Busy open day for machinery specialist vineyard orchard and

The 2022 Kirkland open day was attended by approximately 100 customers, who enjoyed the opportunity to socialise and discuss issues facing the industry while viewing the latest fruit and vineyard machinery

A mid-December open day by Kent-based machinery dealer, Kirkland UK attracted visitors from across the UK. David Williams was there

Based near Maidstone, Kirkland supplies a wide range of specialist products for vineyards and fruit growers, and is the main importer for respected brands including Antonio Carraro tractors and Giant loaders. There were many new products displayed at the open day, but the star attraction for many visitors was the Gregoire self-propelled grape harvester which was displayed for the rst time; as well as the latest Antonio Carraro Mach 4 Tony quad-tracked tractors.

Enjoyable and useful event

Most of those attending the annual open days are owners and sta of vineyards and fruit growing enterprises based in the South East, but there are also many visitors who travel each year from further a eld. As well as the latest machinery on show, attractions include live music, plenty of refreshments and a well-stocked bar. “Many of our customers come each year, and it’s a very enjoyable event,” explained Kirkland administrator Hollie Kamel. “It’s at an ideal time of the year during the short quieter period just before Christmas and everyone enjoys the opportunity to get together and socialise.”

Opportunities for business

The 2022 event coincided with bitterly cold weather and signi cant amounts of snow, but even so approximately 100 customers attended. Among orders placed at the event were several for Antonio Carraro tractors, and several potential customers had travelled specially to view the range. The annual open days provide an excellent opportunity to purchase machinery at special o er prices, including for ex-display and exdemonstration equipment as well as service items and parts.

It’s about the service

Pictured with sales manager, Ben Devine (left) is Darryl Kemp - vineyard manager for Simpsons Wine Estate, based near Canterbury.

“We produce a range of wines including red, white, rosé and sparkling,” explained Darryl. “Our vineyard opened in 2012, and 2016 was our rst commercial harvest. We have been dealing with the Kirkland team since that year.” Products supplied by Kirkland include Orvin harvesting trailers, and Orizzonti trimming and mowing machinery for maintaining the crop canopy and controlling vegetation on the ground. “It’s all about the service, and the Kirkland team really does look after us,” con rmed Darryl. “When we leave messages, someone will always get back to us quickly, and the company is quite local. It’s a family business, everyone cares, and they are all friendly. They offer a good range of products and the prices are competitive. Being so local - we are often asked if our site can be used for new product trials and demonstrations, and we are always happy to be involved.”

First view of self-propelled harvester

Kirkland service engineer and demonstrator Dorian White will be touring customers’ vineyards with the Gregoire grape harvester later this year. Gregoire started manufacturing trailed harvesters approximately 50 years ago, and the brand was taken on by Kirkland last November. “The range of self-propelled and trailed harvesters is an attractive proposition for our customers,” Dorian explained. “More growers are keen to have full control of their harvesting operations, and we can offer Gregoire models to suit enterprises of various sizes and with different budgets.”

The self-propelled range includes GL and GX series models. The GL series is smaller, and Kirkland has invested in the GL 7.4 with a 4-cyl, 160hp Deutz engine as its demonstrator. “The biggest advantage we can offer growers for both trailed and self-propelled models is the sample quality. The hoppers ll with 99.8% clean fruit – thanks to the Easyclean unit,” continued Dorian.

The demonstration machine has two, 2,000 litre fruit hoppers, although trailed models are available with capacities from 1,200–2,000 litres per hopper, and buyers of self-propelled models can choose hoppers from 1,500–2,000 litres.

The harvesting unit is pendulum mounted and remains vertical on uneven ground to match the growth of the vines. The gap between the two sides of the harvesting unit automatically adjusts to suit the plant row thickness, ensuring consistent harvesting performance.

Drive to the wheels and harvesting unit is hydraulic and 4wd is standard. A 90-degree steering angle minimises time spent turning on headlands.

The cab is central, providing a clear view along both sides of the row being harvested, and models are available with an automatic steering system and GPS. Typical working speed is 3.5kph, depending on yield and variety.

The harvesting unit is easily removed, and alternative attachments include sprayer units of up to 6 rows. It is also Isobus compatible, making it easy to swap attachments and adjust settings from the cab. A front-mounted linkage option allows tting of implements including pre-pruners & de-leafers. Many of Kirkland's customers are reporting increased di culties in sourcing labour during the busy harvesting season, and the company says that these new machines will help reduce reliance on manual pickers and save long-term costs.

Familiar people

Members of the Kent-based Chapel Down vineyard team were at the open day. Chapel Down has vineyards across South East England and purchases harvesting trailers as well as ground cultivation and mowing machinery from Kirkland. “I have been dealing with the Kirkland team for more than 15 years. What really makes things easy is that I am still dealing with the same people. They know us, they understand our needs, and we know who to ask for and what they can help us with. It works well,” stressed the company's Barry Kilby.

Pictured with one of the Antonio Carraro tractors displayed at the open day are Chapel Down team members (l-r) Barry Kilby, Andrew Woodrow, Clarke Moore and Charles Ryder in the tractor seat.

House Coren produced its rst wine in 2020. Boco is a sparkling wine - made using the Charmat method through which the wine undergoes secondary fermentation in sealed tanks rather than in bottles. A new rosé wine will also be available this spring, and an onsite winery is currently under construction. Located near Horsham, Sussex, the House Coren Vineyard was planted four years ago, and Will Coren (left) and Benjamin Coren (pictured with Kirkland marketing manager Tilly Shephard), attended the Kirkland open day to inspect the range of Antonio Carraro tractors. “We had seen Kirkland at various trade shows, and the open day was the ideal opportunity to visit the company’s Kent base, meet the team again, and nd out more,” Will explained.

Gentle harvesting

The BSK Kokan Berry Harvester harvests fragile berries gently but e ciently using air pulses. The air jet action can be accurately tuned to suit the crop and ripeness, and UK users are reporting harvest rates up to 1,000kg per hour, with daily rates equivalent to 200 pickers working a shift. With the Berry Harvester are partner Scott Worsley and sales manager Ben Devine.

The opportunity to pick up parts and equipment at the event, as well as many special offers, meant that the parts counter team was kept busy. Pictured are parts manager, Ben Short (left) with parts assistant Michael Lack.

Top fruit grower

With the Antonio Carraro Mach 4 quad-tracked tractor are Ingrida Muzikeviciene and Ivan Madalin from Kent-based, JL Baxter & Son. The company grows top fruit including apples, pears, cherries and apricots as well as grapes, and an Antonio Carraro tractor is already in use – supplied by Kirkland. “We like and get on well with the tractor. The service from Kirkland is always good, and we come every year to the dealer’s open days,” explained Ingrida.

Clock House team

More new products expected

The Antonio Carraro Mach 4 four-tracked tractor has recently gained a CVT transmission option – allowing the user an in nitely-variable range of working speeds. Designated Mach 4 Tony, two of the CVT models are already working on UK estates, and additional stock arrived during the open day event. “We started importing the brand eight years ago. The tractors are designed speci cally for the fruit and vineyard working environments, and they have almost equal front/rear weight distribution which minimises rutting and ground damage between the plant rows,” explained Kirkland partner Scott Worsley. “They are also designed to work safely on steep slopes which are common in our industry. As well as supplying direct, we also sell machines through sub-dealers elsewhere in the UK, ensuring that local after sales back-up is available.”

The Mach 4 Tony joined the existing range of Tony CVT tractors, and the new conventional style Tony V with CVT was due to arrive this February, he added.

Additional new products expected in the coming months include Terrecon Frost Protection systems of which ve have already been ordered by customers, and a battery powered Corvus utility vehicle.

Pictured with the Tony Mach 4 CVT-equipped tractor are Scott (left) with service manager, Dave Allen.

Bespoke solutions

Despite bitterly cold weather, many visitors spent time outside inspecting the rst Gregoire self-propelled grape harvester to arrive in the UK. Pictured with the machine are members of the Clock House Farm team. Clock House Farm produces top quality berries, soft and top fruit for leading retailers on more than 300ha of land at sites across Kent. (l-r) Alex Akhramieiev, Denys Batsko, Ivan Semikin, Oliver Colyer and Ben Marchant.

Kent fruit producer

Adrian Smith (left) and Harry Prior are pictured with Orizzonti vineyard and orchard machinery displayed at the event. Harry is assistant farm manager for Loddington Farm, based at Linton, near Maidstone, while Adrian looks after logistics and stores.

Loddington Farm grows cherries, apricots, apples, pears and asparagus, and a speciality is its Owlet fruit juice - available in 26 avours, which is made on site and sold through farm shops and selected supermarkets and other outlets in the UK and overseas. Approximately 12 Kirkland Orvin picking platforms are used on the farm which each hold up to three bins of fruit at a time, and an Orizzonti double headed, tractor-mounted strimmer is used to maintain ground vegetation. “The Kirkland team is always easy to deal with, and Ben in the parts department is excellent,” commented Adrian.

Ben manager for Kent-based fruit grower, Hugh Lowe Farms Ltd. Berries including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are a speciality, and the mixed farming enterprise also includes arable crops and a vineyard. Approximately 200ha of fruit is grown in poly tunnels ensuring availability through most of the year.

Kirkland recently supplied refrigerated pods, into which pallets of fruit are loaded during harvesting. These are used mainly when harvesting under glass, when warm conditions might otherwise cause picked fruit to deteriorate quickly. Fruit is transported in the cool pods back to the yard for processing and packing, ensuring that it remains in the best possible condition. Standard pods are also used when ambient temperatures are cooler.

Other products supplied by Kirkland include Antonio Carraro tractors and Orvin harvesting trailers, as well as Orizzonti horizontal strimmers.

“We are moving towards mechanical weed control at ground level, and Kirkland offers various solutions,” explained Pawel. “The company is local to us; the service is really good and when we have ideas then the team is happy to discuss them and work with us to adapt or build specialist machinery.”