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I normally write these blogs and then give them a title, but today is different. It started with a telephone call from Mongolia. The call was followed by an email from the caller who mentioned the two words in this blog’s title. It has made me consider what drives the sea buckthorn project at Devereux farm.

Growing any crop is a means of earning a living, but the result is tempered by the environment. Technology and management experience create a result, but the result of a year’s work is altered by global markets; speculation; global and local weather; soil; plant varieties; pests, diseases  and the ability to control them. Variables which one has a level of control and a creative process that drives pride in achievement.

The objective of growing sea buckthorn at Devereux farm is to develop a crop which can be processed on farm to attract added value. Adding value raises us above the global commodity price market of traditional farming.

Added value however means creating a product not just for a market, but for a consumer.

The UK consumer is affluent and sophisticated in desire for product. The market is competitive with a huge level of choice. Taste is king, followed by value – but packaging, branding, labelling, convenience, service, trust,  all drive consumers to buy. All combine into one word – quality.

There are many ways to define quality – but I believe it is how well the product delivers the consumer’s understanding of the product. It is a main driver for purchase. Good reliable quality also drives repeat purchase. So product quality has to be consistent to deliver what the consumer wants.

Quality can be defined by the benefit it can bring to a consumer. Sea buckthorn has been defined for 2000 years for its potential to provide health benefit to humans and animals. Health claim regulation prevents marketing a product with a claim unless it can be scientifically substantiated.  As a farmer I know that every year crop quality varies because of variable weather and climate.  Any cooking or manufacturing process again alters nutrient quality. The question is does the product perform in spite of the variation?

Having analysed sea buckthorn over the past few years, my experience is that individual nutrient levels vary. Vitamin levels rise and fall. But it is not these individual nutrients that matter. It is the cocktail of nutrients and their synergy together that delivers health benefit quality.  The National Health Service advises that a balanced diet will deliver all the essentials the body needs. This is absolutely true, but in an age of lifestyles on the move, changing eating habits, and foods of variable nutritional quality – supplementation is still hugely popular.

Reading market trends for 2016 I think of the issues to do with quality, the consumer and how these relate to sea buckthorn. Number one: the pressure on reducing dietry sugar content is also seeing the trend for sour taste to be big in 2016.  The natural sourness derived from sea buckthorn vitamins and amino acids packs a natural punch in nutrients. As an ingredient the provision of natural nutrient over fortified is also popular. Provenance delivering quality of product ( freshness, consistency of taste, etc) linked with sustainability as a responsible supplier is gaining importance. This something that small brands with good identity can capitalise upon.  So all that together makes me feel that 2016 is the year for this European superfruit to make a splash in the market.

The market is looking good for sea buckthorn but the key issue for Devereux farm is delivering added value. The consumer wants consistent quality. By growing the crop one learns how to define quality. Managing plants,  choosing varieties, pest control;  soil management – all influence taste and appearance. Storage and processing technique impact on nutrient quality. Gaining knowledge by experience takes time. Appreciation of quality and how to deliver it to market becomes key when thinking about sourcing sea buckthorn globally. Sea buckthorn is a plant of many sub-species and environments. All can deliver specific quality to match specific requirement but capturing and delivering that quality is what will inspire the market and create loyal custom.

So my philosophy is that this is a long game – similar to farming, but the strategy has to be to define deliverable quality to ensure that the long games returns the added value that the farm is looking for.

One of my new year resolutions was to read all trade magazines as soon as they come into the office. The information that goes into these papers may not all be relevant but as we enter a new year there are plans to make, so all information needs assessing.

During 2015 Matt and I went to Germany to see the Kranneman sea buckthorn harvester in action. The state of the art as we saw it. The operation is about speed of harvesting, quality of production and reducing costs. Returning home the visit inspired how to make our operation efficient at our scale.

Machinery is not the only issue. The farm’s clay soil makes it harder for plants to grow and develop, but it is what we have to work with. 2015 was the UN International year of soils. As our government department DEFRA quotes an annual loss of 2.2 million tons of topsoil each year as a result of wind and rainfall, this is becoming a crucial issue. I see that the top mega producers of salad vegetables tend not to own their land but seek out the best soils and rent land that suits the best requirement of the crop.

Others have opted to move away from soil all together. One particular company produces over 220m tomatoes, together with millions of peppers and cucumbers using hydroponics in controlled environments. These systems even control light so as to maintain supply through the year. Gone is the concept of seasonality, but with it there can be a penalty of lack of taste and texture.

Entrepeneurs in London are developing smaller scale operations in containers using artificial light, delivering freshness that is demanded by restaurants and consumers. Salad crops and herbs fit these projects well. Risks of damage by weather, pests and disease are all able to be controlled so much easier. Less risk equals less loss and better profit.

Capital costs are clearly an issue on the mega operations, but the container based farmer can set up without huge investment. These sort of changes are not new. I came across an article from the Country Life magazine dated June 28 1962 this week. Titles the same as this blog it states – farming has become “a game for the young man who is technically expert and has the temperament to take calculated risks”.

Innovation has driven the UK top and soft fruit industry. The appearance of blueberries throughout the year on supermarket shelves has been because production methods have become so efficient.

Fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries now find a regular place in the UK consumer shopping basket. Fruit is recognised as a healthy part of the diet. But these are mass commodity products. Sea buckthorn is niche. Its sharp taste is as a result of its ability to provide not only contribute to a healthy diet, but to also proactively maintain good health.

Placing sea buckthorn on the consumer’s larder shelf needs to address a number of issues. Consumer knowledge; consumer confidence and affordability. Taste might be an issue, but the taste is no different to citrus and without its sharpness it would not deliver its benefit.

Affordability though is an issue as production costs have to reflect that establishing consumer knowledge and confidence is a high cost. Marketing is all important.

As we watched the German production system we reflected on the cost. But as with the container farmers in London, there are always alternative ways to  come to the same end point.  Maybe growing sea buckthorn in an artificial environment is possible. Maybe we challenge ourselves too much with looking to ever increasing scale. Maybe we are better to contract into co-operatives of close to market, small operations where scale is balanced on the availability of time to grow and harvest efficiently. Mobile processing units are available for all sorts of operations. This model sounds more suited to an African small holder community, but the UK has become an urban society and values have changed significantly.

As I look at my sea buckthorn plants changing their behaviour in adapting to our climate, change is not something one can fight. It has to be accepted, understood and molded into a shape that suits a future not as we want it, but as it is.

This will be my shortest blog yet, but worth noting anyway.

The mildness of the winter is already creating records. The infamous Siberian variety Klaudia has nailed it again. Most of the Siberian varieties start to show signs of life in late February and March. Klaudia always has insisted that our winter is as close to a Siberian spring as  it thinks credible. Past years this has been January 11th to 15th. 2016 Klaudia wanted to wish us a happy new year and started on January 1st with 1cm leaf appearing on all the plants by today. I would not put this down to climate change, but I have my doubts as to whether this early awakening from dormancy will have a positive impact on berry production.

Mild climate is not the only change that these siberian varieties have to cope with. Our clay soil is a test for sea buckthorn resiliance and the reason for using compost to improve the soil structure to allow for ease of root penetration and nutrient absorption. Our coastal site is exposed. As winter rainfall softens the ground, the clay soil lacks the ability to support plants as they are buffeted by strong winds. Each year the stake supports for the plants have grown in size. This is an annual issue that needs solving.

One final comment – I have said in the past that I have been taking sea buckthorn capsules – two a day, since September 2009. Mathew has been drinking puree on the same basis over the past three years. In fact he took it as his only supplement for his training for the Iron Man challenge he raced in back in September.

This christmas there have been some shocking colds around and as a family four of us have had it. But by doubling up the capsules to four a day for two days, then dropping back to three for another three days – this aggressive infection gave in to the sea buckthorn.

So happy and healthy its into a new year.

May i wish you a very happy and successful 2016.

The New Year is approaching and with it thoughts about the coming year. One of the challenges that I set over the Christmas break is to rummage through the piles of trade magazines that have come throughout the previous year. The number of these journals is staggering and I have to admit that some remain in their plastic wrapping. So this is an opportunity to review what I have missed and what might help in planning the future.

The common theme through 2015 has been doom and gloom for agriculture. Economic doldrums are not uncommon with farming but there has been a perfect storm of global issues – low commodity prices, uncertain weather, unstable currency to which are added withdrawal of chemicals, increasing bureaucratic interference and the many issues within the EU.

I would then add climate change to the pot. Of any this is becoming a risk factor that is truly focusing the mind. Degradation of soils; new pests; flooding; extreme weather events – soil management is a key aspect within the EU common agricultural policy reforms. Low returns for commodity crops have to be balanced with lowering costs, both fixed and variable. Technology is seen as a holy grail. Ever larger machinery capable of achieving greater work rates works on some soils, but not on all. Drones to film the worst spots for weeds across a field provide graphic evidence – but knowledge that possibly the farmer already knew from years of working the land. Deep ploughing is an expensive operation being replaced by minimum tillage and no tillage options. Given good soil and good weather these new systems work – but not all soils are the same, and the weather is certainly not a constant. So it is no wonder that these are becoming uncertain times if you are a farmer.

For Christmas I was given a little book written in the Ist century AD by a Roman – Columella. One of a series on farming it is still relevant today. His opening passage on soil reflects that “soil, wearied and exhausted by age-long wasting away and by cultivation over a long period of time, has become barren”. The need to feed hungry populations was as important then as it is now. Columella goes on to advocate the use of the deep plough pulled by larger more expensive cattle – contrary to other writers of the time advising small plough shears with smaller oxen. Even the Romans were reviewing their technology with reference to expense over productivity. Reviewing it against even more ancient Grecian muses that ” to die of hunger is the bitterest of fates”.

But is this historical reference relevant? It is because the one context which we have to solve is long term sustainability. Sustainability was recognised 2000 years ago as being essential to maintaining agricultural productivity. In the 21st century sustainability means limiting pollution and  gaseous emissions driving climate change. Sustainability to reduce our demand on resources.   I was shocked to read in the October 2015 edition of the Energy in Building and Industry magazine that the UK electricity system wastes £9.5 billion of energy before it reaches homes and businesses. Sustainability also then means responsibility. It makes short term economic sense because it can reduce costs – but it makes long term essential necessity because without it the future looks bleak.

Enough doom and gloom – its New year and a time to move forward. But if this is a time for optimism it needs to be tempered with reassessing what I am doing and designing my plans for the future with sustainability as a king pin in decision making. Not all plans are possible, but as long as there is progress and the progress has sustainability built into its thinking, then is should be  good progress.

Christmas has finally arrived. A time of tradition with carols in our local All Saints Church rounding off a day of last minute preparations. It is both a time for excitment and for reflection. Reflection on a year passing and the year to come.

The year passing has as always had highlights that are memorable – such as the first UK Sea buckthorn Association meeting back in February. It has also had some low points – with the realisation that the Siberian varieties are very attractive to our local wildlife.

Visiting our colleagues in germany at harvest time to see the Kranneman sea buckthorn harvester galloping its way through lines of shrubs – that was spectacular. Equally though was the feeling that our own version of cut and freeze harvesting was a success.

A New Year coming is always full of optimism. This year the birds will not be feasting on the sweet Russian berries because we have found a netting system to enclose the plantation.  This comes at a time when these plants will finally be producing a harvest as opposed to just a few token berries.

Given a store full of UK grown berries this winter will focus on marketing and processing the fruit. Some will go into the London market fresh. Processing will need a HACCP accredited processing system and NPD kitchen. The latter being the task for the first two months of next year. Some have questioned whether full accreditation is necessary – but still the concept of developing a set of definable standards is a real goal. Standards bring customer confidence. They also bring attention to detail which will be a learning curve but one that will reap rewards in the future.

There are also a stock of new plants to go into the orchard. These have been over yeared in pots. Bringing the plants on from cuttings in pots will allow for more certain success in my clay soil. With a full compost and compost tea program planned for this year, these new plants should soon establish and become part of a rolling expansion of yield capacity.

Throughout 2016 we have been working with Cornish SeaBerry – who have planted a sea buckthorn orchard and also look to expand in the New year. Partnership working is a crucial tool in establishing new markets. Seth from Cornish Sea berry has travelled the world this year and will have his own take on how to establish his business – but working together will bring mutual benefit to both of us.

The time has come for Santa to start the day. I hope he brings all that you hope for and with it a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.

Winter at Devereux farm comes more from windchill than real cold, but arrive it has. The ground is now sodden and there will be no chance of moving anything except a wheelbarrow across the ground until March.

I have had a visit from Simon Parfey who supplies my compost tea,  advice on organic matters and soil samples. A visit such as this allows a period of taking stock on the year that has passed. Effectively the year has been disease free. Gone is the vision of hundreds of plants with branch die back in 2013.

Insect pests are represented by the vapourer moth yet again. The variety Altaiskaya took some real punishment from aphids. The plants recovered but it was remarkable how specific it was to this variety.

Matt and I, along with Seth Pascoe from Cornish Seaberry visited Germany at harvest time to see how a fully mechanised sea buckthorn harvesting system works. It gave an impressive vision for the future showing that with investment significant areas of commercial sea buckthorn are viable. The news that one farm in Germany had yielded 300 tons from 25 hectares, planted only four years ago – indicates that breeding and technology are moving the crop forward.

Seth went on to the International sea Buckthorn Association conference in India last month.  With 200 delegates from 18 countries it is clear that the global sea buckthorn industry is moving forward. The conference is held every two years, with a European event inbetween. Our next one in 2016 will be in Latvia. An interesting location as a lot of good research work comes from the country. As there has been further news of sea buckthorn fly attacking orchards in Scandinavia and Germany this year, it will be good to hear first hand as to what preventative measures growers are taking to combat this menace.

There will always be new challenges ahead, but should one feel optimistic or not as to the outcome of the Climate Change conference in Paris this week. Our farm was flooded in 1953, an event that happened approxiamtely every 100 years.  Following surge tide events in 2007 and then 2013 we are now aware that these events are no longer once in a lifetime incidents. The flooding in  Cumbria has shown that government investment made after the 2005 floods has proven inadequate. Reliance upon government to solve these issues is maybe wishful thinking. Solutions may have to be found more on using local knowledge and resources.  Challenging climate change needs to be tackled both on a proactive and reactive basis. It is up to global governments to be proactive in generating resources for new technologies; regulatory controls; and risk managing this crisis. But it is up to local communities to assess their vulnerabilities, plan how to minimise the impact of extreme events and be able to react to such incidents and control their futures.

For my business it too has to find its own solutions for survival and success. In January I have a visitor coming here who I see as a sustainability guru. Getting to grips with sustainability is about making choices. Choices that avoid wasteful operations. Insuring that investments will reduce resource reliance. Building the concept in every layer of the business. It is a worthy goal, but progress may have to be balanced by practicality in the short term.  So that is my focus for 2016 – that and delivering a real crop of sweet Siberian berries.