"Nursery to close - orchid couple say goodbye to lifetime's work ... A 29-YEAR love affair with orchids will come to close in December for Tom and Jeanne French as the drought bites home in Mandurang [8 km south of Bendigo].
Zero water allocations will force the owners of the Mandurang Orchid Nursery into early retirement... ... they had fostered thousands of the... flowers over the decades... creating new varieties and having them registered in England... "We will keep our best twenty and that's all," Mrs French said. The French's water supply was down to the remnant supply in one dam that they expect to be exhausted by Christmas. ... The business was not eligible for an exemption of special water supply because it did not produce food or employ people and was classified as a hobby farm. Although they have a rainwater tank for drinking water, their dam also provides water for the domestic use." article URL : http://bendigo.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=518697&category=general&m=10&y=2006 *********** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
