Nuffield Farming Scholarship for Neil Macdonald

It is with great pride that we announce that Orchard Groundcare’s Director, Neil 

Macdonald, has been awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship for 2014.

NUFFIELD is an organisation that awards individuals with life changing opportunities that span their personal and professional lives, with a view to developing agricultural sector leaders and innovators of the future.

Neil is taking as his topic Orcharding Systems for the Next Decade. He intends to 

research varieties and growing methods in Australia, USA and Europe with a view to providing the industry with information to help plan for a sustainable future.

All Nuffield Scholars are sponsored by industry bodies, associations, individuals and charities. Neil’s Scholarship will be sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers.

We look forward to his Reports!

New plantings at West Bradley Orchards

In last month’s newsletter we mentioned Neil Macdonald’s trip to a nursery in France to see how our order for 3000 Idared maidens was coming along. We are now preparing the ground at West Bradley Orchards to receive the trees, which should arrive in February.

Edward Clifton-Brown, the owner of West Bradley Orchards, is once again using the post and wire system that was so highly commended in the summer, when West Bradley won the award for the Best Cider Orchard in the South West at the Bath & West Society Show. 

In addition we are trialling the large scale use of compost produced to BSI PAS 100 specification. 

Recent results have shown that compost can increase the organic matter levels in the soil and improve its structure. It replaces fertiliser in the form of NPK, provides sulphur, magnesium and trace elements, and protects against adverse weather conditions, such as cold and wet.

When used as a mulch it has been shown to bring significant benefits to newly planted apple orchards as well as established ones.

We are sure this will improve the quality of our heavy Somerset soils, giving the young trees the best possible start in life and offering natural protection against diseases such as canker.

A study visit to a major French nursery

In August Neil Macdonald was part of a group of English growers who were invited by J R Breach, suppliers of fruit trees and root stocks, to visit the nurseries and orchards of Pepinieres du Valois at Villers-Cotterets in Northern France.

Neil reports “PdV is one of the largest apple nurseries in the world and the scale of the operation was absolutely amazing. The company is part of the International New Varieties Network (INN), founded in 1995, which specialises in the development of new fruit varieties worldwide. The membership of INN accounts for around 18 million finished trees and 38.5 million rootstocks annually.

I was pleased to be able to see some of the trees they are growing for us and very happy with progress to date.

It is always good to step outside the box and see what is happening elsewhere in the business. The rest of the group came mainly from Kent and the east of England and it was valuable to see things from their point of view. 

The area of french cider orchards is not going up and production is pretty much static, unlike ours. This year they are expecting a fair crop, with 80% of all cider fruit going through one processor.”

Pick-Your-Own and Apple Scrumping Day at West Bradley Orchards

For a chance to see the Best Cider Orchard in the South West (Bath & West Society Award 2013) do come to West Bradley (BA6 8LT) on weekends in September, when the orchards will be open for Pick-Your-Own apples and pears.                 

Many of the varieties are unavailable in supermarkets, such as Charles Ross, Egremont Russet, Jonagold, Ashmead’s Kernel, Orleans Reinette, Kidd’s Orange, Worcester Pearmain as well as Bramley and Cox.

The orchards will be open for PYO on weekends only from Friday 6 Sept through to Sunday 29 Sept and on Sunday 15 Sept for Apple Scrumping Day when you can pick apples and make your own juice from them.

If the weather is good bring a picnic!

Biggest walnut harvest ever at West Bradley

You may not know it but West Bradley Orchards is the only commercial producer of walnuts for pickling in the country. Most pickled walnuts - a Christmas delicacy - are harvested in mainland Europe.

Yet another feather in the cap of these prize-winning and innovative orchards owned by 

Edward Clifton-Brown. Thanks go to the gallant team of young pickers who have worked tirelessly through the heatwave to bring in a bumper crop accelerated by the warm weather.

The fruits are picked green, before the nuts inside have a chance to develop, and then brined and packaged ready for Christmas.

West Bradley Orchards wins prize for Best Cider Orchard

We are absolutely delighted to announce that West Bradley Orchards has won the top prize for the Best Cider Orchard at the Royal Bath & West Society Show 2013.

West Bradley Orchards was described by the judges as “A first-rate modern intensive orchard of Falstaff and Red Windsor on canes supported by post and wire. The whole orchard is immaculately clean and tidy, scoring highly for attention to detail in the tree training, presentation and well maintained grass alleyways.”

Owner Edward Clifton-Brown (above right) said “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award.  Our system of growing is different from traditional methods and we are conscious, and delighted, that the judges, in giving this prize to West Bradley Orchards, are looking to the future of Somerset orchards. Our competitors from abroad are already trialling new ways of growing apples, with great results.  We must not be left behind.”

The judges went on to say that West Bradley Orchards demonstrated “Good orchard management and sympathetic treatment of the margins and hedges”.

Neil Macdonald from Orchard Groundforce which manages West Bradley Orchards commented “West Bradley Orchards is a wonderful example of commercial growing and sustainability working hand in hand. With a growing global population we need to look at food security, and maximising our use of available growing spaces is vital. An orchard has ten times more wildlife than a grass field, offering habitats for hundreds of birds, insects, mammals and invertebrates as well as wildflowers, grasses, lichens and funghi.”

Fruit from West Bradley Orchards goes into award winning ciders from Orchard Pig, Thatcher’s and The Shepton Mallet Cider Mill.

Bath & West Society Show - 150th Anniversary

May 29 - June 1

The Royal Bath & West Society show is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year at the Shepton Mallet showground.

The show started life in Victorian times as a travelling show, with the aim of demonstrating new technology to farmers.  Now it is more about explaining farming to consumers.

This year every section of the show will be celebrating with special displays.We are particularly looking forward to the East Malling Research stand in the Orchards & Cider Marquee which promises to be fascinating for all orchard owners.

It’s always a terrific day out so we do hope to see you there!

SWECA and ONE

74 members attended the Spring meeting of the South West of England Cidermakers’ Association, held at Rich’s Farmhouse Cider at Watchfield.

After the meeting Liz Copas and Neil Macdonald gave a well received presentation on the care of traditional orchards and the group held a lively discussion on a wide range of orcharding topics, including soil compaction and drainage.

The support being given by the National Association of Cider Makers to ONE (Cider And Perry Orchards Network of Excellence) drew many enthusiastic comments.  

ONE presented to SWECA and explained its new role, funded by the NACM, which will include communications with growers on matters such as knowledge sharing, investment, research, workshops and resources

ONE has been extremely successful at rallying growers and has a track record as a proven network for disseminating information.

This support is great for commercial growers and everyone is encouraged to become a member of ONE by clicking on this link.

Pruning Masterclass at West Bradley Orchards

Last month we were delighted to

host a Pruning Masterclass on

behalf of CAPONE (Cider & Perry 

Orchards Network of Excellence) 

based in Hereford.

This is the first of four workshops

on cider apple growing in the

south-west this year. Others will

be looking at pest identification

and nutrient planning. (We will

keep you posted on dates.)

The celebrated orchardman John

Worle (above) guided us through his

methods of pruning apple trees at

all stages of their lives, with a

lively question and answer

session throughout.

With over fifty years experience in

nursery work and apple

production John is one of the best

known orchardmen in the country

and it was a privilege to listen to

his advice.

A few days prior to the West

Bradley Masterclass Neil

Macdonald had been a guest at

John’s nursery in Herefordshire

where some of the new varieties

of cider apple are being grown on

for sale.

He said of the day “It was a

memorable experience. There is

nothing quite like being with other

orchard people, discussing the

topic closest to our hearts and

coming up with new ideas and

possibilities.”

Some of John’s early orchard

knowledge was acquired at West

Bradley Orchards before he went

on to work at Long Ashton

Research Station and later for

Bulmers. 

He set up his own

nursery business in 2006 and has

since supplied over half a million

bare rooted cider apple trees to the industry.

An apple tree for Christmas

Harbour & Jones, the imaginative London based catering and hospitality services company, came up with a great idea for corporate Christmas presents.  

Instead of the usual hamper they bought each of their clients an apple tree, which we will plant for them in Somerset.  

All together there will be some 40 trees which will be part of our programme of restoration for Somerset orchards.

We think this is a great idea - and so much more rewarding than socks!