It has been a historic month and no escaping the election. Those who will look back on this period of our history will have the benefit of knowing how the actions that we have taken will have impacted on our country. Voting is a valuable right. The choices we make as individuals may not end up with the outcome we want but it is a powerful process sending a strong message to those that govern us to reflect the will of the whole population.
As with politics, the decisions we take in life shape our future. Each one is made depending upon the information available at that time. Sometimes this is based on true fact. Sometimes the facts might be based on opinion rather than credibility. Probably all decisions are made on a mixed of what comes from the heart and the mind.
In saying this I reflect on the decision to plant sea buckthorn at Devereux farm. When conceived as an idea in 2006 it was a strong contender against many options. The fact that it was new was seen as a positive. The fact that there was no market in the UK was an issue, but entrepeneurial passion can drive a confidence for success to overcome all obstacles.
Now in 2017 our sea buckthorn has matured enough for many plants to be carrying a harvestable crop of berries. The obstacles of fungal diseases, aphids and caterpillars, fruit hungry birds, invasive weeds are part of history.
Fruit appearing is a success but the promise of Siberian varieties should be yields 12 kgs per plant and berry quality with high levels of vitamins ,anti oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Berry quality being a health cocktail which provided the inspiration to grow the plant in the first place. This year will finally provide the opportunity to to understand our UK quality and develop both this and the yield for the future.
Finding solutions is not about inventing the wheel. Growing sea buckthorn organically may be seen as presenting limitations, but seeing is believing. Last month an inspiring visit to the UK prize winning Mole End organic apple farm in Kent illustrated that a dedicated team, intense focus to detail and use of innovative solutions deliver the package for success. Intensive management delivers but all farming is under pressure with an uncertain future following Brexit. It is encouraging however that the issues are recognised and technology is developing as a way forward. Fruit quality being managed by better systems delivering plant feeds. New hyper efficient irrigation systems to combat longer periods of dry weather that may be a consequence of climate change. Automation in field work,harvesting and controlled environment fruit storage systems will all delivering consumers with both quality and affordable produce.
This month has also finally seen the dry weather broken. Our clay soil bakes hard when dry and this is not good for shallow rooted sea buckthorn. The rain also gives a new lease of life to other plants so weed control has been relentless. A Stihl battery operated strimmer has provided an excellent tool, allowing up to four times sessions a day to keep on top of weeds without using chemicals. It seems that each single battery use is saving 1 litre of petrol in my old pack pack strimmer. A useful cost and environmental saving.
Rain must have been welcome for wildlife. Living next to a nature reserve has the benefit of working in a great environment but it brings the trial of birds who love the sea buckthorn berries. One section of the plantation has wires strung over every row can be netted but we now have a technological solution – an audio scaring system. Targeting scaring rooks and jackdaws the effect has been remarkable. Its speakers randomly broadcast distress calls which can be programmed to disperse ten different species. It can only be described as a 100% success.
Having a solution to birds has secured the berry crop for harvest. The next question is now – when will harvest be?
Having brought Siberian plants to the UK they have to acclimatise to our mild weather. As they start to break into leaf in January this must impact on their whole growing cycle. In Russia these varieties are harvested in August and September. In order to understand how the berries are developing we are trying a digital refactometer to record changes in the berry. Changes in colour from green to orange clearly indicate this process, but being able to monitor development with a systematic process will give a consistent and hopefully accurate determination. For those interested the readings indicate the varieties devloping in the following order : Augustina; Etna; Elizaveta; Chuiskaya; Inya; Klaudia ; Alataiskaya; Sudarushka. As varieties have different levels of berry sweetness the refractometer will offer an understanding of each variety rather than the order in which they ripen. This might work, it might not, but it all will add to the process of developing a consistent and optimum way of growing a successful crop for the future.
Producing a crop is one thing – harvesting it, preparing it and delivering it to market is another. Now with a crop, this summer will start the process of perfecting this and providing the opportunity of delivering the first fresh Siberian sea buckthorn berries in the UK.
