Naylor’s Cabbage Factory

[Hindsight]

On a silt soil in arable vegetable rotation Dutch White Cabbage need 200 kg/ha minimum of inorganic Nitrogen. Crop is harvested in November. 80 t/ha of cabbage to remove from field. Ain't always pretty. But then thats the case for a lot of Veg.

 

[DrWazzock]

On a silt soil in arable vegetable rotation Dutch White Cabbage need 200 kg/ha minimum of inorganic Nitrogen. Crop is harvested in November. 80 t/ha of cabbage to remove from field. Ain't always pretty. But then thats the case for a lot of Veg.

They might be able to avoid their reliance on fossil fuel produced N by companion planting with N fixing covers but that isn’t problem free or developed yet.
Then as you say there is the energy cost of the entire growing and processing cycle, from cultivations, harvesting, transport to factory and processing. Soil erosion, compaction etc is another issue.
I could walk the sheep to the abattoir if there was one locally. I could use very little diesel at all if we were livestock only. Cabbages don’t come running into the shed if you shake a bag outside the door.
So until vegans can solve some of these inherent problems when considering the sustainability of their systems when considered right through their protein production cycle, I will remain morally content and satisfied that livestock farming provides the most sustainable and least damaging solution presently available to meet our nutritional needs.
Having said that I see nothing wrong in having as diverse a supply of food as possible and the cabbage factory is to be welcomed in my view. It is a work in progress and only part of a cycle that ultimately might become truly sustainable and not reliant on fossil fuels with further tweaks and adjustments to their entire process.

 

[AT Aloss]

vegans don’t want to know.

Westerners live in a Walt Disney world; if you have the Russians or Chinese on your doorstep like the Ukrainians or Taiwanese the last thing you're thinking about is the feelings of sentient beings.

Animals to be formally recognised as sentient beings in domestic law

Introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill as part of the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare

www.gov.uk

 

[DrWazzock]

Fundamentally though, all of that expense, all of that technology, all of that tortuous biological chicanery of dubious sustainability is a very long and difficult way to go to avoid the moral dilemma of having to kill an animal. Personally I think the killing and eating of animals is a lesser evil in many ways when you consider the overall systems of the planet. Killing and eating animals is sustainable in the way that no Agri industrial process ever will be without untold complexity.
Yep, it’s a bit of a square wheel.

 

[DrWazzock]

Westerners live in a Walt Disney world; if you have the Russians or Chinese on your doorstep like the Ukrainians or Taiwanese the last thing you're thinking about is the feelings of sentient beings.

Animals to be formally recognised as sentient beings in domestic law

Introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill as part of the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare

www.gov.uk

Jesus wept.

 

[Barleycorn]

Jesus wept.

Carrie rides again!

 

[Bald Rick]

Just about sums up what a mad world it is.

About 20 years ago there was a factory built in North Wales for processing Flax, I baled some for a customer he had to provide a certain number of bales, the rest was stacked in the field and burnt
Don't know what happened to the factory, my customer only grew it for one year
@Bald Rick might know

Indeed I do ...... Was an old carpet factory building relocated to a farm near Caernarfon and is now the HQ for DelSol, "The Delivery Solutions Company"

Seems N Wales has a habit of oddball factories. There was also a cold press OSR plant set up in the middle of nowhere (& I really do mean that) to turn rape oil into biofuel because, after all, N Wales is THE hotbed for growing OSR ...........
The wonders of WG grants never cease to amaze

 

[Exfarmer]

Indeed I do ...... Was an old carpet factory building relocated to a farm near Caernarfon and is now the HQ for DelSol, "The Delivery Solutions Company"

Seems N Wales has a habit of oddball factories. There was also a cold press OSR plant set up in the middle of nowhere (& I really do mean that) to turn rape oil into biofuel because, after all, N Wales is THE hotbed for growing OSR ...........
The wonders of WG grants never cease to amaze

it was ever thus, grants handed out to the biggest fraudsters sorry dreamers on there hope of bringing one more job to areas with low employment

 

[itsalwaysme]

Indeed I do ...... Was an old carpet factory building relocated to a farm near Caernarfon and is now the HQ for DelSol, "The Delivery Solutions Company"

Seems N Wales has a habit of oddball factories. There was also a cold press OSR plant set up in the middle of nowhere (& I really do mean that) to turn rape oil into biofuel because, after all, N Wales is THE hotbed for growing OSR ...........
The wonders of WG grants never cease to amaze

Did the Flax processing factory last long

 

[Bald Rick]

it was ever thus, grants handed out to the biggest fraudsters sorry dreamers on there hope of bringing one more job to areas with low employment

In both cases, the instigators where farmers looking for opportunities. Not every entrepreneur succeeds first up but I do think there should have been more care taken with scoping out the projects although in the former case (flax), there has been some tradition from the Roman times of growing hemp in coastal N Wales due to the mild, damp climate suitable for retting although it seems that modern mills require a dry bale (as I learnt to my very great cost)

 

[Bald Rick]

Did the Flax processing factory last long

No. In fact I am not even sure if it ever worked.

 

[itsalwaysme]

No. In fact I am not even sure if it ever worked.

I'm sure the bales were taken there, and I'm not sure if my customer had a factory tour but as I said he never grew it again

 

[Exfarmer]

In both cases, the instigators where farmers looking for opportunities. Not every entrepreneur succeeds first up but I do think there should have been more care taken with scoping out the projects although in the former case (flax), there has been some tradition from the Roman times of growing hemp in coastal N Wales due to the mild, damp climate suitable for retting although it seems that modern mills require a dry bale (as I learnt to my very great cost)

a lot farmyard ponds were originally for retting, pity the poor sods who had to scythe a crop of flax!

 

[Grass And Grain]

If it's waste cabbage leaves, then crack on and extract the protein for cash.

If you want plant based protein with low inputs, then beans or clover might make more sense? In fact, if it can be done, and economic, can the factory extract protein from clover?

Good look to Messers Naylor, hope it works financially.

Anyone know how the process works? My neighbour was looking into something like this for extracting protein (valuable food ingredient) from plants.

 

[Bald Rick]

Looks possible that the OSR press is still working?

Blodyn Aur

Blodyn Aur (translated to 'Golden Flower') is the only Welsh Rapeseed Oil - Welsh grown, Welsh pressed and Welsh bottled! Launched in April 2010, Blodyn Aur is run by farmers and friends Llyr Jones, Bryn Jones and Medwyn Roberts. Together they have set-up a modern oil pressing facility on Llyr’s...

www.madryn.co.uk

Certainly seems to be a change of direction but good luck to them

 

[primmiemoo]

Will this cabbage fibre need laminating with plastic in order to be useful? Caught the tail end of an item about plahrnt "leathers" on the radio this morning (?) which strongly suggested that plastics are integral to their durability. Given what's been mentioned upthread about lack of biodegradability of plant fibres which should be biodegradable, this trend away from traditional fibres could have significant negative consequences.

 

[Exfarmer]

Will this cabbage fibre need laminating with plastic in order to be useful? Caught the tail end of an item about plahrnt "leathers" on the radio this morning (?) which strongly suggested that plastics are integral to their durability. Given what's been mentioned upthread about lack of biodegradability of plant fibres which should be biodegradable, this trend away from traditional fibres could have significant negative consequences.

This is absolutely the point most of these fibres are both too short and or little natural grip , which its why they have not been used in the past.
I have been regularly bombarded with bamboo socks and they advertising suggest this natural fibre is wonderful for the environment. No mention that the finished product is actually 89% non natural fibre

 

[betweenthelines]

Unless they are magically making protein out of thin air, all this factory is doing is extracting the protein that occurs naturally in cabbage.

Seems a bit daft to use a low protein foodstuff as a protein source. What next? Extract the naturally occurring fibre from strawberries to make a fibre rich food?

 

[Lowland1]

Travel between Lincoln and Sleaford on the A15 and you’ll pass through thousands of acres of Lucerne and Grass all irrigated with water pumped from the river Witham ten miles away all of this is grown not to feed livestock but for chlorophyll some of which is used to make the green stripe in your toothpaste in between this is maize grown for electricity carted to the site of an old flax factory not much changes does it.

 

[primmiemoo]

This is absolutely the point most of these fibres are both too short and or little natural grip , which its why they have not been used in the past.
I have been regularly bombarded with bamboo socks and they advertising suggest this natural fibre is wonderful for the environment. No mention that the finished product is actually 89% non natural fibre

>shocked!< I've been drawn into a modern myth, then? There's bamboo aplenty at a favourite garden that's open to the paying, and I'd somehow thought such long segments of plant would be ideal for fibre ~ especially once water use, and chemical extraction processes are sorted out.

Must consult a search engine...