January is being January. Damp, cold and maybe a bit of post-Christmas blues. Pruning the sea buckthorn has started in earnest. The focus is on the youngest plants, a field established in 2015 with a mix of Siberian varieties set out with four different plant spacings. Managing the main orchard of mature plants has been the priority for the past couple of years so these plants haven’t had as much attention. This month it is the turn of these young plants to be manicured and hand weeded to make the site looked loved again.
This hand weeding is motivated by the thought that very soon we will take delivery of an orchard tractor and Ladurna cultivator. This will revolutionise the time taken on mundane but important field work in containing the spread of weeds.
Personally I still have a confused mind about weed control. I have just read the Soil Association 70th anniversary edition of their magazine Mother Earth. It combines articles from its founders back in the 1940s mirrored by comment by the leaders and prime movers of the organic movement today. Weed control comes about because I feel, or are told that these plants will compete for soil nutrients and moisture that will impact on the yield of my crop. Against this my gut tells me that our site’s soil will dry to concrete if it is left as exposed bare ground. The presence of any form of plant will catch dew in the early morning even in the driest of summers, and shade the soil from evaporation. This plant presence also provides a habitat for insects that may predate on pests of my precious sea buckthorn. The roots of these weed plants penetrate the soil helping to improve its structure. Continuous cutting of these weeds will provide organic matter that will break down and feed the soil with nutrients both for my crop and soil health.
Soil Health is a complex issue. The whole farming industry is focusing on ways of improving soil health as it has the capacity to naturally improve crop quality, improve drainage, reduce soil run off and makes the soil easier to work – reducing cultivation costs. This is but one issue wrapped up in the debate about how to reform the Agriculture industry post Brexit.
Regardless of the ramifications of Brexit the debate on agriculture is rightly described as a once in a generation opportunity to scrutinise the past, identify deliverable solutions to current issues and inspire positive change for the future. The challenges ahead of climate change, economic imbalance, aging, poor diet and associated health issues demand focus, determination and cohesive management.
The launch of the DEFRA 25 year environment plan; the setting up of a RSA Commission on Food,Farming and Countryside and Minister Michael Gove citing a substantive understanding of the issues is all positive but this debate is too important to be political. The setting up of an RSA Commission on Food, Farming and the Countryside will hopefully provide the in depth consultation to allow all views to be aired; assessed; moulded and utilised for reforms that will challenge current and past policies. Our NHS is in crisis more than ever before. It is the duty of the food industry and policy makers to re-think this whole issue. A July 2017 study of 19 EU countries including the UK suggests that “Ultra processed foods” are intrinsically linked to the rise in obesity – this the result of a highly regulated food industry; national health services focused on illness not good health; an education system that has not invested in the importance of food and diet. This debate may have started because of Brexit, but hopefully it will not become sidelined by it. Change is needed but not within 25 years, it needs to start now.
Change is never easy however and for us at Devereux farm at the start of 2018, the year ahead is daunting. On the basis that we are going to have our first harvest and deliver it to market we will be putting all our investment resources into this year. Developing our own harvesting system is our goal as well as expanding our market. We look forward to taking you with us as we move forward. Thanks as always for following us. If you want more up to date information follow us on twitter @britishseabuck or on facebook or Instagram by searching for the British Sea Buckthorn Company.
