Any soft fruit growers out there?

A couple of silly townie questions!

I have both seen and heard gas-bangers in operation to scare wood pigeons off field crops and I have also seen those hawk like kites hovering in fields; all of which appear to work to some degree. A local council near us use the sounds of hawk cries to scare starlings off a major bridge structure; or perhaps it's the alarm call of the starlings that they play and I have it wrong.

If a hawk uses an area for regular hunting, do birds start to avoid that area? Do you suppose that a drone disguised as a hawk could be used to re-enforce discouragement of birds to enter an area? Is it legal, under general licence, to kill the birds spoiling your fruit crop? Which birds do the most damage to fruit crops?
 
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That being the case I recon there would probably be a que of airgunners ready to thin out the corvid population for you, free of charge; probably assassinate some rats for you as well.

Do soft fruit growers get problems with wasps, or do you just set up wasp traps?
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Anybody got any juicing apples for sale or know where I might get some?

The frosts in May have left me with hardly any fruit. I need dessert apples preferably, some Discovery and or Katy would be a start but main season is what I was really after.
I expect I will need 15 ton or more to make my crop up but a ton here and there would help. Can collect, can supply bins, might even be able to pick some I am that desperate. :D
Cheshire based but not expecting anything local.
A pointer to someone that might have some would help too.
I am still trying to secure apples for juicing.
If Kent is the nearest place I can find then so be it. Anybody in Hereford, Worcester, area with anything?
I can collect 2 ton at a time and anything sweet is welcome.
 

RushesToo

Member
Location
Fingringhoe
I am still trying to secure apples for juicing.
If Kent is the nearest place I can find then so be it. Anybody in Hereford, Worcester, area with anything?
I can collect 2 ton at a time and anything sweet is welcome.
Given how much the pubs are shut it may be that commercial growers have excess - I know in the old days the Westons used to have orchards in worcs.

Just checked, they still do:

We are a rural business, with values deeply rooted in the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. All of the cider apples and perry pears that go into a Westons Cider product come from a 50-mile radius of the cider mill. The fruit is cared for by our local growers, some of which, we have been working with for many generations
 

Fruitbat

Member
BASIS
Location
Worcestershire
Bit early in the season for volume, but some of the bigger packhouses will have contracts with Copella or even AD plants for waste. Wye Fruit, Ledbury, Man of Ross, Newent, or some of the smaller growers might supply if they're packing their own, but most will want to shift by the lorry load. 2t, 6 bins - might have to pay a deposit on the bins.
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Bit early in the season for volume, but some of the bigger packhouses will have contracts with Copella or even AD plants for waste. Wye Fruit, Ledbury, Man of Ross, Newent, or some of the smaller growers might supply if they're packing their own, but most will want to shift by the lorry load. 2t, 6 bins - might have to pay a deposit on the bins.
Thanks.
At the moment I have nothing so just a contact or two for something definite would be a start. It would suit me to a degree for the fruit to be available in 2-4 weeks as long as I knew I had a supply.
2 ton is what I can cart myself, 20 ton is closer to what I need but have no cold storage. I do usually barn store my own fruit until mid December.
Deposit on bins is not a problem and I expect it.
 

carpenter1

Member
Location
devon
Sorted now. Some from Kent and some from Leominster, £120 from grower, £150 from dealer.
Gone from fretting over how to get apples to wondering how I can cope with 15 tons of fruit arriving in the next week or so and more coming.
Glad your sorted, I would be interested in photos of how you do it. (Not showing any trade secrets if you don't want to)

I picked up a pick up and trailer full yesterday day, from someone who just wanted them used. I might have a bit to much for family consumption.
 

sahara

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Somerset
On a couple of news sites I've seen reports of serious damage to the French wine and soft fruit crops, Is this correct or just over hyping by news channels, @Veryfruity ? Or anyone else with an informed view.
 

Veryfruity

Member
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Yes, true.

We’ve had several nights of frost, but not so severe as other regions. They’re saying locally that losses are about 10-15% ( our region produces more wine than Australia)

In the village the worst hit chap lost half his vines. The problem with frost on vines is that you lose this years crop, bu also next years wood is stunted.
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Personally the frost cost us a ha of table grapes, and has damaged the fruit trees. Luckily it’s before we thin the fruit so we can afford to lose some, with peaches you can make a crop with only 10% of your flowers. I think we’ll have fruit in June and July, but the late apricots and peaches will be thin on the ground. God knows with cherries they’re like trying to second guess cats.

I think we’ve been lucky, the Rhône valley has seen all its apricots frosted off, even with helicopters etc, and some of the best Rhône wine won’t have a harvest, cote rôtie.

Without a doubt there has been a real blow to French wine and fruit production.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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