The past week has seen the first air frosts – an indication that we are slipping out of autumn and into winter. Our Siberian sea buckthorn plants are hunkering down for their winter sleep. The past three years show that dormancy for siberian sea buckthorn on the Essex coast is from the first week of November only through to January. Of the ten varieties here, Klaudia leads off first. All will have first leaf a three months ahead of their cousins in the continental climate of Siberia.. What does this mean?
For consumers buying a pack of berries on a supermarket shelf these issues are not relevant. But for retail store buyers to have secure supply of consistent quality and quantity crop management has to be perfected. So factors like will lack of dormancy influence harvest yield? Will winter growing period damage emerging leaf from mid-winter deep frost? In 2013, when so many plants were damaged by branch die back, I could have concluded that early emergence contributed to the issue. Now in 2016, this seems more an issue of stress as young Siberian plants try to adapt to our clay soil and mild temperate climate. This is a process of observation, trial and solution. It is clear now that they need an early foliar feed in February. Soil temperatures will be low but it will give the plants the best start aiming for prime condition to maximise the outcome of pollination in April without which I won’t have a crop.
Weather, soil health, timing of actions are key in farming. All practical issues that influence our crop yields and economic sustainability. I feel that there is a soft revolution happening in UK farming. This is not as a result of Brexit. Climate change; ever tighter control on fertiliser and spray usage; low profitability and the impact of global commodity prices all are drivers demanding change.
Practical experience at Devereux farm using compost tea on the sea buckthorn has convinced me that converting to organic status is right. Joining the Soil Association has bought benefit sooner than I expected.. The Association in partnership with Duchy Future Farming programme, Waitrose and others are supporting on-farm crop trials under the title of Innovative Farmer groups. These trial are selected by farmers working in collaboration, undertaking research on multiple farms allowing methods/machinery/processs to be tested and knowledge gained and shared.
Soil health is becoming a primary focus in farming. Over past decade soil has become little more than a crop growing medium where artificial fertilisers and chemicals are the tools to control plant growth, disease, pest control and crop yield. Now, soil is recognised for its potential to mineralise nutrients for the plant; retain moisture and have a capacity to limit the impact of soil born diseases. At Devereux farm, disease issues with the sea buckthorn have made soil improvement a priority. Changes by using compost and compost tea has resulted in very low – in fact almost no disease in the sea buckthorn crop. This experience has made me more aware of needing to look at how the rest of the farm is managed.
Last week I joined one of these Innovative farming group event at Shimpling Park farm in Suffolk. A day where both conventional and organic farmers pooled collective practical experience to look for ways to create sustainable crop yields. At the end of the day the group committing to become part of a development trial with maybe five or six farms providing fields to test alternative machinery and management options. These practical on-farm initiatives seem a long way from the hi-tech options being prescribed as the way forward for farming. Satellites, robots and drones will become an increasing feature to improving efficiency and reducing costs. Just because proactive soil management may not use hi-tech methods it is still an innovative move forward for farming. It is recognising the value of harnessing the natural environment together with practical working knowledge and available technology to deliver economic and environmental sustainability.
Sustainable production is not the only issue though. Ultimately farming is about supplying a largely urban world with a nutritious and varied diet and for this it is important to see the consumer perspective.
On Tuesday, I spent a day at the Food and Drink Innovation Network (FDIN)Seminar annual event on food trends in London. Consumer behaviour and changes in eating habits are changing. Conventional understanding of classic cuisine is breaking down. Fast food based on volume production and process is giving way to fast casual kitchens using smart phone technology to deliver multi cultural foods to the home. Vegetables are starting to become mainstream – meat becoming more focused on quality. These are new trends being driven by a fast moving urban environment. But like the use of satellites, robots and drones in farming – how many of these will reach the wider population outside the biggest cities?
One of the reasons I went to this event was to listen to a presentation by Jennifer McLagan entitled – Bitter: The least loved but most important flavour. The topic teased through the differences between bitter and sour; cultural acceptance of bitter foods in Italian and Asian populations now sees bitter ingredients becoming a UK mainstream -in salads, bitter chocolate; sprouts and turnips; vast ranges of beers teas and coffees. But pure bitterness is not the issue. It is seen as a balancing enhancer for other flavours. Bitter stimulates the gastric juices, sparks appetite, makes rich food more digestible, exciting the pallet. Bitter caramel is widespread in many salted products. Bitter chocolate appears in gravy to enhance meat dishes. Beer is used to balance the sweetness of shellfish. All this is relevant for sea buckthorn. Its unique citrus, rhubarb sharpness adds a complexity to so many dishes. Chicken, pork, oily fish, duck, desserts with chocolate, combinations with ginger and chilli, sea buckthorn creates a new depth of flavour and careful balance of taste. Sea buckthorn has as much potential as any as cuisines from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds are creating ever more inspiration in the culinary world.
I have to mention the US election. With German and french elections looming I suspect that there are more challenges to come to entrenched institutions. These changes are creating a feeling of instability in the world, the impact of which is impossible to judge or foretell. Change can be positive if people come together to resolve problems. The challenge for our politicians is to ensure that change is managed; people respected; and there is focus on the real problems of the world. If countries become isolationist then economies and the environment will suffer. Economies can be mended – a climate out of control cannot.