Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.

Deerefarmer

Member
Location
USA
You know those apples I squish up and put into bottles, I got first prize at The National Fruit Show in Kent yesterday for being good at it. :)
Makes me smile sending juice down there and winning prizes, mostly because they seem to think I am fairly near the North Pole and can't possibly grow apples.
I did wonder how you could grow apples.
Several thousand acres grown here in the valley, figured they need well drained soil and semi arid weather
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
I did wonder how you could grow apples.
Several thousand acres grown here in the valley, figured they need well drained soil and semi arid weather
I doubt there's a hundred acres grown in this county these days, historically there were more and most farms will have had an acre or so at the very least.
Cheshire is not really recognised as an apple growing region but as it is further North than Kent we are a fortnight later to harvest. Back in the olden days prior to chilled or controlled atmosphere storage this would have been a distinct advantage. I have sent apples into the London markets before now and back in time it was common practice. Most farms were busy producing milk though, the cream of which is what gave the Cheshire Cat his smile.
In this lunatic modern world I can buy Pink Lady apples from Australia in the local supermarket for less than I have paid in a supermarket in Australia. No idea how that one works.
Apples are grown much further North than where I am.
 
Bit of a hipster with your craft beer.

We processed a few sheep last night which had been in the cool room a few days.

Did not get home until 1:30 and feel a bit hung over today.
 

Deerefarmer

Member
Location
USA
I doubt there's a hundred acres grown in this county these days, historically there were more and most farms will have had an acre or so at the very least.
Cheshire is not really recognised as an apple growing region but as it is further North than Kent we are a fortnight later to harvest. Back in the olden days prior to chilled or controlled atmosphere storage this would have been a distinct advantage. I have sent apples into the London markets before now and back in time it was common practice. Most farms were busy producing milk though, the cream of which is what gave the Cheshire Cat his smile.
In this lunatic modern world I can buy Pink Lady apples from Australia in the local supermarket for less than I have paid in a supermarket in Australia. No idea how that one works.
Apples are grown much further North than where I am.
Local Walmart here sell apples from NZ, so don't feel alone 🙄
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
A lot of it isn't too.
I expect in my local supermarket on the fruit aisle there will be big union jacks flying above and banners with slogans like "We support UK Farmers" and "Best of UK Apple Season" . Yet actually on the aisle there will be a small sample of fruit that we would usually reject for pig feed as they are way too small and labelled "snack size" and some terribly knocked about poor quality Bramley. Most of the apples on display will be from all over the globe except here.
This has always been the case over the last few decades. I haven't actually looked lately but there are a lot of not so full shelves in the supermarkets these days so just maybe they do have UK fruit for a change. Given the fact the Romanians aren't here to pick them though, maybe they don't.

Another favourite trick of our supermarkets is to have a discount campaign just as a new season crop hits the shelves, so as soon as the new crop comes in they do a half price offer at exactly the time the growers were expecting the new season premium. Or flood the shelves with Kenyan runner beans the day the UK crop starts to harvest. Most UK runner bean growers have given up now as far as I can tell, so now you only have Kenyan stuff but as the housewife doesn't do any food prep these days they don't sell because nobody can remember how to cook them.
It is a very strange world out there which is a big part of why I stay in here. :D
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
A lot of it isn't too.
I expect in my local supermarket on the fruit aisle there will be big union jacks flying above and banners with slogans like "We support UK Farmers" and "Best of UK Apple Season" . Yet actually on the aisle there will be a small sample of fruit that we would usually reject for pig feed as they are way too small and labelled "snack size" and some terribly knocked about poor quality Bramley. Most of the apples on display will be from all over the globe except here.
This has always been the case over the last few decades. I haven't actually looked lately but there are a lot of not so full shelves in the supermarkets these days so just maybe they do have UK fruit for a change. Given the fact the Romanians aren't here to pick them though, maybe they don't.

Another favourite trick of our supermarkets is to have a discount campaign just as a new season crop hits the shelves, so as soon as the new crop comes in they do a half price offer at exactly the time the growers were expecting the new season premium. Or flood the shelves with Kenyan runner beans the day the UK crop starts to harvest. Most UK runner bean growers have given up now as far as I can tell, so now you only have Kenyan stuff but as the housewife doesn't do any food prep these days they don't sell because nobody can remember how to cook them.
It is a very strange world out there which is a big part of why I stay in here. :D
They do the same with lamb
They ship it here from nz at a loss just to undermine our market.
Covid etc has put a stop to that hence high prices here
 

Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
A lot of it isn't too.
I expect in my local supermarket on the fruit aisle there will be big union jacks flying above and banners with slogans like "We support UK Farmers" and "Best of UK Apple Season" . Yet actually on the aisle there will be a small sample of fruit that we would usually reject for pig feed as they are way too small and labelled "snack size" and some terribly knocked about poor quality Bramley. Most of the apples on display will be from all over the globe except here.
This has always been the case over the last few decades. I haven't actually looked lately but there are a lot of not so full shelves in the supermarkets these days so just maybe they do have UK fruit for a change. Given the fact the Romanians aren't here to pick them though, maybe they don't.

Another favourite trick of our supermarkets is to have a discount campaign just as a new season crop hits the shelves, so as soon as the new crop comes in they do a half price offer at exactly the time the growers were expecting the new season premium. Or flood the shelves with Kenyan runner beans the day the UK crop starts to harvest. Most UK runner bean growers have given up now as far as I can tell, so now you only have Kenyan stuff but as the housewife doesn't do any food prep these days they don't sell because nobody can remember how to cook them.
It is a very strange world out there which is a big part of why I stay in here. :D
It's enough to make your blood boil.
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
A lot of it isn't too.
I expect in my local supermarket on the fruit aisle there will be big union jacks flying above and banners with slogans like "We support UK Farmers" and "Best of UK Apple Season" . Yet actually on the aisle there will be a small sample of fruit that we would usually reject for pig feed as they are way too small and labelled "snack size" and some terribly knocked about poor quality Bramley. Most of the apples on display will be from all over the globe except here.
This has always been the case over the last few decades. I haven't actually looked lately but there are a lot of not so full shelves in the supermarkets these days so just maybe they do have UK fruit for a change. Given the fact the Romanians aren't here to pick them though, maybe they don't.

Another favourite trick of our supermarkets is to have a discount campaign just as a new season crop hits the shelves, so as soon as the new crop comes in they do a half price offer at exactly the time the growers were expecting the new season premium. Or flood the shelves with Kenyan runner beans the day the UK crop starts to harvest. Most UK runner bean growers have given up now as far as I can tell, so now you only have Kenyan stuff but as the housewife doesn't do any food prep these days they don't sell because nobody can remember how to cook them.
It is a very strange world out there which is a big part of why I stay in here. :D
Friend of mine is probably the biggest runner bean grower in the UK he says it's a declining market as his customers keep dying ( it's old people feed). Not many runners are grown in Kenya now for actually the same reason. Supermarkets always take UK produce in preference to ours so we have an off season even though we can grow year round. Sainsbury are advertising about putting half chickpeas in your chicken curry to save the planet as far as I'm aware the UK grows no chickpeas. It's all a big con.
 
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Tomr10

Member
Friend of mine is probably the biggest runner bean grower in the UK he says it's a declining market as his customers keep dying ( it's old people feed). Not many runners are grown in Kenya now for actually the same reason. Supermarkets always take UK produce in preference to ours so we have an off season even though we can grow year round. Sainsbury are advertising about putting half chickpeas in your chicken curry to save the planet as far as I'm aware the UK grows no chickpeas. It's all a big con.
Ewww no I f ING hate chick pea
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Friend of mine is probably the biggest runner bean grower in the UK he says it's a declining market as his customers keep dying ( it's old people feed). Not many runners are grown in Kenya now for actually the same reason. Supermarkets always take UK produce in preference to ours so we have an off season even though we can grow year round. Sainsbury are advertising about putting half chickpeas in your chicken curry to save the planet as far as I'm aware the UK grows no chickpeas. It's all a big con.
I once worked out that as growers my family partnership grew/produced over 12% of the UK rhubarb crop (based on ADAS figures), the old guy on the forklift in Liverpool market regularly told me when this next round of old biddies snuff it there ain't going to be much rhubarb sold. We went from 2 truck loads a day to a van a week.
We as a family partnership don't grow anything any more and I doubt we are missed much or even remembered for that matter. Liverpool wholesale market isn't even there any more never mind us!
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
Globalization......Probably bob up and down passing each other on the ocean:rolleyes::facepalm::shifty:
Yes and so do tractors and combines and cars etc farmers are always complaining about stuff coming from abroad but we are as guilty as everyone else and it's alright saying that there's no choice these days because there was a choice not many years ago.
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Zero manufacturing here. Alternative is breeding draught horses....
Now then, draught horses, I know a bit about this too. As a kid I bought a horse, a full stallion because that is what everyone said not to do of course. Now as a 2 year old I broke him to harness and we dragged a bowtop to Appleby Fair. Me and that pony did thousands of miles from The Cotwolds to The Lakes and North Wales. One hell of a time! and went to places that people used to tell me their parents used to go. Well I did it, not my parents or people of the olden days, me!
Tell me now, how many folk can you tell me you know that have been to Appleby in a horse drawn wagon and to Stow the same way. And tell me how many folk you know that have been up the Fish on the old road up out of Broadway with a horse and wagon. I've had people proud to tell me they come down The Fish with their wagon, yeah well, I went up it with mine.
For those that don't know the place it is 1 in 5 for about 6 miles, Transits don't always make it never mind draught horses.

I don't believe there is anything better in this world than working as one with a well trained horse or dog. No words spoken, you and the creature just know.
 

cows sh#t me to tears

Member
Livestock Farmer
Now then, draught horses, I know a bit about this too. As a kid I bought a horse, a full stallion because that is what everyone said not to do of course. Now as a 2 year old I broke him to harness and we dragged a bowtop to Appleby Fair. Me and that pony did thousands of miles from The Cotwolds to The Lakes and North Wales. One hell of a time! and went to places that people used to tell me their parents used to go. Well I did it, not my parents or people of the olden days, me!
Tell me now, how many folk can you tell me you know that have been to Appleby in a horse drawn wagon and to Stow the same way. And tell me how many folk you know that have been up the Fish on the old road up out of Broadway with a horse and wagon. I've had people proud to tell me they come down The Fish with their wagon, yeah well, I went up it with mine.
For those that don't know the place it is 1 in 5 for about 6 miles, Transits don't always make it never mind draught horses.

I don't believe there is anything better in this world than working as one with a well trained horse or dog. No words spoken, you and the creature just know.
I suppose at least there would be a more constant market for hay if we all had to go back to horses. 🤣 (y)
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Nah, we aint never going back to horses, that's confined to the past and for good reason. For my part it is cool to have have dabbled in the past and to have a few of those lost skills.
I doubt those skills will be required again or even recognised but there you go.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 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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  • 1
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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