The highlight of the past three weeks has been the success over the issue of keeping rooks off the sea buckthorn plants. Daily, new scarers go onto the site or else old ones are moved around. A large kite has made a difference, but I am only flying it when birds start to return. When it is used in combination with a firework rocket that is designed for bird scaring I can now expect 36 hours of keeping the rooks off the site.
I often reflect upon the issue of what this project is all about. The original objective was to provide the farm with a new high value crop to enhance the farm’s income. But farming is a business and as with many smaller farms diversification is not always centred on crop production. Developing a new crop required on-going investment and is high risk and so far sales of imported sea buckthorn has helped to fund the sea buckthorn project at Devereux farm. Sales of anything however requires concentration and time to develop and increase those sales. How many times do I say that time is a finite resource. This time of year however the sea buckthorn field is demanding and this clash of demand for time is an issue.
The issue this year with the farm has a particular focus as it will deliver the first, even though only a small crop. The question always has been how do you efficiently harvest it. Hand picking german berries last year indicates a picking yield of 2-3kg an hour. Importantly it is as much a matter of ensuring that picking does not damage the berries as the yield. Broken berries creates juice over other fruit to which broken leaf, dust and dirt sticks to the berries. This source of contamination doubles the time needed to clean the crop.
Hence the acceptance that cutting branches, freezing them so that the berries will fall off them easily improves picking yield per hour and minimises damage and contamination. The process is said to require -30 degC for effective fall of the berries.
Delivering -30 deg C is not as easy as it seems. Refridgerated lorry containers can be bought or hired, but standard containers can only really guarantee -20 to -23 deg c. Multiple domestic freezers for a small crop could be a solution, but again these are not designed to give -30 deg. More importantly I have to keep the berries frozen so the operation of knocking the berries off the branches needs to be done within a cold environment. The new generation of cold store lorry containers can deliver -30 degC but they are available at double the cost – around £14/15,000. This for an operation that will be all finished in eight weeks. For this year the crop may only deliver 300kg or so.
300kg seems very low but the Siberian plants are still only young ( planted 2012). It will take another three years for them to reach their peak yield of up to 15kg and possibly more. This year is the year to define a harvesting process for the future that is effective and affordable.
The option that has developed is to install a new cold store that is designed to be modular so that it can be expanded as the crop develops. This will require a 3 phase electric supply.
Sea buckthorn is being developed as a sustainable crop so using a harvesting system that is focused on high use of electricity is in conflict with its sustainable credentials. Finding a renewal generation system to reduce primary use of power will be an objective over the next twelve months.
I return to the concept of the need to develop the income capacity of the business. The business that is developing from Devereux farm will focus upon berries destined for food and drink use. Pump priming that business through market development using high quality food grade sea buckthorn imported from selected suppliers in Europe is the next priority. This offering will come with an opportunity to take our first berries into the marketplace. With ten Siberian varieties and three german to offer, taste trials will be important. Taste is king in this market. From the farm perspective the future will be established through the selection of the right varieties. That selection will be based on best for our soils and environment; for yield; for harvestability; but importantly best for the market.
So by the end of 2015 harvesting and understanding the needs of the market will be two more issues solved. Significant progress for the farm – 2016 will then look to really focusing on the market and its development.
