To all our customers over 2023 – thank you so much for your loyalty to the little orange berry.
I am sorry but I am closing from taking any further orders until January. Our cold store is in need of TLC over the holiday and I will be taking orders again as from Monday January 1st next year.
With best wishes for a very happy Christmas and let us pray for a more peaceful world in 2024.
The past is for learning from; the present to act on that knowledge and the future tests the actions taken.
The 22 German, Latvian, Finnish and Siberian varieties of sea buckthorn here at Devereux farm have tested which are the ones that we believe in for the future. 2023 will see the start of planting new orchards.
Over the past ten years, experience is what drives our ideas. In 2014 we had a shocking infection in the young plants impacting on 40% of the Siberian plants. As the plants matured the problem has not re-occured. In 2017 these plants were full of berries, but gradual adaptation of these plants to our climate shifted their wind pollination into March. The weather in march being wet and windy has neutralised this process resulting in only a small crop in 2022.
Birds were not a problem for that 2017 crop. But as years have gone by and local wildlife recognised this new feedstock in the landscape they have grown to be a bigger issue year by year. When the crop is large, we can afford to share it with the birds. But when the crop is small they take every berry. In 2022, the high temperatures and extended drought also drove the birds to want to eat the berries even before they were ripe. So looking forward to the future if we are going to be successful we have to manage this problem.
With summer 2022 taking temperatures to a UK record 40 deg C. climate change is a factor that will impact on growing sea buckthorn. It is resilient and grows in extreme conditions, but we should not look at all sea buckthorn as being the same. Across the world there are different species and subspecies that have adapted to these conditions. Here at Devereux farm our clay soils are not ideal. In winter these soils become waterlogged, particularly as with climate change heavy rain events are becoming the norm.
Summer 2022 with its long dry drought resulted in a small crop of smaller berries, which the birds decimated. We started planting sea buckthorn in 2009. We now have enough experience for the next phase of our sea buckthorn project. The loss of the 2022 crop triggered the decision that now is the time to select the varieties that have potential and replant in orchards designed to optimise pollination; reduce bird damage; accomodate the impacts of drought. Solving these issues will deliver consistent crops for our customers.
What does all this mean to our customers?
Losing almost 90% of the 2022 crop means our freezers are almost empty with the last of our frozen berries to be sold-out this month.
The new plants that we use to replant our organic orchards will take four years to mature to fruit.
There will be a small crop coming from the plants we are retaining available from harvest each year, but the supply will be limited until the new plants develop.
In order to be able to carry on supplying berries through the year after our home grown have run out it seemed to make sense to source berries from our sea buckthorn plant suppliers. These would be organic and of the same varieties as we have been growing and will be growing in the future. So the sad issue that last summer’s crop was a disaster, will not mean that we cannot continue to supply customers with organic whole sea buckthorn berry. I hope that you will appreciate this situation. We will have new crop berries available from our own plants in mid July.
In the meantime there is a lot more happening at Devereux farm. Living next to the Hamford water National Nature Reserve the farm has long been managed to provide habitat for wildlife. In fact over the past year, bird counts have logged 198 different species. The habitat areas are managed in agreement with Natural England, with our arable crops grown within them. As we look at sea buckthorn with a eye to climate change and its impact on the future, so we also see the farm needing to change.
Although it is a busy time ahead with the sea buckthorn, the decision has also been taken to convert the whole of the rest of the farm to organic as well. This brings the whole ethos of what we do into one.
In writing this blog I am aware that I stopped blogging a while back, but with all this change it seems the right time to start and deliver a weekly update on what is going on. It is truly going to be a busy year as there has just been announced the ninth annual conference of the International Sea buckthorn Association is to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece in May. Greece is the country from which the origin name of sea buckthorn (Hippophae) comes – confirming its 2000 year old history and the ongoing appreciation of its natural health benefits.
2023 is here, what will this mean?
At Devereux farm, we are lucky enough to work in the countryside – a place that inspires everything we do.
On my early walk this morning I passed a special tree in our garden. It was one of the reasons why we bought our house in 1996. Back then, the tree was around 350 years old. It was a massive turkey oak – tall, broad – with low sweeping branches, it was however coming to the end of its life.
Tragedy struck at the Millenium on January 1st 2000, when this grand old tree fell, crashing to the ground. It presented a sad spectacle.
Over the next three years, seven saplings grew from one of its surviving roots.
Most in shape were similar to a standard oak tree, but one had the character of the old tree with wide low branches. It provided an opportunity and hope that something would come back from the old tree.
21 years after the old tree fell, that sapling is as tall in feet as it is old, spreading out just as the old tree did – a vision of new growth from old.
I read this morning that 2022 is being described as a “permacrisis” – a year characterised by multiple issues.
As I walked passed the tree this morning it made me reflect that for all the global issues in the world, most have solutions. For us at Devereux farm, we need to reflect that it is our environment that is in permacrisis, and recognising this will provide the solution to it.
Our solution cannot be one created in a single year. Sea buckthorn orchards take five years to bring to maturity. Converting our whole farm to organic looks to a twelve year soil management cycle. Reshaping fields with new hedges and tree copses. Improving water storage and ponds for crops and wildlife. Our plans all focus on sustainability. New orchards producing fruit quality our customers said they want – all this takes time. There have to be short term goals. using only fully recyclable packaging; investing in renewable energy; partnering with those that bring innovation and ensure quality to our future.
Partners are crucial. The most important are our customers. Without customers we do not have a reason to exist. Customers are all individuals with personality, needs, expectations and desires.
A challenging vision – but a holistic one recognising a healthy environment is the key to a healthy future.
And then to the most important partner. Our customers are the one’s that can make this possible.
Happy new year
May I wish you a peaceful Christmas and all my thanks for your support for British Sea buckthorn over 2022. Let us all look forward to making next year a memorable one that sees a brighter future for humanity and our planet.
Happy Christmas.
Goodbye 2022 – Christmas is approaching and it is a time for reflection and promise of better things to come.
This year we saw temperatures in the UK soar to 40 deg. C. It came within a long summer drought. There have been droughts before, but the high temperature signposted a climate change issue for the future.
On the land, drought impacts deep into the soil. Soil is the heart of the countryside. Above ground we focus on plants and trees, but below ground we have little knowledge of a complex world from which our crops – and our food, comes from. It is silent and unseen, but it is vibrant; active and diverse. It provides the nutrients for our plants. It can be used as an asset to improve the quality of our food; store and control the water from rainfall; be the backbone that delivers the health of all things in the countryside.
Within the complex world that we live, we choose how to manage our lives. As farmers, science has directed us to use chemicals to control pests and increase crop yields that can be delivered at lower cost. 40 deg C this summer was a signpost of climate change. It can be logged as a statistic, or reflected on as to its meaning.
Decisions one takes on a personal basis. For me, as a farmer – and grower of sea buckthorn, the 40 deg statistic I see as a threat that will dry up my soils, crops, grass for livestock, habitat for wildlife. I see it as a challenge and an opportunity for change.
My son, Ben, suggested I should go to an agricultural event this summer called Groundswell. I had not been before and was not prepared for the outcome.
It was a dynamic show, full of enthusiastic people with innovation at the front of their thinking. Agriculture is often portrayed as full of aging farmers with few people joining the industry. Here at Groundswell was inspiration. Inspiration that was real, creative and active. A signpost for me that taking up the opportunity for change is worthwhile.
So what was the outcome?
Back in the summer, the drought had had a profound impact on the sea buckthorn. This year our Siberian plants produced berries – but long before they were ripe, thirsty wildlife striped the plants of the crop. Our Latvian plants, which have been reliable were stressed by lack of water. Their crop was small and later ripening varieties had almost no crop. Our german varieties ripened earlier than usual, but the berries were small.
I have not installed irrigation as up until now the plants have not needed it, and water is a precious resource that if overused can fill fruit with water and dilute nutritional quality. This season’s drought and high temperature indicates that if high temperatures are coming with climate change, then we have to change the ways we farm.
So as 2022 comes to an end, with the war in Ukraine still waging. With high energy and inflation impacting into everything we do – 2022 has to be the year to trigger change.
The decision therefore has been to change the way we farm. We are going organic. I do not say this lightly. It means a huge change needing new skills, new machinery, new buildings, new crops, new ways of manging our precious soil. It is daunting to be doing this at a time of economic instability, but that will ease. But I do not believe climate change will ease. Going organic is a long term project – 10, possibly 12 years to regaining the vibrancy of our soils. A long time, but it is no longer than it has taken to understand how to grow sea buckthorn.
And the sea buckthorn – what of it? What to do? We are lucky that the European sea buckthorn growers are, like those at groundswell, a dynamic group. There have been three on-line conferences providing the opportunity to share knowledge.
So like the farm – for sea buckthorn at Devereux farm – 2022 is a time for change. Time to decide which varieties have been successful and which not. Time to decide on how to lay out orchards that provide for a crop that can thrive in an extreme, changing climate.
So many old plants are going to be pulled up and replanted with new. With varieties that produce the fruit that we believe our customers like best.
Without customers we would not have a purpose. I find that our customers – like those attending groundswell, they know what they want. Many have a desire for the sea buckthorn they ate in other countries. Many understand this special fruit for its taste; its nutritional quality; its potential to inspire new culinary innovation.
So as 2022 comes to an end, I look forward to 2023 with a passion for change. Change that I hope will provide a future for our soil; our countryside; our crops and providing something special for our customers.
As you have now read this, the chances are you are one of our customers, if not you will have an interest in sea buckthorn. For both reasons may I thank you and wish you too, a happy Christmas and let us hope that 2023 brings stability and peace to a world that has many issues to solve.
Happy Christmas
One last thing – I am afraid that last orders for sea buckthorn berries has to be drawn to a close for 2022.
LAST ORDERS WILL BE ON DECEMBER 19th for delivery on DECEMBER 20th.
2023 I will be writing a short blog each week as our new farm emerges – new orders for sea buckthorn berries will start in January.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN 2022.
On Monday 8th March at 7.30-8.30pm we will be holding a free webinar all about introducing you to gut health. What is it and why should we be thinking about it? How does it relate to sea buckthorn and how can you impact your own gut health? Join BSC Director Matt Swain and Dr Lucy Williamson for a full discussion about it.
Dr Lucy Williamson is a freelance nutritionist and former vet from Hertfordshire. She works with British farmers and food producers through her Food LINKS initiative, advising them and helping with product development and marketing using evidence based nutritional science. In addition, she is a Visiting Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Hertfordshire, nutritionist for Love British Food and runs her own Nutrition Consultancy. She has been working with the British Sea Buckthorn Company for a couple of years.
HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR?
Simply click this link and register with your details. You will then receive an email with the link for the webinar and registration details for the event.
WHEN IS THE WEBINAR?
Monday 8th March at 7.30pm via zoom.
WILL THE WEBINAR BE RECORDED?
Yes, the webinar will be recorded. You will have the option of switching off your video during the recording. It will be available on YouTube following the event.
WILL I BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS?
Yes, there will be 20 minutes available when you will have the opportunity to ask Lucy questions.
HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?
Email us at info@britishseabuckthorn.com if you have any questions.
As a Registered Nutritionist passionate about natural, nutrient-packed foods for our best health, I’m privileged to be working with the team at The British Seabuckthorn Company.
My previous career as a Vet, began to teach me the power of nutrition for best health; my interest in small animal practice was always Dermatology – the treatment of skin disease. So, the Canine Shine project, just pure, natural seabuckthorn berries, a power-pack of nutrients for skin health, is an exciting journey!
The Ancient Greeks named Seabuckthorn: ‘Hippophae’, which translates as ‘Shiny Horse’. We now know this is because it’s a rich source of many nutrients required in the every-day functioning of healthy skin.
The main oil within skin cells is an Omega 6 called GLA, which boosts blood circulation, hydrates and regulates inflammation within the skin. As well as being a source of this vital oil, Seabuckthorn is rich in Antioxidants and Vitamins A, B and E, all required to keep skin cells healthy, slowing the ‘ageing’ process.
We’re also beginning to understand the crucial role of our gut health in our overall health and wellbeing, thanks to rapidly increasing research. This process is just as vital in animals, with fibre and antioxidant-rich foods nurturing their beneficial gut bacteria. For animals, not all so called ‘prebiotic’ foods are equal – fruit fibre, as well as beet pulp, oats and barley can be especially beneficial to dogs1. Seabuckthorn is a great source of fibre and we’re continuing to explore its influence on gut health.
With feedback from dog owners on Canine Shine, so far being very positive not only for skin condition but general health and wellbeing too, why not treat our most loyal canine companions, & see for yourself, the benefits from nutrient-rich food in its most natural form!
Omega oils are involved in many every-day processes in the body, from transporting vitamins, making hormones and the correct functioning of cells, so they’re of huge importance in our overall health! Seabuckthorn is totally unique in the variety of health-giving Omega oils it contains, not just in its seeds but in the berries too. The seeds are especially rich in Omega 3&6, the two ‘essential fatty acids’ that we are totally dependent on our food for, while the soft parts of the berry are one of very few plants to contain valuable Omega 7. Omega 9 in seabuckthorn, is perhaps better known as Oleic acid, the beneficial fat in olive oil.
The nature of fat in our food depends on the types of fatty acids it contains – saturated and unsaturated. All fats contain both but in general plant oils contain more unsaturated (liquid at room temperature) and fats of animal origin contain more saturated (solid at room temperature). Including more plant oils in our diet is really beneficial for our health (1). Seabuckthorn, as well as being a rich source of Omega oils, also contains plant sterols, natural plant compounds which help to promote good cholesterol levels. It’s also a fabulous source of fat-soluble vitamins A&E. You can read more about all its other beneficial nutrients here but let’s concentrate on those Omegas!
Omega 3 is vital for the structure of our cell membranes which ensure the proper functioning of all our body cells. So, it’s easy to see why a diet rich in Omega 3 gives such wide-ranging health benefits from protecting against heart disease & regulating inflammation to giving our skin a healthy glow! For example, by keeping cell walls flexible, Omega 3 helps to keep blood pressure down (because the cells lining blood vessels stay stretchy) which in turn helps to maintain a healthy heart. The anti-inflammatory function of Omega 3 is especially important in preventing blood clots, (which increase the risk of stroke) but new research is starting to show other benefits such as improved bone density, better outcomes in auto-immune disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis and protection against Dementia in older age. It’s important to mention that there are two types of Omega 3 which are especially important for our vision, brain health and their anti-inflammatory function. These are EPA and DHA and are already present in oily fish. Plant Omega 3 however, needs to be converted by our bodies into these two forms before we can get the same benefits. So, if we’re relying on plants for our Omega 3, we need a lot! (2)
Omega 6 is high in the seeds of seabuckthorn, making up about 40% of the oils there! However, it also accounts for about a third of the oils in the berries too. Omega 6 in our food helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels by raising ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. It’s also the most abundant oil in our skin, so as well as promoting a natural glow it can help with acne, atopy and psoriasis. One particular type of Omega 6, GLA (better known perhaps as the beneficial oil in evening primrose oil and borage) is especially high in seabuckthorn and can help to regulate hormonal changes during menopause.
Getting the right balance…
It’s really important to strike the right balance of Omega 6: Omega 3 in our food. Our UK food intake surveys show us that on average most of us manage 6:3 at a ratio of 10:1 but 4:1 is far more beneficial for our health (3). British seabuckthorn contains a balance of 1:1 so provides a very welcome functional food to help us get a good balance.
Omega 7 is rarely found in foods; happily seabuckthorn berries are one of the very few, rich sources. Research has shown Omega 7 to be extremely effective in promoting healthy mucous membranes – the delicate lining of our respiratory and digestive systems. (4) This is one of the reasons why seabuckthorn pulp as a natural food supplement is very popular in preventing stomach ulcers in horses. Having practiced as a Vet before becoming a Nutritionist, I can safely say this is something they’re very prone to especially with the stress of racing. However, it’s the mix of over 190 nutrients in seabuckthorn which is thought to amplify the beneficial effects of these nutrients individually. No wonder then, being packed full of antioxidants like flavanols, Vit C, carotenes (Vit A) and tocopherols (Vit E), that seabuckthorn, having all these nutrients together, can be so beneficial against the long-term effects of stress on digestive health, the cardiovascular system and skin condition. Omega 7 may also be beneficial in Diabetes as it increases our sensitivity to insulin. (4)
Omega 9 is also present in high quantities in olive oil and there are now many links between the olive oil in a Mediterranean-style diet and protection against longer-term heart disease and cancer.
References
