at Thirteen Moons. This means that many of the pre trading purchases benefited numerous charitable outlets, as well as other social enterprises, such as the Green Home, in Buckie. So, the sofa you are sitting on, the pot you are pouring from, or the hen you whip your egg out from under, have all had a life before that at Thirteen Moons.

Besides saving the planet, very grand!!.....it saves valuable money, which allows the savings to be passed onto the customer. Every- one's a winner, and can feel good about themselves, to boot. One of the biggest challenges that businesses are faced with, is that of waste. It is easy to generate vast quantities of rubbish in a normal household, so how do we deal with that produced through running a business. Simple. We have negligable waste. Not in the traditional sense. All of our own packaging is made of paper. The only plastic carriers we use are being re used.[Dawn has got more bags for life than she has years left to live!]. Any food waste is composted. Unsold farm food is transformed into preserves, soups, chutneys and marmalade. Empty plastic tomato containers discover their true purpose in life...as takeaway cake boxes. Any posted items needing protective packaging nestle snugly in...popcorn, which then feeds the recipients wild bird population. Anything that is not easily re-used, is recycled. Even the leftovers, if there are any, from the teapots will be collected and used to water the plants.

All very idyllic, I hear you cry. Yes and no. It is an Ideal, one which to which we aspire here at Thirteen Moons, but not one that is easy to uphold. When you've been up since six in the morning, cold, tired and still have 10 dogs to feed, the last thing you want to do is take a trip to the dump to do your recycling! And wonderful as our efforts sound, it is just the tip of the currently melting iceberg. We still have much to learn, more we can do, and many plans we hope to action in the coming months and years. These hopes and dreams include a really sustainable energy source, water, wind, solar. We are not fussy. A polytunnel, which will enable us to increase our own food production for more of the year. A return to milking our goats, Fanny and Nell for personal consumption. And the development of a programme of events, seminars and lectures on permaculture, animal husbandry, various forms hand crafting, plus other aspects of a well rounded existence that local people may want to participate in, such as music, art or possibly drama. We are always open to suggestions! To offset our need, here in the sticks, for a disgustingly unsustainable 4x4, we have planted 25 trees this year, most definitely not holidayed abroad [wouldn't let us take the goat on the plane!], and shared bath water more times than even I think is sanitary,. And there lies the principles on which we consider our little business sustainable...or at least on the path to sustainability. No one said it was going to be easy, but the easiest path isn't necessarily the best! (Although I'd have liked one that's not permanently covered in SNOW!!!!!!...)