Fruit & Vine Issue 7 - November.December/January 2023/24

ISSUE 7

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NOV/DEC/JAN 2023/24

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WELCOME

Out & About

Machinery editor David Williams recently put Fendt's brand-new battery-powered e107 V Vario tractor through its paces in Germany.

Pictured with David are Fendt's Christoph Baer, Mirjam Kleinknecht, and Ed Dennett. Turn to page 17 to read David's full report Essex-based engineer and specialist fruit and vineyard machinery dealer Ben Stratherne met up with David Williams at New Hall Vineyard, to chat about and demo some of the various brands that Ben sells and services.

Find out more on page 28 We have moved! The Farmers Guide and Fruit & Vine team have relocated to purpose-built offices on the outskirts of Stowmarket. This move will allow our business to grow so that we can provide even more information and advice to our readers via our magazines and digital platforms

01473 794440

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Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Fruit & Vine magazine is published by Early Bird Fruit Publications Ltd from its office at Unit 3-4 Boudicca Road, Suffolk Central Business Park, Stowmarket IP14 1WF Tel: 01473 794440. Full contact details for staff can be found at www.fruitandvine.co.uk. Original articles and advertisements created by Fruit & Vine are copyright-protected and are not to be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Editor.

No responsibility can be accepted by Fruit & Vine for the opinions expressed by its contributors.

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News

Products, research and events you need to know about

Special report

The dos and don'ts of health and safety in the winery

Special report

Funding to support Kent's fruit industry

Machinery

Battery-powered with performance of a diesel

Machinery

Specialist dealer is meeting increased demand

Machinery

Essex dealer business built on service and back-up

Grower profile

Living the viticulture dream, from vine to wine

Grower profile

Growing blackcurrants amid increasing climate challenges

Special report

Regenerative viticulture: How to make nature do the work for you

Agronomy

Late season threat to grape harvest

Agronomy

"Unique" plant-based organic fertiliser is a win for soil health

Technical advice

Taking innovation in viticulture to the next level

Technical advice

Optimise your wine operations with robust software systems

Professional services

Look before you leap – find your 'why' before planting a vineyard

In the know

Winemaker Emma Rice provides some industry insights

ISSN: 2753-474X 4

November/December/January 2023/24

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Contents

www.fruitandvine.co.uk Directors Managing director Julie Goulding julie@fruitandvine.co.uk Director Greg Goulding greg@fruitandvine.co.uk

Editorial

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31

Editor Rachel Hicks rachel@fruitandvine.co.uk Deputy editor Sarah Kidby hello@fruitandvine.co.uk Machinery editor David Williams hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

Advertising Sales director Zohra Mitchell zohra@fruitandvine.co.uk

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Fruit & Vine specialist Samantha Wilson sam@fruitandvine.co.uk Senior sales executive Joanna Blower hello@fruitandvine.co.uk Senior sales executive Jana Moyes hello@fruitandvine.co.uk Sales executive Chloe Fox hello@fruitandvine.co.uk Sales executive Rosanna Sweet hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

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Sales executive William Taylor hello@fruitandvine.co.uk Classified sales manager Nicki Procter hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

Marketing Marketing manager KM Sharp hello@fruitandvine.co.uk Digital marketing executive Patrick Over hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

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Design & Production Production manager Martyn Smith hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

16/10/2023 14:46

NEWS

First

carbon calculator for the horticultural sector launches ADAS is launching the first carbon accounting tool designed and developed exclusively for use by the horticultural sector.

The new tool, HortZero, will allow fruit, vegetable, and ornamental growers to independently calculate the carbon footprint of their business and their produce, which can in turn be reported to retailers, their consumers, and regulatory bodies.

Unlike other carbon calculators on the market which tend to exclusively focus on ‘open-field’ farming, HortZero is able to calculate emissions produced from container systems and protected environments. It has been built from the ground up to accommodate infrastructure found within a typical horticulture business such as chilled storage units,

packhouses, glasshouses with lighting and heating systems, and potting and filling lines.

Jill England, HortZero project lead and head of horticulture at ADAS explains: “Simplicity is at the heart of the HortZero tool. We have worked very hard to ensure that any type of business, whether they’re a large commercial nursery or small familyrun enterprise, can use it and understand the data it provides. It doesn’t require growers to record every little detail of their site operations, it focuses on ‘total resource used’ instead so it shouldn’t add excessively to anyone’s workload.”

WineGB announces

Nicola Bates as its new CEO

Nicola Bates joins WineGB from her position as director of strategy and external affairs at the Portman Group, the social responsibility and marketing body of the UK alcohol industry.

She brings to WineGB a unique combination of senior leadership experience from across politics, commercial consultancy, charity and membership bodies. With substantial experience across the disciplines of people, reputation and organisational strategy she will support WineGB and help drive the industry forward.

Nicola is WineGB’s first female CEO and joins a substantial panel of women leading the association, with Sam Linter as the chair and the whole executive team.

Nicola commented: “With production having

Consortium set to acquire Hambledon Vineyard for £22.3M A consortium led by the UK’s oldest wine merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd, has initiated a takeover bid for Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire.

Hambledon Vineyard, England’s oldest commercial vineyard, is reported to have agreed on terms to be bought for £22.3 million by the consortium, which is also led by the Symington Group of Portugal, maker of ports such as Dow’s, Graham’s, and Cockburn’s.

The vineyard was established in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones and its sparkling wines have won numerous gold medals from international wine competitions and blind tasting tests.

However, the vineyard is said to have suffered ‘financial stress’ as a result of developing new vineyards and new visitor centre facilities, coupled 6

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Jill confirmed that this is a soft launch of HortZero, and early users should bear in mind that it is still in the final stages of development.

ADAS is now offering early access to HortZero for any interested growers. To find out more and register interest, please visit www.adas.co.uk/ hortzero or email hortzero@adas.co.uk. Growers will be invited to fill in a short questionnaire to help HortZero’s developers understand how the tool will be used.

with the impact of Covid-19.

Commenting on the acquisition in a joint statement, Lizzy Rudd (chair of Berry Bros. & Rudd) and Rupert Symington (CEO of Symington Family Estates) said: “Over the past few months our two

doubled over the past five years, and set again to repeat this substantial achievement, I am overjoyed to be a part of the next phase of growth for English and Welsh wines. The sector will likely soon face the challenges that come with such success, and this is where WineGB steps in with its significant role to shape the workforce, the customer experience, and the reputation.”

WineGB chair, Sam Linter, added: “I am delighted to appoint Nicola as the new CEO of WineGB. The WineGB board were looking for a specific set of skills and experience that are required to deliver success for the organisation and industry as we enter a new phase of maturity.

During an extensive recruitment process, Nicola demonstrated the experience and diverse skillset required to run a growing trade association with a rapidly increasing external focus. I look forward to seeing Nicola deliver our strategic pillars of Leadership, Member Services, Growth and Sustainability, and wish her every success in her new role. Welcome to WineGB.”

family businesses have provided considerable financial support to Hambledon Vineyard plc, following a period of sustained financial pressure.

“We have been working with the Hambledon directors, lawyers, and advisors to prepare this offer to shareholders which is being recommended by the independent Hambledon board. We believe the offer represents a positive opportunity for shareholders to receive value for their investment against the backdrop of the highly uncertain future the business otherwise faces.”

A statement from Berry Bros & Rudd said: ‘We can confirm that Symington Family Estates and Berry Bros. & Rudd have initiated a takeover bid for Hambledon Vineyard plc. This process is regulated by the Takeover Panel.

‘The context and strategic rationale behind the bid are detailed in the mandatory bid documentation that is publicly available on www.cvi-ltd.co.uk. Before the process has ended and until the outcome has been confirmed, we are unable to comment further.’

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NEWS

Hadlow College: “Educating the farmers of the future”

Hadlow College says it takes great pride in producing farmers of the future, and one of the hot topics at the moment is regenerative farming within viticulture and horticulture.

But what is this, and why is it so important?

Regenerative farming is a way of growing food and raising animals that considers the long-term health of the environment, society, and economy.

In other words, it’s a way of meeting our current needs without affecting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

So, in regenerative farming, practices are used that minimise harm to the environment.

Regenerative farming is important to safeguard the future of this planet.

It is estimated that by 2050 we will need to grow 40% more food, using less land, optimising yields and emitting fewer greenhouse gases.

This means we need to change the way we treat our land, grow our crops and produce our food.

Hadlow College has already joined forces with numerous education providers from around the world to take a stand against climate change by signing the UN’s ‘Race to Zero’ campaign.

And a big step towards this came in 2022 with the creation of a new ‘robotic orchard and vineyard’ at Hadlow.

The specially designated 2ha of land will showcase the latest technology, including automated AI management systems, a state-ofthe-art irrigation, fertigation and frost protection system, and automated fruit picking options.

The crops will be grown with sustainability in mind at all times. Drones will be used to monitor bud set, predict yields and monitor the growth of the crop allowing precise applications of nutrition, pest and disease control methods to be used.

Sensors will be installed throughout the orchard to monitor, amongst other things, moisture, relative humidity, PAR, rainfall, plus other exciting sensors which are currently being developed.

Hadlow College says: “This is hugely exciting, and will ensure our students are at the forefront of the regenerative farming industry.”

According to Hadlow College, it is Kent’s only rural and land-based college, and as such offers a huge number of courses at its beautiful campus set in 265 acres of prime arable land.

If you are interested in finding out more come along to the college’s next open event which runs from 10am–1pm on Saturday 4th November, or contact the college to find out when future open events will be held.

You will be able to explore the college’s fantastic facilities and get the chance to speak to its industry-trained lecturers and current students.

You can pre-register by visiting www.hadlow. ac.uk/events or by calling 01732 850551.

fastest-growing Vineyards are “the

edible agriculture crop sector” in England

Vineyards have been confirmed as being in the top two of the fastest-growing agricultural crop sectors (as a whole) in England, according to recent statistics reported within Defra’s Agricultural & Horticultural Survey.

These recent figures show that grapes now represent 36% of England’s soft fruit crop (which saw a sector growth rate of +21% in the last year), with strawberries and blackcurrants in second place at 21% each.

This figure is set to grow further as the UK wine industry body, Wines of Great Britain (WineGB), has reported a 74% growth in vine plantings in just five years to 4,300ha. This trajectory is set to continue as plantings are expected to reach 7,600ha by 2032, yielding a potential 24.7M bottles (see https://winegb. co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/WineGBIndustry-Report-2022-23-FINAL.pdf ).

WineGB has also set out an ambitious longterm sustainability programme to measure and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and

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regenerate the natural environment to enhance biodiversity throughout Britain’s vineyards.

The growth in vineyards has heralded the emergence of Wine Tourism as an important attraction for domestic and inbound tourists.

Many vineyards offer experiences such as tours and tastings, and an increasing number have cafés, restaurants and even accommodation.

As Britain’s wine harvest is firmly underway, this latest data further illustrates the positive impact this industry is making on the landscape, to local economies, and rural employment.

Ned Awty, interim CEO of industry body WineGB, comments: “It is often said to be exciting times in British Wine and right now is no exception. The UK is one of the fastest-growing wine regions in the world with an exciting future

ahead. With increased investment, increased global awareness and an exciting portfolio of sparkling and still wines, this is an excellent time to be seeking out your nearest vineyard to see what they have to offer.

“Wine tourism is becoming an increasingly important business for our producers. As having local vineyards normalises in the national psyche, so does popping in to try wines or buy a bottle. This change in consumer behaviour is already having a significant impact on local economies and we look forward to seeing it grow.

“Consumers are demanding more locally produced, environmentally friendly products, something that English and Welsh wines are in a unique position to deliver.”

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16/10/2023 13:57

NEWS

New mower is the

“apple of the orchard’s eye” Bill Medel of E&B Medel Orchards recently purchased a Major Cyclone mower to maintain the grass between rows of apple trees – he gave Fruit & Vine his opinion.

BAPL announces

apple retailer of the year for 2023

The UK top fruit grower association, British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL), has announced Aldi as its 2023 apple retailer of the year.

The award is based on BAPL member sales to British supermarkets from September 2022 to end of August 2023. As the last of the 2022 apple and pear crop has now been sold, BAPL has now revealed its supermarket of the year.

In the year starting September 2022, Aldi sold 32,165 tonnes of British dessert apples; ahead of Tesco, which sold 28,954 and Sainsbury’s, which sold 24,448t.

Commenting on this achievement, Ali Capper, executive chair of BAPL, said: “Aldi’s commitment to British has been growing every year. With a grocery market share of only 10.2%, we are delighted to see Aldi significantly over-indexing for British apples. Aldi sold 23% of all British apples last year – the greatest volume of any UK supermarket, just pipping Tesco’s 21%. For Aldi to sell more than double the expected volume (based on grocery market share) is an excellent performance and one which we hope other retailers will emulate.”

In addition to the above award 10

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for performance in the most recent year, BAPL has also looked back over the last three years to identify longer-term support for the category.

In terms of all apple and pear sales over the last three years (2019 crop to 2022 crop inclusive), Sainsbury’s sold the most (117,892t), with Tesco second (116,869t) and Aldi in third (111,373t).

“It’s so important that all our supermarkets get behind British farmers and our wonderful British apples and pears. Buying British over imported fruit saves on food miles, and we know consumers want British if at all possible. When we have such wonderful fruit available in good quantities, that will store well, there really is no reason to look overseas.

It would be great to see every retailer making it much easier for the shopper to find British apples and pears in their stores and online.”

BAPL continues to publish monthly UK apple sales data at: www.britishapplesandpears.co.uk/ supermarket-sales-data.

“Quality of product dominates every part of our business. Our family loves what we do and it shows in our harvested fruit products,” explains Bill Medel.

The family business grows apples, peaches, pears and plums on over 180-acres.

“We grow about 14 different apple varieties. We have our own controlled storage and packing facilities that enables us to ship quality produce year-round to our customers,” Bill says.

Medel Orchards is an active member of Ontario Apple Growers (OAG). As such, the family is always improving production processes and sharing their efforts with other fruit growers to support the overall progress of their industry.

“One big improvement we made recently was to invest in a new mower to maintain the grass areas in between the rows of fruit trees,” Bill continues. “The finish it leaves is so good that it has actually helped us improve our harvesting output because the fruit picking teams are able to move more freely between the tree rows.”

Bill is referring to the Major Cyclone mower. “We were using another brand of mower, but it was never strong enough, had a belt drive and was always unreliable.

The repair costs for the previous

machine alone were too much.

We’d need to replace the mower every three or four years, which really wasn’t the best return on investment,” he explains.

The 2.5m Major Cyclone has four rotors with 16 blades and a cutting height adjustment between 40mm to 200mm. It comes with a full-width rear roller to minimise scalping and the rotors overlap by 60cm to ensure nothing is left uncut.

“We bought the 2.5m model because it perfectly suited our row spacings. Because there is a rear roller on the Major Cyclone it leaves a pristine finish and it makes our orchards look absolutely professional,” Bill explains.

“What I really like about the Major is that it doesn’t have a belt drive, which always becomes a reliability problem. Instead, it has a heavy-duty gearbox and shaft drive, so even when the grass is heavy it just takes it in its stride.

It cuts and chops the residue and leaves a perfect finish throughout the orchard.

“Being on a fruit farm you have quite a few pieces of different equipment. We buy new equipment every year and my absolute favourite machinery investment is without a doubt the Major Cyclone,” he concludes. “We highly recommend it to other growers.”

November/December/January 2023/24

16/10/2023 11:44

“The Major Cyclone leaves a pristine finish and makes our orchards look professional.”

Bill Medel, E&B Medel Orchards

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SPECIAL REPORT

dos don’ts

The

and of health and safety in the winery

Within wineries there are numerous health and safety hazards that require careful management to protect staff and minimise the risk of injury. Following the recent tragic death of Italian winemaker Marco Bettolini, who was overcome by toxic fumes while attempting to rescue a colleague, Fruit & Vine spoke to Defined Wine CEO Henry Sugden who offered some advice.

The death of Marco Bettolini, winemaker at the Ca' di Rajo winery, Treviso, highlighted the dangers of working in confined spaces where large quantities of toxic odourless gases – such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen – are produced, for example in wine fermentation vats.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) poisoning is the number one health risk associated with wineries, particularly where red wine is being fermented, according to Henry Sugden, founder and CEO of contract winery Defined Wine.

Henry explained that CO2 monitors inside wineries are essential to alert employees when levels are too high.

“Once wines are fermenting in the tank, they’ll be releasing CO2 into the winery.

To manage this we have protocols for opening up the door, with remote access, so that if you see the CO2 device is alarming, you can open the doors from the outside in order to increase airflow.” They also have extractor fans to move the toxic gas out of the winery environment.

There are protocols in place for entering confined spaces where there may be a CO2 risk, which Henry 12

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said is mainly tanks where red wine is being fermented, and employees have handheld portable monitors for checking tanks and presses before entering them.

“In England we make less red wine, and it tends to be quite small batches, so the tanks and bins are small enough that we don’t normally have to get in and clean them, so that again is reducing the risk. The bigger concern is wineries with huge red wine vats or fermentation vessels that workers have to enter to clean, and there’s still a lot of CO2 in there,” he added.

Key hazards and mitigation strategies Having adequate health and safety protocols in place to reduce risks and making sure these are followed is an important part of protecting a winery’s greatest asset – its people.

According to ‘A recipe for safety’, a publication by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offering guidance on the main health and safety hazards in the food and drink industries, 96% of all injuries and occupational ill health in the workplace result from the following:

• Machinery • Workplace transport • Work at height • Entry into silos and confined spaces • Slips and trips • Struck by objects and knives • Manual handling • Upper limb disorders • Occupational dermatitis • Occupational asthma • Noise-induced hearing loss • Work-related stress.

Therefore, reducing risks from these 12 key hazards will go a long way towards minimising injuries, ill health and associated costs in wineries.

Working at heights – At Defined Wine, Henry considers working at heights the second greatest risk to employees, who are sometimes required to climb tall ladders or alternatively use pulley systems to move things around.

“We have a number of different ways to try and make sure that we can work safely at heights where we need to in exceptional circumstances,” he said. For tanks without a catwalk, this includes using a pulley system, so that additions can be taken safely to the top of the tank rather than being carried up a ladder.

Some of the ways to mitigate the risk of injury when using ladders include training staff to use the ladders correctly, checking for defects such as broken rungs or feet, and ensuring the rungs are clean and dry before using the ladder.

Forklifts – Another major risk is operating forklifts, which can roll over and crush workers. Law dictates that forklifts can only be operated by trained personnel who must follow the recommended safety guidelines at all times. Keeping training records ensures that everyone is kept up-to-date and issuing a key only to trained users stops

others from using forklifts.

Trips, slips and sharp objects – Trips and slips are a hazard in most workplaces, and can be prevented by cleaning up spills immediately. Wine cellars should be checked for leaks regularly, and any clutter cleared away from walkways that could lead to a sprain, fracture or even a head injury.

“Glass is a hazard that’s quite specific to making sparkling wine, as the bottles are under pressure,” Henry explained. “So, when the guys are handling sparkling wine, when they’re disgorging and labelling, they wear glasses and gloves as protection.”

Employers must ensure that PPE is available to all staff who need it, and that training is provided in the proper use of any relevant PPE. Noise – Noise can also pose a hazard in areas such as bottling and disgorging lines, where it may reach harmful levels and cause gradual hearing loss over time.

“We have a decibel meter, so we can check the levels of noise that people are working at, and then we have spare ear protection as well,” Henry said.

Workers can reduce the risk of hearing loss by wearing approved ear protection when entering an area with signs warning of high noise levels, whether or not it is noisy at the time.

Other hazards – Other hazards to consider in wineries include: • Overexertion (back injuries) • Unguarded machinery • Machinery starting up unexpectedly • Chemical exposure • Flammable glasses or vapours • Lone working.

As most wineries are considered moderate-risk workplaces, having first aid kits and personnel with up-todate first aid training on site is highly recommended to reduce the severity of work-related injuries, and all staff should be made aware of where kits are and how to get hold of a first aider.

Risk assessments By law, employers are required to identify risks in the workplace and take reasonable action to protect workers and visitors from harm. According to HSE, the minimum requirement for employers is as follows: • Identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards) • Decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk) • Take action to eliminate the hazard, or control the risk.

When a business employs five or more people, records of risk assessments must also be kept with details of any vulnerable employees such as older, younger, pregnant or disabled members of staff.

November/December/January 2023/24

16/10/2023 11:46

SPECIAL REPORT

Wide range of products

Familiar faces and

new customers turn out to appreciate machinery road show

Hosting the Suffolk arm of the Road Show, Boxford Farms produces top, stone and soft fruit including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, rhubarb, cherries and apples.

Boxford currently uses a lot of Kirkland machinery, including a number of narrow tractors, mowers, weed control options and platforms, with farm director Robert England (pictured on the left) and farm manager Peter Kemp looking to add further tractors and mowers to their arsenal of machinery.

“Kirkland are very active promoting their products through hosting events such as this. They offer a wide range of products and we’ve invested quite a bit in various pieces of machinery from them over the years,” explained Robert.

Fruit and vineyard machinery specialist Kirkland took its Road Show across the UK this summer, which proved a big success. Fruit & Vine reports from the event held at Boxford Farms in Suffolk.

Commenting after the 2023 Kirkland nationwide tour had completed its final event, marketing assistant Tilly Shephard said: “We wanted to reach our customers throughout the UK, from Scotland, Hereford, Hampshire, Kent and East Anglia. It was a great turn-out – we managed to catch up with lots of customers, as well as meet many new faces. Around 200 visitors attended over the five locations.

“Everyone was able to try out different machines and see them working in real-life situations. We think it’s important to keep up-to-

date with our customers and let them know what new machines we have to offer.

“One of the most popular machines demonstrated was the electric Compact platform.

The Compact electric harvesters and platforms offer a solution to the increasing labour shortages that UK growers are currently facing. Being 100% electric, they will provide growers with maximum efficiency and reduced noise during harvest. It was a great machine to show customers at our Road Shows and had plenty of interest.”

Good opportunity to showcase kit Kirkland sales manager Ben Devine is pictured at Boxford Farms with an Antonio Carrero Mach 4 Tony fruit and vineyard tracked tractor, which offers 98hp from the four-cylinder Kubota engine and 330Nm of torque at 1,500rpm.

Ben commented: “The event went really well. We’ve had a great number of people turn up – it’s good to see some familiar faces, as well as new customers.

“These events are key for spreading awareness of the Kirkland brand. It’s a good opportunity to show some new bits of kit, as well as highlight some of our top-selling pieces of machinery, too.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in our mowers for maintenance in between trees, especially those that allow for a range of different functions through changeable tool heads.

“The tractors have pulled quite a crowd, too – they are always good to showcase. Also, our apple harvesting machine and our fully electric platform have received plenty of attention today.”

13 SR Kirkland Open Day.indd 13

Seeking mowing kit for top cider brand Pictured with his son Edward, former owner of Aspall Cyder, Barry Chevallier Guild now works with Aspall as a brand ambassador.

Having retained the apple orchards, Barry’s purpose in attending the Kirkland event was to see what kit was available to assist in the maintenance of the fruit trees which were planted in the 1970s by his father to the organic standard of the time – with “big gaps between the rows and between the trees,” he explained.

“We’ve dealt with Kirkland for years,” said Barry, having purchased from Kirkland many times previously. “I’ve seen their tractors online, but really, until you’re standing next to one it’s hard to gauge the size.” Barry was particularly interested in mowing equipment for between the trees.

Hard work but rewarding Connor of Wisbech Contract Farming attended the event with his son Freddie, and commented to Fruit & Vine: “We grow apples (Gala, Braeburn and Kissabel) as well as Conference pears. We use quite a bit of Kirkland machinery on the farm on a daily basis. For me, it’s well-built, strong and reasonably priced. Fruit farming is bloody hard work, but rewarding!”

16/10/2023 14:54

SPECIAL REPORT

Funding to support Kent’s fruit industry

The primary purpose of the Growing Kent & Medway (GK&M) programme is to support the plant-based food, drink and horticultural industries in the region, helping them to grow and thrive in the area.

Tapping into the UK government’s ‘Strength in Places’ fund, Growing Kent & Medway has already supported the construction of new state-of-the-art research facilities, whilst the programme is now funding a series of research projects where the science partners are collaborating with businesses to develop both sustainability and circularity within their operations.

GK&M has also developed a ‘Business Innovation Voucher’ (BIV)

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Scheme in 2022. These vouchers, worth up to £15,000 each were set up to support innovative ideas addressing specific challenges in six areas including energy use, sustainable packaging, reducing food waste, water, alternative proteins and sustainable crop production. Following a competitive tendering process, eleven projects successfully secured vouchers, with four of them involved in fruit-related innovation.

Unravelling the texture of raspberries Edward Vinson Ltd is seeking to develop new, improved raspberry varieties for BerryWorld Plus Ltd’s breeding programme. Despite major advances having been made in breeding larger, firmer berries with improved shelf-life, significant proportions of the UK crop still go to waste if the fruit is not sold or consumed quickly enough. One of its main objectives is to breed berries with improved texture, offering higher quality fruit and prolonged shelf-life.

Working with post-harvest specialist Richard Colgan at the University of Greenwich, the breeding team is carrying out detailed texture measurements on ripe berries. They have been recording texture every week from the start to end of harvest and also from a range of their different advanced selections and varieties.

The measurements are being made using a Lloyd-LRX penetrometer using specialised software programmed for raspberries. This technology has been previously assessed and developed by scientists at the University of Greenwich as part of the Heif Project.

After identifying those selections with the most consistent and optimum texture, the breeders will seek to incorporate these in their future crossing programmes to enhance the quality of their new selections.

Improving low-oxygen controlled atmosphere storage for Gala apples A.C. Hulme & Sons is seeking to improve the long-term storage of Gala apples. Now the most widely grown dessert apple in the UK, the volumes are such that Gala must be marketed over an extended period to avoid any fruit wastage. Fruit for long-term storage must be harvested at the optimum stage of maturity for growers to sell their entire crop.

In previous research funded by the AHDB and conducted at the Produce Quality Centre by scientists at the University of Greenwich, they successfully extended the storage of Gala apples from seven to 10 months using storage regimes of 5% CO2 and 1% O2 or 3% CO2 and 1% O2, with or without SmartFresh. However, the industry believes that further improvements in quality can be achieved using Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere (DCA) storage, a system which continually monitors and detects changes in fruit physiology in store and adjusts the storage conditions accordingly.

In this project, apple grower Tom Hulme (A.C. Hulme & Sons) is collaborating with Richard Colgan and Debbie Rees (University of Greenwich) to study how Gala fruits of differing maturity stages respond to the use of DCA and what effect it has on the overall storage life of the fruit. Fruit is being picked over two or three stages of fruit maturity, stored using DCA technology, and held at different gas regimes, including <1% O2. The ex-store quality will be assessed. It is hoped to discover whether fruit that is not picked at the optimum stage of harvest maturity can attain the same ex-store quality as fruit that is picked at the optimum stage of maturity, under DCA conditions. It is physically impossible to pick all fruit at the optimum stage of maturity for long-term storage, so identifying ways of improving the storage potential of fruit picked later than optimum will help A.C. Hulme & Sons to extend its Gala marketing season.

The potential health benefits of Nashi Gold pear juice J.L. Baxter & Son is investigating the health benefits of an Asian pear.

Growing tree fruit crops since 1943, the company has recently found a market for a new pear derived from a cross between a European pear and an Asian pear.

When the retail demand for this pear came to an end, the company decided to start the manufacture of ‘Nashi Gold’ pear juice, made from this Asian derived pear. Asian pear

16/10/2023 11:49

juice is reputed to offer a number of health benefits, being a good source of vitamin C, whilst also purporting to lower cholesterol, relieve constipation and offer anti-inflammatory effects.

It is also believed to alleviate an alcohol-induced hangover, if consumed prior to drinking, by altering the metabolism of alcohol in the body. Further research is required to substantiate these claims.

Working with Lori Fisher at the University of Kent, the company is using this BIV to identify any key components of the juice such as fibre content, vitamins, and minerals that may be offering health benefits, including a cure for hangovers.

They are comparing the impact of both chilling the juice and storing it in ambient conditions, whilst also assessing the effect of different packaging materials. The findings are likely to create further questions about the volume needed to be consumed to provide the desired benefits, and the optimum volumes to sell to satisfy both demand and sales.

Identifying soil types that lend themselves to carbon storage Verdant Carbon is identifying land management techniques that lend themselves to carbon storage. A newly formed business in Kent, Verdant Carbon offers a soil carbon measurement service to farmers and growers measuring the levels of organic carbon and total carbon at different levels up to 1 metre deep.

They do this using UTVmounted soil coring equipment and dumas dry combustion analysis, ultimately providing their customers certification stating the quantity of carbon that is sequestered in their soils. This certificate is stored on the block chain which maintains a permanent record of changes, keeping a secure, accurate record of the results. By tracking changes in a

New round of BIVs in 2023 New funding for another round of ‘Business Innovation Vouchers’ will become available early in 2024. Businesses wishing to be kept abreast of new funding opportunities should sign up to Growing Kent & Medway to receive regular information. To sign up or find more details about the range of current programmes being funded visit the website: www. growingkentandmedway.com/

farm’s soil carbon over several years, a customer can track their farm’s total carbon output, and count it towards a ‘net-zero’ business. Minimal or no tillage soils are already known to contain higher levels of carbon than those farmed with conventional tillage methods, but it would be useful to learn more about the soil microbiome of soils that are left undisturbed.

Working with Matevz Papp-Rupar at NIAB, Verdant Carbon will measure both the volumes of carbon stored and the associated microbiological analysis from a range of soils with different soil management methods across 16–20 farms in Kent.

Conventional and regenerative agriculture farms producing tree fruit, arable crops and livestock will be included. For those soils recording high levels of stored carbon, the team will investigate if these are associated with certain bacteria. It is hoped that the results will highlight certain soil types and management systems which capture higher levels of carbon whilst identifying the microbiome that is associated with these. This information might lead to soil management guidance for farmers and growers on how to maximise carbon capture.

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MACHINERY

Battery-powered with performance of a diesel

Fruit & Vine tried a pre-production version of Fendt’s battery-powered specialist narrow tractor towing a full 1,000-litre Wanner sprayer

Fendt will officially launch its battery-powered e107 V Vario tractor at the German Agritechnica show this November.

Fruit & Vine machinery editor David Williams enjoyed an early test drive.

Series production of the e107 V Vario will commence in late 2024, and early deliveries will be to selected markets including Germany, Norway and the Netherlands with UK availability expected later. The e107 V Vario was first shown as a concept at Agritechnica in 2017, but an exclusive press event at a German vineyard this September was the first opportunity to see it in action.

Home-produced electricity Fendt points out that many fruit farms and vineyards produce their own electricity through solar panels and these can provide virtually

free ‘fuel’ for the tractor. Additional advantages highlighted from using battery-powered tractors include reduced maintenance costs, and the lack of local exhaust emissions and hot exhaust fumes, making them ideal for working in polytunnels and greenhouses.

Utilising proven technology The e107 V Vario is based on the 200 Vario-series specialist narrow tractors. Where many electric vehicles have direct drive from the motor to the wheels, Fendt has chosen to replace the conventional diesel engine with an electric motor

and drive the wheels through the standard Vario stepless transmission.

Use standard implements Fendt product specialists explained that retaining the standard drive arrangement allows existing front- and rear-mounted PTO-driven attachments and implements to operate with the tractor without adaptation. The new e100 V Vario can be easily integrated into a mixed tractor fleet and fully utilised, and fleets can be updated one tractor at a time. The specialists also pointed out that no industry standards have so far been agreed in terms of electrical voltage or connectors, so retaining the accepted system makes sense.

The Vario transmission is extremely efficient with minimal power losses and allows infinite speed control in forward and reverse. It also contains the PTO activation clutches and hydraulic supply circuits.

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MACHINERY

 Fendt has retained the Vario transmission from conventional 200 Vario-series diesel models ensuring full compatibility with existing PTO-driven implements

 The lack of fumes and the blast from a hot exhaust are advantages when operating in poly-tunnels and greenhouses

 The cooling fan draws air from the rear to prioritise battery cooling

The first model to receive the battery power treatment is the narrowest V Vineyard version, and wider P and F Fruit variants as well as standard width models will be available later.

The cab and lighting systems are 12V – like the standard 200 Vario-series tractors, except for the climate control which is powered from the high-capacity main battery.

There are no electrical outputs apart from the standard 12V lighting socket, so the e107 V Vario cannot be used as a mobile power supply.

This is mainly due to the lack of an industry standard.

Power equivalent to popular diesel version Power is from a 700V, 100kW capacity battery.

The motor has three operating modes.

Eco 50kW provides power equivalent to a 68hp diesel engine. Dynamic mode produces up to 55kW (approximately 75hp), and Dynamic Plus produces 66kW (approximately 90hp), but this is available for limited periods and only while safe working temperatures are maintained.

Maximum torque produced by the motor is 347Nm – 20Nm more than the standard dieselpowered 207 Vario.

Maximise working efficiency As with other battery-powered vehicles, the 18

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working time available between charges varies depending on multiple factors, but Fendt quotes 4–7 hours of operation. Power recuperation systems maximise working times, and a floormounted pedal that usually operates an exhaust brake has been adapted to use the electric motor as a brake while generating electrical current which is fed back to the battery.

Operates like a standard diesel engine

Optimised charging

The electric motor operates continuously, and its speed reduces to an idle when the tractor is stationary like a conventional diesel engine.

When working, the engine and transmission management system constantly adjusts the Vario transmission to achieve the most efficient motor speed for the application. When the tractor stops moving the motor runs at low speed until it is switched off or the parking brake is applied and neutral is selected.

Charging is through a standard 22kW car-type socket. Rapid 80kW DC chargers can also be used, achieving a full charge from 20–80% capacity in only 45 minutes. If higher rate chargers are used, then the electric flow is automatically restricted to prevent battery damage. Battery life can also be optimised by restricting the charge rate.

This is ideal when the tractor is left on charge overnight, for example, where there is no need for rapid charging. Also, when the maximum

November/December/January 2023/24

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The UK's leading specialists in new and used Fendt 200 V/F/P Vario tractors, machinery and equipment for fruit, hop and vine growers. Plus spare parts, service, repair and after sales care.

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MACHINERY

 The charging socket is identical to the type used on cars

 The e107 V Vario handled the sprayer with ease

 The cab makes best use of the space available and offers great all-round visibility

 Cat 4 filtration is available

 The roof-level terminal displayed the electrical system status

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16/10/2023 12:00

working time isn’t needed, then the tractor system can be set to stop charging when the battery capacity reaches a pre-set level, helping extend the service life.

Tyres fitted to the test tractor have been specially designed to minimise rolling resistance and extend operating time between charging

Added convenience An advantage of battery power over conventional diesel-fuelled models is that operators can set a start time and the cab heating system will activate to achieve a pre-set temperature before work commences. This can also prepare the battery for work on cold days, as an operating temperature of 25–30ºC is needed for maximum working efficiency. Using the pre-heating systems while the tractor is charging takes power from the mains supply rather than the battery, so maximum working time remains available.

The electric motor, battery and Vario transmission are all cooled by an electricpowered fan. Air is drawn from the rear to the front to prioritise battery cooling, and the fan direction can be reversed to alternate the air flow and keep the cooling packs and air intake grills clear of loose debris and dust.

The cab heating system is designed for maximum efficiency and to reduce demand on the battery. Fendt explained that heat applied direct to the operator is more efficient than circulating warm air around the cab so the seat and floor both contain heating elements. Heated front and rear windows are an option to keep them clear on cold or damp days.

Purpose-designed tyres The tyres have also been designed to maximise working times between charging. Made by Trelleborg, the TMI Ecopower tyres have a low rolling resistance, and their environmental credentials include manufacture using 60% recycled materials.

The e107 V Vario weighs approximately 150kg more than the standard 207 Vario.

The new Fendt tractor will be available to order from November for customers in the selected markets, with a price approximately 1.5 to 2 times as much as the equivalent diesel 207 Vario.

Test-drive Fruit & Vine tried the new e107 V Vario pulling a fully loaded sprayer at high road speeds up to 40kph and on soft ground in the polytunnels.

The FendtONE operating concept is the same as standard diesel models, allowing operators to customise the terminal displays and controls to suit their preferences and the application. The test tractor had the standard 10in dashboard terminal displaying essential operating information, and the roof-level 12in terminal displayed the electrical system status including the battery charge state, as well as the amount of electrical energy being consumed by ancillary systems.

Operating the tractor is little different to the diesel version. Switching on the ignition, the displays come to life and the electric drive motor runs quietly. Forward or reverse is selected, and the parking brake is released, then depressing the accelerator pedal or pushing the main joystick forward starts the tractor moving. There is no direct relationship between the position November/December/January 2023/24

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MACHINERY of the accelerator pedal and the speed of the motor revs as the Vario management system constantly adjusts the transmission ratio to achieve the lowest possible motor speed for the selected speed and task. There is plenty of power and acceleration when needed, and it is easy to maintain constant speeds even when climbing or descending slopes and travelling over undulating ground.

The PTO operates just like the standard tractor, including selecting the required motor speed to maintain the correct PTO revs. Travel speed is then adjusted using the foot pedal or joystick, and two pre-set speeds can be saved and recalled through the cruise control.

Cab noise levels are much lower than a diesel machine, there is a complete absence of vibration, and the ride quality and cab comfort are excellent.

helping reduce the operation’s carbon footprint and increasing the appeal of the business to customers.

Fendt’s approach is clever – combining highly

efficient battery and motor technology with conventional transmission and hydraulic systems to ensure ease of use and compatibility with existing implements.

Verdict The battery-powered Fendt won’t suit every customer, and where long periods of field and transport operation away from the yard and charging facilities are required, then the diesel version with longer operating times and quicker refuelling will be preferred.

However, as oil-based fuel costs continue rising, being able to power machines using electricity produced on site is becoming an increasingly attractive option. Using electrical power is also more environmentally friendly –

The e107 V Vario beside a conventional diesel 211 Vario at the event

On the road, the battery-powered tractor performs well

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November/December/January 2023/24

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MACHINERY Essex-based Deutz-Fahr dealer RC Boreham & Co has experienced a big increase in the number of fruit orchard and vineyard owners expressing interest in the latest range of 5D-series specialist narrow tractors

Premium transmission, higher specification

increased Meeting

demand

When Essex-based machinery dealer, RC Boreham & Co took on the Deutz-Fahr tractor franchise in 2010, the brand’s agricultural tractors were the priority. However, growing demand for the manufacturer’s specialist narrow tractor lineup has resulted in the dealer investing to meet the needs of the viticulture and fruit industries. David Williams reports.

“We have done a lot more business with vineyards and fruit growers in recent years,” explained director, Matt Boreham. “The Same Deutz-Fahr Group (SDF) has a strong history of producing specialist narrow tractors, although until recently the market for them in the UK was limited. Now that is changing as the number of vineyards is increasing, and customers become more aware of the very high specification and attractive features the tractors offer.”

The specialist tractors are all within the 5D-series.

Mechanical transmission, generous specification Models with standard mechanical and powershift transmissions were updated in 2022 with engines meeting Stage 5 emissions standards, and improved cabs with a flat floor. Transmission options range from the base 12fwd/12rev up to a 45fwd/45rev.

25-26 RC Boreham.indd 25

GS models feature as standard, adjustable drive engagement for the fwd/rev shuttle allowing the user to set the action to suit personal preference and the task. They also have Stop-Go. This allows the operator to bring the tractor to a standstill just using the brake, then to pull away again when the brake is released, all without using the clutch.

The hydraulic system is designed to power modern, high-performance implements, with flow rates up to 68 litres/min. A separate power steering pump means the full flow is available for the implement, without compromising the steering action.

Up to three rear spool valves can be fitted, and duplicated for powering front- and mid-mounted implements and to provide free-flow return. Flow rates are adjustable with detent and kick-out positions.

The premium TTV series was introduced in 2021, with infinitely variable CVT transmission enabling precise matching of travel speed to any task.

Cruise control allows two speeds to be set and memorised for easy recall. Maximum 40kph can be achieved even with low engine revs and TTV models offer superb fuel economy.

Hydraulic flow is up to 100 litres/min, making these tractors the preferred option for larger and more complex implements. A separate pump serves the steering, ensuring maximum flow is always available for implements. Up to five rear spools can be fitted – with free-flow return and power-beyond. Up to four front spools can be fitted, plus three duplicated from the rear, providing up to eight hydraulic outlets in total – all with electronic control through the dashboard iMonitor display. Functions include timers, adjustable flow rates and constant pumping.

The system allows flexible operation by finger switches, the main joystick or the secondary joystick making it extremely user-friendly whatever the application.

Hydraulic lift capacity is 2,600kg at the rear, and options to improve comfort and control include hydraulic adjustable stabilisers and tie rod.

Front linkage with 1,500kg lift capacity is an option along with a 1,000rpm PTO, and a rear PTO with up to three speeds.

Spacious, well-equipped cab The comfortable and spacious cab can be equipped with a high visibility roof, quick steer adjustable-rate steering, and a range of SDF precision farming applications are available, including GPS guidance and automatic steering through the iMonitor screen. Additional services which will be a particular help for those operating larger enterprises include SDF fleet management, Agrirouter connectivity and Isobus for monitoring and control of advanced attachments and implements.

Both ranges include five models from 91–116hp, although the flagship 115 model also has boost mode providing up to 126hp.

The Deutz-Fahr 5S-series narrow tractors have a spacious, flat-floor cab that makes the most of the limited width

16/10/2023 14:28

MACHINERY Customer feedback “Many customers comment as soon as they see the latest tractors on the extremely stylish appearance,” commented Matt. “They look solid and sharp, but extremely practical.

“Considering the narrow overall tractor width, the latest flat-floor cabs feel spacious. The fourpost frame means there is a large glass area and visibility all-around is excellent. The controls are logically and neatly arranged, and all the main operating levers and switches are just where one would expect them to be – it’s extremely intuitive.

Even on the road on narrower tyre options, the rubber block cab suspension soaks up the bumps well and ensures a smooth ride.”

Matt commented on a recent customer demonstration of the Deutz-Fahr 5105D S GS 4cyl, 105hp tractor. It was equipped with the top 45/45 mechanical transmission and, for the trial, it had a Voxx inter-vine strimmer at the front. “As soon as he saw the tractor, the customer was impressed by the cab size and comfort, and the mechanical transmission was surprisingly smooth and easy to use. The Stop-Go brake-to-clutch feature was also considered an advantage.

The Deutz-Fahr design allows a great view down to the front wheels “The successful demonstration meant we were immediately asked to supply a quotation for two similar tractors. The positive response was typical of similar demonstrations we have carried out for Essex fruit and vine growers in recent months.”

Surprised by specification The level of equipment included in the TTV models often surprises customers, said Matt.

“I was amazed the first time I drove one: how much functionality had been included in such a compact tractor. Even the narrowest V (Vineyard) models are absolutely packed with useful features.

The hydraulics are incredible, and for operators spending all day in the cab during the pruning and spraying seasons, the well laid out controls with a choice of how to operate them means users are far less fatigued.”

RC Boreham has taken on the UK-manufactured Voxx Machinery franchise to cater for the needs of fruit and vine growers Matt Boreham is pictured with one of the larger Deutz-Fahr agricultural tractors

Investing in specialist market RC Boreham has invested in additional franchises that complement the tractors to meet the needs of growers in the area. “The narrow tractors obviously have applications beyond just orchard and vineyard

use. In fact, anywhere capable compact tractors are needed we have a model to suit, from working in polytunnels and glasshouses to between rows of tabletop strawberries. We have represented Kuhn for many years, specialising in agricultural implements, but there are also many smaller machines in the diverse range including cultivators, flail mowers, mulchers, sprayers and spreaders including specialist orchard and vineyard models.

“We are also representing Voxx Machinery, which manufactures vineyard machinery in the UK. The range includes strimmers, vine trimmers, flails, subsoilers and much more, and back-up from the Kent-based company is excellent.”

“We have gained considerable experience of this specialist industry during the past few years, as sales enquiries and product sales have increased. Whether customers are starting out with a small vineyard and need something cost-effective and basic, or larger established enterprises or contractors, we would love the opportunity to demonstrate our tractors and complementary products and explain how we can look after their needs.”

Deutz-Fahr 5D-series specialist tractors Model

90

95

100

105

115

Cyl/cc

3/2,887

4/3,849

3/2,887

4/3,849

4/3,849

Max hp

91

95

102

106

116(126 with boost)

Max torque (Nm @ 1,400rpm)

372

389

417

433

472

2,044

2,174

Engine

Transmission Wheelbase

Choice of Mechanical/Powershift or TTV (CVT) 2,044

2,174

Overall width on std tyres (mm)

DF – Fruit model 1,624 DS – Fruit & Vineyard model 1,380 DV – Vineyard model 1,083 (TTV) 1,166 (Mech trans)

Hyd lift capacity (rr)

2,600kg

Hyd lift capacity (fr)

1,500kg

Hyd oil flow litres/min

68 (Mech transmission) 100 (CVT)

Cab filtration

2,174

Cat 4 option

Other brands within the Deutz-Fahr family include Same and Gregoire, and SDF has also invested in the Vitibot robotic vineyard tractor business 26

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The undisputed leader between the vines

Hydraulics 3 Rear / 3 Front Spools 5 Rear + 7 Front Spools (TTV)

Transmission Mechanical Shuttle Power Shuttle TTV (variable)

The Deutz Fahr 5105D S, pictured with a Voxx Intervine Strimmer.

For more information on the range and to discuss your requiments contact our sales team today.

Model 5105D S

Power 105hp

Width 1.3 – 1.5m

01245 231320 Chelmsford, Essex

www.livertonltd.co.uk

rcboreham.co.uk

Robocut Hire Specialist Plant Hire Spreader Hire Haulage Harvesting Contracting

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www.tractorsuk.co.uk November/December/January 2023/24

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This VBC two-row vine trimmer was supplied

by BR Strathern Ltd and is used by New Hall Wine Estate in Essex to maintain 50ha of vines Granit recently added parts for the viticulture industry, including sprayer spares.

Confidence in back-up

Essex dealer business built on

service back-up and

An Essex-based engineer took on his first machinery franchise after working on a 30-year-old mower and being impressed by its longevity and build quality. Now a carefully selected range of specialist machinery brands is offered by the independent dealer - all backed by industry knowledge and personal service. David Williams reports.

Having grown up on his family’s farm and enjoyed work experience at New Holland nearby, Ben Strathern set up his agricultural machinery service and repair business in 2016. Working from a base at Purleigh and trading as BR Strathern Ltd, Ben focused on tractor repairs at first, but the business quickly grew to include implements and attachments, and now customers include local farmers as well as fruit growers and vineyards.

First franchise “I wasn’t looking for a franchise, although that changed when I serviced a 30-year-old Perfect flail mower,” explained Ben. “It was very well made, but 28

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when I tried to source parts I was surprised to find that no dealers were representing the brand in Essex. I contacted the manufacturer and became the official dealer.”

Growth in demand for specialist fruit and vineyard machinery meant that additional franchises were added to satisfy customer requests.

Ben sells and services machinery brands including Perfect, ALM which manufactures the popular Roller Weeder mechanical weeder range, VBC trimmers and leaf strippers and Hans Wanner sprayers. He also stocks Sparex and Bepco parts and sundries, and Granit components. Along with its broad range of supplies for agricultural machinery,

Long-established wine producer, New Hall Wine Estate is owned by the Greenwood Partnership and located in Purleigh, in the Crouch Valley.

Wine making started there in 1969, and there are currently 31 plantations and 50ha of land under vines, with further expansion planned. There are 18 grape varieties, including Bacchus grown on some of the first Bacchus vines established in the UK more than 40 years ago.

The fruit is pressed, crushed, fermented and bottled on site, and the range of wines includes winners of significant awards. Andy Hares is the vineyard manager. “We enjoy dealing with Ben Strathern and he has built a reputation for instant, reliable service which is so important to us when we rely on machinery to work during limited weather windows.

“He is very good at finding solutions to get us going.”

Andy said that Ben offers a good range of machinery. “He has a small selection of quality brands and supplied us with several items of specialist vineyard equipment. We can rely on him to back them up with great after sales service.”

Under-vine weeders Ben commented that during the past few years, demand for under-vine weeders has dramatically increased. “While many UK growers relied on chemical weed control, growers in France were using mechanical alternatives. Now UK growers are prioritising sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions including mechanical weed control and we offer the ALM Roller Weeder. It’s extremely simple, the design works well and now it is widely copied, but we believe the genuine ALM product is more effective and has a longer working life than cheaper alternatives.”

Andy said that he favours mechanical undervine weeding over spraying. “Mechanical weeders can be used at almost any time of year, and they avoid the risk of drift that is always present when using herbicide sprays.

The VBC vine trimmer requires very little oil flow, making it suitable for smaller and older tractors

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MACHINERY “It’s also got to be better for the vineyard and the environment having a layer of lightly tilled ground with organic matter present, than the barren desert created using spraying.”

Trimmers and leaf strippers Ben has supplied VBC products to the vineyard.

A vine trimmer was the first purchase, followed by a leaf stripper.

“Like other vineyards, we are mechanising more processes. Leaf stripping is a perfect example. By removing excess foliage, we can improve coverage of the crop when we are spraying to achieve better results with less chemical,” Andy suggested.

“It also improves air circulation around the crop which reduces disease risk and allows better light interception for even ripening.

“I’m sure we will rely more on mechanical solutions in future, and it definitely wouldn’t be viable to try to pluck leaves by hand across our 50ha of vines.”

Andy recently ordered a VBC bud rubber too. “We considered mechanised bud rubbers previously, but for our very old vines many products are unsuitable.

However, we know Ben has several customers already using the VBC version successfully in situations like ours, so felt confident to invest. If we do have issues then we know we will be well looked after.”

damaged and breaks it remains within the confines of the guard so it’s safer. They are ideal for dry pruning, too.

“Another popular feature is that only very low oil flow is needed, and this allows operation with older and smaller tractors, while also saving fuel.”

Products and services competitively priced As demand grows for his range of products and services, Ben believes that this will continue. “We offer carefully selected products and brands for this specialist industry,” he explained. “I enjoy providing the personal service and because we operate from a small yard with low overheads this means we can keep our prices competitive. Our customers range from growers just starting out and establishing new vineyards to well-known businesses like New Hall, and my aim is to provide all of them with the same high level of back-up.

“People keep coming back, so we must be doing something right,” he concluded.

Trimmer advantages Ben said that VBC vine trimmers are popular.

“Rather than using exposed blades, the cutting units work within guards. This means sap isn’t sprayed all over the tractor windows so a clear view is maintained, and if a blade becomes

The ALM Roller Weeder is available with twoor three-disc 8mm thick weeding elements.

The two-disc version has a working width 12–15cm, and the three-disc version achieves a 15–20cm working width. The weeder is easily mounted on almost any tractor, and the low power requirement means it is possible to combine its use with carrying out almost any other field operations. The weeder is designed to break up the top layer of soil and leave weeds on the surface to dry out and die Ben Strathern (left) with New Hall Vineyard manager, Andy Hares

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GROWER PROFILE

Living the

viticulture dream,

from vine to wine

Husband-and-wife team Martyn Pollock and Helen MathesonPollock are committed to making small batch, estate-grown wines that are a true expression of their boutique vineyard in the heart of the Kent countryside. Rachel Hicks writes.

Martyn, a former army officer, and Helen, previously a historian/writer, own and run Nine Oaks Vineyard, with ‘help’ from their three young children, Makenna, Angus and Finn. The vineyard is next to Helen’s family home in the village of Hothfield, Kent where she was born and brought up.

Martyn explains: “We had always had a fascination with viticulture, from growing our own vines in the garden to making homemade wine – and for many years we had a dream of one day planting a vineyard.

“We had been living in Kenya from 2016–2020, where I had been posted with the army; although we loved living in East Africa, after leaving the military and following a fairly brief period of working in sustainable agriculture in Kenya, we decided that we wanted to return to the UK and put in place our long-held plans to plant a vineyard.

“Helen’s family had around eight hectares of land in Hothfield, which they had been renting

out to a local sheep farmer for over 20 years. A vineyard consultant conducted an initial viability review and, when the report came back that it was an excellent site for vines, the decision was made.”

From the outset, Martyn and Helen had a vision to create a family-run vineyard that makes small batch, estate grown still and traditional method sparkling wines. They are proudly independent and focus on quality over quantity in every aspect of their business.

Making a start Martyn and Helen began preparing the land in very early 2020, and the first 0.9ha of vines went into the ground that May. “It was definitely something to keep us busy during lockdowns!” explains Martyn.

The couple planted a further 2ha in May 2021, bringing the total under vine to just under 3ha, with 1ha of suitable ground still remaining to plant.

The land had been used primarily for sheep farming for decades, and was formerly part of the

estate belonging to the original Hothfield manor, which was torn down in the 1950s.

It had been farmed by local tenant farmers for generations, and that continued once it was sold privately. Some quirks of its former history remain, including an icehouse and the site of an old gas works dating from WWII – it really is a beautiful property.

Well-suited to vines Not only is it a stunning location, the land at Nine Oaks is also very well-suited to growing vines. “We are extremely lucky to sit on a very narrow seam of the Greensands Ridge. Our soil therefore has a high sand content and roughly a metre down is what I would term as ‘builders’ sand’,” comments Martyn.

“Our sandy soils help with drainage and heat retention, and also go some way to limiting vigour.”

The slopes undulate in most directions, with the vines having been planted in rows roughly north-west to south-east. The vineyard is at fairly low altitude, although it’s situated on one of the highest points in the local area – up the hill from a major flood plain in any case, Martyn points out.

As a result, the site is well-drained, and in the few areas where land drainage was not so good, the couple had some additional drainage installed prior to planting.

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The site benefits from the shelter of some very well-established trees and bordered woodland.

Martyn predominantly takes care of the grape growing/farming side of the business, while Helen oversees the wine sales, social media and marketing. All major decisions are made jointly by the couple, and they have support through ad hoc labour as and when needed.

The 2022 harvest saw a yield of around 6t from the initial 0.9ha planting, which was on its third season. The 2023 harvest, however, will be the first one to offer up crop from all the vineyard’s vines; albeit slightly limited as the 2ha planted in 2021 will not produce a full crop due to its immaturity.

“2022 was a fantastic growing year for our vines that were cropping,” shares Martyn. “We had a good first harvest of clean, ripe fruit with excellent natural sugars. Our establishing vines struggled, however, due to the dry and hot conditions.” As such, around 30% of those were

pruned right back this year to give an extra season of establishment, so that they are strong enough for next year’s growing period.

All grapes have been harvested by hand so far, but Martyn and Helen are interested in and open to the idea of mechanical harvesting. “For previous harvests we haven’t had any employees, so have recruited solely from our wonderful, very supportive local community. As the quantities get so much bigger, though, we may need to take a different approach!” shares Martyn.

For many of the management tasks, Nine Oaks uses a Fendt 250V vineyard tractor, which Martyn purchased from the used machinery department at local specialist dealer, NP Seymour. They also have a Carraro sprayer, rotary mower and a Boisellet under-vine weeding system.

Currently the couple are unable to devote themselves to the vineyard full time, so for now it is necessary to employ teams of labour for the bigger tasks that are impractical to do in-house.

The SJ Barnes team is their go-to contractor for mechanical trimming, de-leafing and a variety of other vineyard tasks – Sam Barnes initially planted some the vines at Nine Oaks, along with managing the vineyard operations at the beginning, so has been involved since day one. For Martyn, working with professionals to get the basics done properly has been key to the vineyard’s initial success, allowing Martyn and Helen to slowly transition into doing things themselves.

2023: A tricky year for vine management Nine Oaks has been working with viticultural agronomist John Buchan for the last two seasons, with Martyn saying that the sustainable, bespoke approach that John takes is in line with their philosophy as a business.

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Vines are on a single guyot trellis system with metal end posts, and the duo undertake all the pruning themselves.

After a great June, July was so wet and cold this year that Martyn and Helen decided to crop thin extensively. They also reduced their spray interval to 10 days from a more relaxed 14-day programme for the remainder of the season, to keep on top of any mildew and botrytis concerns.

Martyn comments: “Weeds have also been a big problem this year, and as herbicide has not been an option in the summer months, we have used a combination of our vintage Boisellet weeder and hand weeding to keep the burden down.”

So far, mainly due to the nature of the terroir, they have been lucky when it comes to late spring frosts and have not needed to take any significant additional measures beyond keeping the vineyard properly mown etc – although they intend to stock up on some bougies for next year as a ‘just in case’ measure.

Pest control Starlings are the biggest pest by far at Nine Oaks. According to Martyn, in the last two weeks before harvest they arrive and start systematically working their way through the vineyard, devouring the grapes in their path. He explains: “The arrival of the starlings is an indicator that sugar levels are rising enough to be picked.

“We have invested in some new nets this year, and we also have an army of hawk kites which we bought from Amazon. In the last week before harvest, we also try to have a constant human presence in the vineyard to deter the invaders!”

Quality over quantity Martyn and Helen produce still and traditional method sparkling wines under the Nine Oaks label, with all grapes grown at the vineyard going

16/10/2023 12:13

GROWER PROFILE “fantastic”, commenting: “We’ve loved having people on site. We are also starting a series of ‘Unwined’ evenings – combining yoga, wine and charcuterie boxes, where we are teaming up with two other local businesses.

“Next summer we hope to run even more of these events, and are considering what other options we can offer, too.”

Sustainable approach They intend next season to reduce their usage of herbicides; instead opting for grass under vine and strimming rather than using herbicides.

They want to be as ‘green’ as possible and reduce their carbon footprint as much as is feasible – so will be moving away from traditional diesel in favour of HVO. There’s 5ha of land next to the vineyard which is unplantable, and Martyn and Helen have been working with Kent Wildlife Trust, ‘giving over’ some of the land to them as a kind of mini nature reserve which is being used to try to boost the local great crested newt population, amongst other things.

As Helen explains, they’re trying to be quite strategic but also environmentally mindful – supporting the local eco system as much as possible.

They currently use some of the land for grazing Highland cattle, and are looking at rewilding other areas for biodiversity and wildlife habitat creation. into their own branded wine.

This year they have a still rosé made from 100% Pinot Noir and a lightly oaked still Chardonnay. For next season, they will welcome a still Bacchus to the range, as well as their first small release of traditional method sparkling, which will have had a full 24 months on lees before release.

The vineyard produced just under 1,000 bottles of the rosé and 3,000 of the Chardonnay; according to their tasting notes, the crisp and clean rosé offers “strawberries on the nose and an intense finish”, while the Chardonnay is described as a “lightly oaked fruit-driven Chardonnay with hints of apple and honey”.

All Nine Oaks wines so far have been made by Defined Wines in Bridge, Kent. As Martyn points out: “We are very lucky to have Defined Wines so close, especially as Henry Sugden and I have some military connections that go back beyond the wine world.

“We have been very impressed with how Defined Wines have produced our wines and we value the wealth of experience and wine-making knowledge that they bring to our business.”

Initially, Nine Oaks began selling business-tobusiness through local farm shops and some of the more specialist retailers such as Macknade Foodhall in Faversham and Corkk in Canterbury.

Now, however, they also sell through their own website and on-site at special events like their open-air theatre and yoga evenings. “We hope to invite more sales through the cellar door in due course. We are building our profile on social media and do use this to support our sales,” points out Helen.

Making the most of diversifications This year, Nine Oaks has offered four rounds of open-air theatre, which Martyn says has been

Future plans for the vineyard For Martyn and Helen, the timing of establishing the vineyard has been challenging to say the least, because they started in the midst of the pandemic. Everything was much harder than they had initially anticipated, and building plans for a barn-style structure have been delayed due to the economic crisis and cost of materials skyrocketing.

In vineyard terms it is still quite early days for Nine Oaks. “We are excitedly awaiting our first Bacchus and sparkling wines to add to our range, and we planted strategically so we can experiment with other wines from the existing grapes,” says Martyn. “We also have another 1ha, give or take, to plant; so exactly what and when that takes place is subject to discussion.

“So far, we’ve played it quite safe in terms of the varieties we’ve planted – but moving forward, we may lean more towards something that’s traditional to the UK and which provides a bit of variety to the industry; there’s a lot of benefit of early ripening and disease resistance, highlighted by this year – as there’s a real risk some grapes won’t get to the required sugar levels by the end of October, so this is something to seriously consider.”

A few varieties are being pondered at the moment, with Pinot Précoce, Dornfelder, Ortega, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Gris and even Riesling all currently on the table – depending how bold they want to go.

With two still wines already available and a third coming online from next year with the still Bacchus, Martyn says they’re still testing the market in terms of what’s workable from their perspective – it’s a balance between wanting to have as much variety as possible, and the economies of scale.

Owners: Martyn Pollock and Helen Matheson-Pollock Location: Hothfield, Kent Total vineyard size: 8ha, with just under 3ha under vine and a further plantable area of 1ha Soil type: Fine loam and sandy soils (part of the Greensands Ridge) Aspect/terroir: Around 15 miles from the sea. The slopes undulate in most directions; the vines are planted in rows roughly NW to SE. The vineyard is situated at a fairly low altitude, although at one of the highest points in the local area, up the hill from a major flood plain. Shelter is provided by some well-established trees and bordered woodland Varieties grown: 0.9ha Pinot Noir; 0.8ha Chardonnay; 0.8ha Bacchus; 0.4ha Pinot Meunier, on S04 and fercal rootstock

November/December/January 2023/24

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GROWER PROFILE

Growing blackcurrants amid increasing

climate challenges

With the UK’s climate shifting towards more extreme weather, growing blackcurrants is becoming increasingly challenging for sixth-generation farmer Nick Overy, whose family has been producing the crop under contract with Ribena for 30 years.

Previously home to hops and livestock, Mascalls Court Farm in Paddock Wood, Kent, now boasts arable crops, rows of Gala apples and blackcurrants, with the majority of fruit grown on satellite farms in Horsmonden, Matfield and Brenchley.

According to owner Nick Overy, whose family have farmed at Mascalls Court since 1848, the first blackcurrants were planted in the early 1990s, shortly after the farm stopped growing hops.

Explaining the reason behind the choice, he said the crop fitted in well with other operations on the farm.

Lighter soils preferred While some blackcurrants are grown at the main site, most of the fruit comes from holdings on the Tunbridge Wells sandstone ridge, as blackcurrants tend to prefer lighter ground as opposed to heavier clay soil, Nick explains.

Soil health is monitored through nutrient testing every four years, and leaf samples are taken for trace element deficiencies. To optimise performance, magnesium, phosphate and potash levels are topped up regularly, and nitrogen is applied at pre-flowering, post-flowering and post-harvest (Nitro Chalk 27.5% N) at a rate of 520kg per hectare total of product.

Of the total blackcurrant hectarage at the farm (45ha), between two and five hectares are replanted each year on fresh ground to maintain production at optimum levels, Nick adds. This is typically done around January/February time by seasonal workers while the bushes are dormant.

“Blackcurrants take a lot out of the soil, so we tend to put the land into arable for four or five years before we replant it, or we use ex-apple ground,” he says.

“If we grub up an orchard, we can put it straight back into apples; but you can’t pull out a blackcurrant plantation and replant it immediately.”

Blackcurrants usually stay in the ground for 15–20 years, and rely on pollination by insects to produce the fruit. To attract more beneficials to the crop, Nick has established wildflower meadows around the farm and keeps headlands uncut for at least two years.

To enhance biodiversity and encourage more wildlife onto the farm, the team has also built

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breeding programme has also helped reduce disease pressure and deter major pests such as the big bud mite.

The crops also respond well to foliar feeds like Maxicrop, which is applied through flowering and after fruit is formed, Nick adds.

Frost is generally not an issue with blackcurrants, as they tend to flower later in the year when the risk is much lower.

“Our main problem with the climate is getting our chilling hours. We have to have 2,000 hours below 7ºC while the bushes are dormant to help with even ripening, and as we’re getting warmer winters, it’s becoming more of a problem.”

Climate shifts over 60 bird boxes and six barn owl boxes across the four farms. In addition, the farm has been enriched with more than 300 metres of new hedgerows and countless trees over the last two years, and an area of woodland is coppiced annually to encourage young growth.

These are some of the key actions suggested

by Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I (SBF GB&I – Ribena’s owner) as part of what is called the ’Six Point Plan’ put in place to help growers produce blackcurrants more sustainably.

Targeted spray programme Nick uses a robust spray programme to keep pests and diseases at bay, starting with a round of Scala, Signum and Switch through flowering in April and May to control leaf spot and botrytis.

“After flowering, we tend to stop spraying as it is difficult to travel without doing damage, as the bushes lower their branches with the weight of the fruit,” he explains.

Planting disease-resistant varieties developed through the James Hutton Institute’s (JHI’s)

Blackcurrants thrive in cooler climates, and as the UK has been experiencing hotter and dryer summers, growing and harvesting the crop has become increasingly challenging for producers.

“Last year, we experienced over 40ºC during the harvest, so that led to some fruit drop,” Nick says. “And then we had a very dry summer, which didn’t help the fruit bud for the following year, because we don’t irrigate at all.

“So we’re struggling with hot, dry summers.

You certainly need a lot of water after harvest, and we haven’t been getting that.”

While more sunshine hours increase the sugars in the fruit, excessive heat has meant that staff had to race around to finish the harvest before the fruit fell on the ground, which was unprecedented in the farm’s blackcurrant-growing history. However, Nick is expecting the issue to become more frequent in the future as climate change unfolds in the UK. The wet weather this spring has also affected flowering and pollination of blackcurrant crops, and increased the risk of botrytis rearing its head, he notes.

A year on the farm Blackcurrants require care and maintenance all year round, and work begins with the planting of new bushes between January and February.

Spraying will then follow in early spring as soon as leaves start emerging to protect the crop from leaf spot and botrytis. Plants will also be given seaweed-based foliar feed around this time.

The timing of nitrogen applications is becoming more crucial with the drier weather and is determined by rainfall, Nick explains. The first dose is typically applied prior to flowering, followed by a second dose around a month later and a final application post-harvest.

Harvest is spread over three weeks as the fruit from each variety becomes ripe for picking, normally starting from the first week of July.

Nick explained having a range of different varieties is important to stagger the harvest, so not all fruit is picked at the same time.

“All the research and development for the varieties is funded by SBF GB&I at the James Hutton Institute in Scotland, and all the varieties are owned by Ribena,” he added.

90% of the blackcurrants grown in the UK go into making Ribena, which means around 10,000 tonnes of blackcurrants are produced annually for the popular fruit and drink concentrate.

The company has invested heavily in research work at the JHI to develop new climate-resistant blackcurrant varieties that offer a more robust disease and pest package to combat emerging challenges.

Among the new varieties is Ben Lawers, which has been found to crop well despite warmer winters, helping growers overcome a major sustainability challenge.

On the farm, Nick produces around 300t of fruit for Ribena each year, picking 20–25t per day during harvest season. The fruit is typically processed within 12 hours at the Thatchers cider factory in Somerset, after which it heads to SBF GB&I’s factory in Coleford to be made into fruit juice.

As soon as harvest is finished, the bushes are trimmed and sided up with a bush trimmer to increase airflow between the rows and reduce disease pressure. Plants that have reached seven to eight years of age are cut all the way down to the base to rejuvenate the bushes.

The final task of the year is weed control, with spraying carried out in December and the following March.

Machinery fleet Due to the large quantity of fruit produced, blackcurrants are picked by a machine harvester, which was purchased new in 2009 from Somerset Fruit Machinery. It’s a highly-efficient way to harvest the fruit and well-suited to large commercial farms, requiring only two operators.

“As well as a driver, we only need two guys on the back of the machine to sort the odd leaf that comes through, that’s all they do on the back and change the bins over,” Nick explained.

The harvester is accompanied by a two-row blackcurrant sprayer, which was custom-built by Andreoli Engineering in Italy with the input of Nick and the team, based on the company’s existing Tristar sprayer.

The only other piece of machinery specific to blackcurrants on the farm is the side-trimmer, which comes from Holland and is designed to

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Farm details: Mascalls Court and its three satellite farms are run by Nick Overy and his father Ian Location: The main farm is based in Paddock Wood near Tonbridge, Kent; with additional land in Brenchley, Matfield and Horsmonden Total size in ha: Around 180ha across the four sites Type of fruit grown: Blackcurrants are grown on approx. 45ha, with 7ha of Gala apples; the rest is divided between arable crops including wheat, oilseed rape and beans, as well as grassland used to make haylage for horses Varieties grown: The farm grows seven different varieties of blackcurrant, all developed by Ribena at the James Hutton Institute. These are: Ben Gairn, Ben Starav, Ben Klibrek, Ben Avon, Ben Hope, Ben Alder and Ben Tirran Soil type: Light, sandy soils (satellite farms) as well as clay (Mascalls Court)

shape the bush by cutting off the lower branches.

Like other growers, Nick has had difficulties sourcing equipment since Brexit, and a lot of the machinery is shared between the orchards and blackcurrant fields. These include the tractors, weed spraying equipment and fertiliser spreader, which uses GPS technology to optimise fertiliser application by automatically calculating the desired flow rate.

The GPS spreader is the farm’s latest purchase and will be trialled for the first time this year, Nick shares.

“Previously, we were just blanket spreading the fertiliser on as needed, but we’re looking at going down the GPS route for certainly putting our phosphate, potash and magnesium on.”

Minimal staff At present, Nick and his father Ian are the only full-time workers looking after blackcurrants on the farm, with Nick’s son Henry set to join the team after finishing his degree in agriculture at Newcastle University and following some travelling.

A truly family-run business, Mascalls Court Farm only employs a small number of casual workers to carry out seasonal tasks, who return to the farm every year.

“We have three guys come for the blackcurrant harvest, and when we’re not picking blackcurrants, we’re harvesting apples, at which time we’re joined by four more who come for apple picking in the beginning of September – so then we have a total

of seven,” Nick says.

“And then during the winter, we have three guys come for blackcurrant planting in February.”

Headlands and hedges are cut every other year, and some contracted work is hired to help with the pruning of apples as well, he added.

On the agronomy side, the farm works with specialists from Hutchinsons who walk the orchards every two weeks during the growing season. For blackcurrants, Nick consults Rob Saunders, also from Hutchinsons and who worked at SBF GB&I as an agronomist, as and when needed, who offers advice through weekly phone calls throughout the season.

“I’ve got some of my apple pickers who have been with me for 14 years, and they only come for around four or five weeks and then go home again,” he noted.

“Unless the government changes, I think we’ve got two more years and then that’s going to finish.”

Regarding future plans, Nick is hoping to maintain the farm’s current blackcurrant production and remain a part of the Ribena family. “Blackcurrants are vitally important to our business, and we hope that Ribena will continue sourcing their blackcurrants from the UK.”

Thoughts for the future When it comes to blackcurrant growing, Rob believes the challenges that stand before the industry are three-fold. Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest of those challenges, with further increases in warm and wet weather predicted for the coming years, necessitating the development of more varieties that can cope under these conditions.

The loss of the plant protection armoury available to growers is also high on the list, Nick said, and could mean it will be more difficult to control yield-robbing pests and diseases in the future. Labour is also a concern, more so for orchards than blackcurrants, and there is an urgent need for change in government policy to replenish the UK’s depleted seasonal workforce.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Regenerative viticulture: How to make nature do the work for you

At this year’s Groundswell Festival, expert viticulturist Joel Jorgensen from vineyard and winery consultancy Vinescapes discussed what it means to grow vines using regenerative principles and the benefits he has seen to soil health, biodiversity, yields and wine quality.

Joel Jorgensen, managing director at Vinescapes, defined regen viticulture as trying to mirror nature and having a deeper understanding of ecological processes to then incorporate that knowledge into the vines and let the soil and plants do the heavy lifting.

To explain what that means in practical terms and illustrate the financial implications of the approach, he discussed a case study that has been ongoing for several years, featuring two vineyard sites with vastly different management approaches to begin with.

The two sites are practically mirror images of one another, with similar terroir, including southfacing slopes, medium-textured sandy clay loam soils with good drainage, shelter from prevailing winds and sufficient air flow between the rows.

One key difference lies in the spacing of the rows, which is 3.1m in site A and 2.1m in site B, resulting in the same-sized tractor driving very close to the root zone in the latter case, Joel pointed out.

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Moreover, site A has very little or no compaction in the root zone of the vines, despite historically never being tilled and receiving very little herbicide treatment. Vegetation is allowed to come through naturally between the rows, resulting in a diverse flora mix counting 20 species or more.

Pest and disease pressures are managed with a reactive spray programme based on weather data, and spraying is done once or twice a year instead of 10–15 times as is typically done in a conventional vineyard, with a knock-on effect on the bottom line.

In comparison, site B began as the polar opposite in terms of management style, with the vine rows very neat and tidy and well-maintained, golf course-type grass in the alleyways, necessitating a robust nutrition program relying heavily on synthetics and frequent spraying throughout the year.

A closer look at the ground conditions revealed high earthworm counts in site A, along

with, as Joel described, “mixed bobbly crumb” soil, indicating organically created structure.

Meanwhile, site B had much less activity in the ground and was clearly struggling with compaction, revealing “large angular blocks of essentially bricks of soil under the ground.”

Having seen the same pattern at numerous sites over the years, and the effect on yields and wine quality, Joel concluded that a truly healthy soil does wonders for any crop, but particularly for vines.

“What I mean by that is not just chemical health, but actually biological health and structural health,” he explained. “So, we’re looking at the porosity and the microbial life in the soil; if they’re working well, they do a lot of jobs for you, and that’s what this case study was all about.”

Site A was also found to have very consistent yields, around 7–8t/ha, with very positive feedback from wineries regarding fruit quality.

Joel found this to be the case at every regen site with high levels of biodiversity, supporting a more stable crop which, in turn, makes every step of the business much more linear.

The journey to recovery After convincing the owner of site B that improving soil health will pay dividends on the long run, the Vinescapes team set out to decompact the soil using a soil-improving brassica mix, containing tillage radish, phacelia and mustard amongst other species, which carried out all the subsoiling work.

“It was actually a way of improving the soil without using heavy machinery, so we’re not undoing nature’s goodness – we’re just encouraging it to do it quicker,” Joel said.

The seeds were planted using a no-till drill pulled by a lighter tractor to further reduce compaction. Weather stations were also installed to allow the team to reduce the spray programme step by step using a data-driven approach.

“On average, on most of our sites, we’ve sprayed maybe once or twice this year and only with bio products, and they’re all still spotless; whereas if we followed the agronomous spray programme, we’d be on spray seven or eight by now,” Joel noted.

To kick-start the soil biology and replenish carbon stocks, PAS100 compost was added at 50t/ ha, mixed with a bit of manure to balance the carbon and nitrogen levels, which he said really helped improve the fertility of the soil.

After implementing only minor changes in management just over a year ago, the team is now starting to see major improvements to soil health, counting over 30 earthworms in a single spade full of soil where there were just 13–14 previously.

“All we did was sow a cover crop, put some compost down, and start to reduce the sprays,” Joel said. “With all of these really minor tweaks in the management practices on this site, we found that we were able to reduce costs and inputs, and have a more consistent yield.”

He added that similar trends were seen on all vineyards managed regeneratively by Vinescapes, resulting in a higher and more consistent yield, reduced input costs and, most importantly, betterflavoured wines.

“It all comes back to soil health, reducing pesticides, reducing compaction, and using plants to do the job for you,” Joel concluded.

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AGRONOMY The impact of a significant downy mildew infection However, this method also means that some of the crop may be lost due to sunburn, affecting yield, says Chris.

Overall, reflects Rob, there is a lack of effective control due to the harvest interval requirements with traditional chemistry requiring growers to move to biocontrols and nutrition to bolster plant health. The results are variable but improving as growers get used to these products and manufacturers continue their development.

“Fortunately, there are some feeds which help the plants deal with stress, such as Procrop ISR, which comprises a yeast extract that the plant interprets as disease, stimulating its immune response,” continues Rob. Finally, he recommends growers do not neglect post-harvest feeds especially products containing copper, zinc and sulphur.

Hygiene and targeting overwintering spores

Late season

threat

to grape harvest

2023 brought a dull July with low light levels, high rainfall and low temperatures, so this year’s grape harvest will almost certainly be a low-sugar and late one. This will increase the risk of fungal diseases such as downy mildew and grey mould, which can be difficult to manage. Two of Hutchinsons’ senior agronomists, viticulture lead Chris Cooper and horticultural agronomist Rob Saunders, review the options open to growers to manage these challenging pathogens.

This season, veraison has been late, protracted and incomplete on many sites, raising the prospect of a late harvest, says Robert.

“Our task is to turn sunlight into wine.

Growers will be familiar with the slowing of sugar production as October approaches, the days get shorter, and the sun loses its intensity.

Adding to the challenge, the warm spell at the start of September resulted in acidity levels dropping, in the early varieties at least, so monitoring the crop to track the development of quality parameters will be more important than ever.

“Some growers had already green harvested so the remaining berries have more assimilates routed to them and an improved chance of ripening.

“One of the toughest decisions the grape grower has to make is when to start the harvest and how to minimise the incidence of the major pathogens that threaten the harvest, particularly as plant protection product harvest intervals have to be respected.”

As the vines senesce, downy mildew spores from fallen leaves, fruit and other infected plant material, overwinter in the soil and litter layer beneath vines.

There are two types of downy mildew spore; conidiospores which are asexual produced in the spring/summer in large quantities on infected green tissue, and ascospores which are the sexual phase produced in lesser numbers in the late summer early autumn and are encased in the nearly indestructible cleistothecium. The cleistothecium can survive a great deal of physiological damage, making control extremely difficult, explains Chris.

“In a good year, the risk of infection is limited, but this year the dull, warm damp weather has increased the risk, with the potential legacy spores remaining for a long time.”

The problem is that spores overwinter on green tissues, and although strict vineyard hygiene, such as removing plant material via sweeping, pulverising and/or burning will help to reduce spore loading going into winter, when the harvests are late or autumn is very wet, it leaves the ground wet and muddy so there is a limit as to how effective it can be.

“Despite growers deploying all these

Botrytis significant Chris notes: “Botrytis is particularly significant for this year’s crop because of the wet September, late harvests which are likely to be going on in October and early November, and latent infection in the late flowering varieties due to rain during the critical flowering period.

“This year crop set was very good, but the August weather made it difficult to keep downy mildew at bay, so it is now affecting many sites.”

One of the challenges that growers face is that all the traditional fungicides that tackle downy mildew and botrytis have a harvest interval of 21–35 days and a limited number of applications, which makes combatting these pathogens complicated.

There are cultural management options available to help control downy mildew in established vineyards; good canopy management helps increase air movement and exposing bunches optimises spray penetration and coverage whilst giving the bunches exposure to sunshine and UV light so that they dry sooner, decreasing the incidence of the disease.

Hutchinsons agronomists, Chris Cooper (top) and Rob Saunders

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Downy mildew cultural measures, inoculum will remain in and around the vines from spores that have fallen onto the soil surface, so, if possible, growers are encouraged to use a mulch or spray with urea and molasses to enhance general microbial activity, as this can still have a beneficial effect.”

Reducing future infection rates Chris explains that the objective is to enhance soil biota which has a chance of reducing the downy mildew inoculum by consuming or destroying the spores, suppressing pathogen survival rates and reducing future infection rates.

Looking to the future, he reflects that some growers already have access to predictive models such as that in Metos which predicts the risk of powdery mildew, downy mildew and black rot, so they can take appropriate measures.

“Using decision support tools to predict the risk of infection is an important way forward, and work is progressing for our integrated management tool

Omnia to be used as a predictive tool to give more timely and early interventions if required.”

Rob continues: “As the plant protection toolbox becomes more limited, it is increasingly important that we not only investigate how biocontrol options can be better integrated into future disease control programmes, but also explore the potential of disease-resistant vines.

“At present, all the traditional cultivars are susceptible to powdery mildew and downy mildew, and there are no varieties with good resistance to botrytis.

“Nonetheless, breeding new varieties with the most durable and broad resistance to fungal diseases is possible, and resistant varieties, known as PiWis – which generally carry resistance genes to some pathogens which, we hope, are unlikely to break down – are already available to grow.

“This is a developing area for the future and will require both winemakers and consumers to accept new varieties.”

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is a serious disease because it can cause defoliation of vines, affecting grape quality and taste, and can cause total crop loss. One of the problems for growers is that there is very limited chemistry to control the issue, no commercially grown cultivars are resistant to infection. It requires rainfall for the initiation of the epidemic plus subsequent episodes of leaf wetness humidity for secondary infections to take hold.

Controlling the pathogen is not a problem in dry conditions, so the best control is dry and hot weather. One of the problems growers face is that there is very limited chemistry to control the issue and no commercially grown cultivars are resistant to infection. Some PiWis show a good tolerance and a few are said to be resistant but are not yet under commercial production in quantity in the UK. Grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) infections often originate during flowering, after which infections remain latent, only becoming apparent as the sugar levels rise and the skins become thinner.

Tightly-bunched varieties are also particularly problematic, but for a different reason; as the bunch expands, berries in the centre rupture due to turgor pressure, and the free juice liberated is rapidly colonised by botrytis, which eventually affect the whole bunch, and then possibly the adjacent bunches as well.

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AGRONOMY

“Unique” plant-based

organic fertiliser

is a win for soil health

As UK growers increasingly look for alternatives to conventional fertilisers, deputy editor Sarah Kidby spoke to Jason Colin of Natura Grow, to learn about a unique plant-based fertiliser that is gaining traction on vineyards and orchards in the UK. Cambridgeshire maize grower and renewable energy provider Pretoria Bio spans 25,000 acres across two sites near Ely. It sows, grows, and harvests energy crops to be fed into its anaerobic digesters – the largest in the UK – to produce around 12.5MW per hour of gas and electricity for the National Grid. The business was originally conceived in 2012 with the aim of supplying renewable energy from sustainable biomasses.

It now powers just under 300,000 homes.

As an added benefit, a by-product of the process goes on to make Natura Grow – a slow-release fertiliser and soil conditioner which contains macro and micronutrients, plus beneficial bacteria to help plants resist disease. To produce the pellets, the fibres are squeezed to remove the liquid, put through a dryer and pelleted for easier transport.

The organic, bio-active pellets – which national account sales manager Jason Colin says are “completely unique” – are simply added to the soil where they rehydrate and expand, aerating the soil, improving structure and allowing water and nutrients to penetrate the root systems of plants.

Since launching around two years ago, the pellets have proved particularly popular with UK vineyards, capturing about 15% of the vineyard market, Jason says. Early adopters say the product is clean and easy to apply, with no dust or mess, and soil, petal and leaf testing has all shown it compares well to conventional fertilisers. Plus, it has the added benefit of improved soil fertility.

The company is now in its second year supplying vineyards and orchards with repeat orders and is starting to receive orders for 2024.

Verified by the Soil Association to be used in

organic applications, Natura Grow was recently runner up for the sustainability award at the Four Oaks Trade Show in September.

“Souped up” pellet The business also offers Natura Grow Pro, a “souped up” version of the pellet which came out this year and is being used on vineyards as a premium product.

It fuses together a naturally occurring siliconbased humic substance with the biostimulant properties of the pellet. This increases the absorption and assimilation efficiencies of selenium, cobalt, zinc and other essential nutrients. Pro contains an array of biological nutrients for essential nourishment to maintain and increase indigenous soil life and growth, according to the company. It increases crop health with greater tolerance for biotic and abiotic stresses whilst maintaining greater crop quality and optimised yields. It could be expanded to suit a range of different crops in the future, Jason comments.

A liquid version of the product is also available, though this is more for the retail sector as the fibre content means it’s not currently suited to the fine nozzles of irrigation systems. However, it is used as a drench on the company’s own farm and others in Cambridge, particularly for maize and potatoes, to get the soil right.

A race for alternatives With fertiliser costs remaining very high, combined with the increased focus on soil health and farming in tandem with nature, there seems to be a “race for alternatives”, Jason says.

Foreseeing this scenario, the owner of Pretoria Bio invested in the £2 million pelleting plant around three years ago.

Jason was previously a grower for 16 years in South Africa and the UK, predominantly ornamentals, such as bedding plants, perennials and shrubs. He explains: “We’ve found that growers are looking for alternatives to conventional fertilisers, and not just because of the price but also because of soil fertility.

“A lot of farmers are understanding now that you can throw on all your compound chemicals and the plant will do great, but it does nothing for the soil and you’ve just got to replenish that all the time. You’re degrading the quality of the soil and then you get a chemical lock which the plants can’t get hold of because it’s all synthetic.”

He adds: “On our side with the organics, the pellets revitalise and bring fertility to the soil, unlocking the nutrients that are already there, providing additional nutrients and making it more available to the plant. There’s less cause to use pesticides and fungicides because the plant is looking after itself like nature intended.”

Lowering carbon footprints As well as the benefits for soil health and the environment from a grower perspective, the company’s own carbon footprint is a focus. Nothing is imported – all crops are grown, harvested and processed at its site in Cambridgeshire. Heat generated through the process is used to dry the residues of the biomass following digestion.

The production process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and retains it within the biomass, which is used as the feed stock to fuel the power plants.

Currently carbon neutral, the company is set to become carbon negative in a year’s time.

The CO2 that is released through the production of gas and electricity is currently offset but the business is in talks with bottling plants to sell it on to them.

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION

Crop candles and refills

now manufactured in the UK

The Crop Candle Company is proud to announce a significant milestone in its history – with its new Crop Candles and eight-hour refills now being manufactured in the UK, resulting in much lower carbon emissions.

Since the establishment of The Crop Candle Company in 2020, we have been talking to vineyards, agronomists and managers to find ways to improve our product. We have been committed to enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of our candle formula, as well as our manufacturing and delivery processes.

Environmentally friendly After two years of dedication, we have successfully shifted our production to the UK, proudly labelled as ‘Made in Great Britain’, using 100% vegetable wax that emits only 1.4kg of CO2/hr. This sets us apart from others on the market that use paraffin and stearin which can be obtained from animal fats and oils, resulting in much higher CO2 emissions of up to 14kg/hr.

Our candles are not only more environmentally friendly but also convenient to use and store. The introduction of our solid refills has taken sustainability even further, reducing the need to discard countless empty cans that often end up in inefficient landfills. Our refillable cans can be reused 3–4 times, providing a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution. Even if a small amount of wax is left in the container, our biodegradable wax refills can be added on top, avoiding any inconvenience during those cold spring frost hours.

By shifting production locally, we have eliminated the burdensome paperwork, costs, and transportation expenses associated with

44

buying candles from overseas. This will greatly benefit last-minute orders, especially in the face of potential aggressive frosts like the one experienced in 2021.

Efficient frost damage protection Our Crop Candles offer a significant advantage over the French Stearin Bougies, equipped with an easyto-light Eco Wood wool that lights in just one second, ensuring a quick and efficient setup. Lighting 1ha of the vineyard will take only 15 minutes with one person, thanks to this swift ignition. For optimal coverage, we recommend using 250 candles spaced 5m apart per ha. Each candle generates an impressive 25,000kJ of heat, providing exceptional frost protection for sub-zero temperatures, making our Crop Candles an effective and efficient choice for safeguarding against frost damage.

While estimating the effectiveness of other frost protecting solutions can be challenging, the Crop Candles stand as a reliable insurance option to have in the vineyard, especially if other products fail.

We don't claim to be the ultimate frost-protecting fire-eating dragon or a gamechanger. However, for decades, frost candles have been the primary line of defence against frost, helping vineyards overcome Mother Nature's initial obstacle on their journey to harvest.

When you have the Crop Candles in your yard, you gain the confidence that the rest of the season’s success lies in your hands. Remember, in the world of frost protection, you're only as good as your last

frost, and having Crop Candles at your disposal empowers you to take control and ensure a fruitful harvest.

Increasing demand In response to the increasing demand, we highly recommend placing your orders as early as possible. To make the process convenient for you, please feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements, including the protection of frost pockets and using our Frost v Bud Calculator to raise awareness. Our expertise will guide you on optimal ways to safeguard your buds during the frost season, ensuring significant savings without compromising their well-being.

In anticipation of the 2024 season, we are now taking orders. We are confident that we will produce enough candles to support the existing and new UK vineyards with our award-winning eight-hour candles and refills for 2024 season.

Embracing sustainability, efficiency, and quality, The Crop Candle Company continues to be a reliable soldier in the field when combat commences in the early hours of the spring morning against frost. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to serving you with our revolutionary UK-made products.

Contact us via 01491 411565 or visit www.cropcandle.co for more information.

November/December/January 2023/24

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16/10/2023 12:35

innovation viticulture Taking

in

to the next level

With two decades of experience working as a consultant in precision agriculture, Ian Beecher-Jones has embarked on a mission to revolutionise how technologies are being used on vineyards to work towards solving the industry’s greatest challenges while growing the best grapes possible.

Ian believes vineyards are the ideal environment for testing and developing precision technologies, due to the vines being in the ground for up to 30 years and the position of the rows remaining unchanged over time.

This presents a wonderful opportunity to gather data and information about those vines, he says, whether it be from satellites or drones or robots, to help analyse and understand the crop.

Working with a number of agri-tech companies such as Agri-EPI Centre, Ian has been testing various technologies at his own vineyard in the Chiltern Hills near Henley-onThames, which he planted with wife Tess in 2019.

“We like drinking wine, so we thought it would be a good idea to grow the stuff!” he says cheerfully. “That’s how it started. We were fortunate enough to buy some land that came up for sale in the village, and vineyards seemed like a very good idea at the time.”

Named after the couple’s beloved dog, JoJo’s Vineyard grows seven different varieties, including the traditional sparkling combination of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, as well as Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc and Bacchus.

Not to mention Pinot Noir Précoce, which gives the colouring for their rosé, Ian explains.

JoJo’s Vineyard’s wine offering currently includes a still white;, a sparkling white due to

be released in 2025, and a sparkling rosé.

Creating a digital infrastructure

mapping their properties for every provider they are working with.

The system wouldn’t be looking to replace any of the technologies currently out there, Ian explains, but rather underpin all of those softwares to provide them with a robust foundation to build upon in a way that helps both providers and growers increase efficiency.

Drone and multi-spectral camera technology can then be used to add layers of data on top of the initial map, such as information on

The first step when getting started with precision viticulture is conducting a survey of the vineyard to gather data about the position of vines, posts and rows, as well as where the different variety and rootstock blocks are, explains Ian. This can then be collated into a digital infrastructure map for providers to use when creating navigation paths for drones and robots.

Having worked in the broad acre sector for a number of years, Ian appreciates the importance of getting the digital vineyard set up correctly, and making it shareable with technology companies to avoid having to repeat the work every time a different provider is called.

“Having that infrastructure in place to share with technologists is absolutely essential,” he says.

“Once I have my infrastructure in place and understand where everything is, I can work accurately with whichever provider I want, because I can interpret their information more accurately.”

Over the past year, Ian has been working with precision agriculture specialist Agri-EPI Centre on a shareable digital infrastructure project, funded

by Innovate UK and Defra, to create a digital infrastructure of the vineyard and upload it to a data sharing platform.

He estimates this could save the row crop sector well in excess of £0.5M by sparing landowners the wasted cost of repeatedly November/December/January 2023/24

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TECHNICAL ADVICE

canopy health, the state of the leaves and flowers, shoot counts and yield estimates. This can then be compared to weather data, for example, to identify trends in bunch sizes and canopy health in different varieties.

As part of this second stage of the project, funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), Ian has been testing ground-dwelling robots to gather data from bud burst all the way through to harvest, with the primary objective being yield prediction.

“That’s the focus of technology; rather than disease management, it’s going to be looking at yield prediction, because that is, fundamentally, the most important aspect that technology can help with,” Ian remarks.

Supplied by agricultural robotics firm Antobot, these AI-driven autonomous robots are equipped with cutting-edge GPS and LIDAR systems to help then navigate around the vineyard and carry cameras and sensors to monitor and analyse the vines and fruit throughout the season.

The triple-A approach The work being carried out at JoJo’s is still in its early days and it’s based around three criteria, which Ian calls the “triple-A approach”: • Acquisition – how data is obtained, such as with drones or robots • Analysis – how data is analysed, what information must be gained from it • Action – how information from the data is actioned.

“What we’re looking at is how do we gather the data? What’s the analysis of it? And then how can we join it to an action,” he explains.

Examples of actioning data could be inputting information into a sprayer for auto shut-off, or identifying vines in poor condition and taking some soil samples, Ian notes.

Once again, getting navigation right is essential before robots can be released into vine rows to gather data, as the technology must be fully unmanned for it to be cost-effective for growers. And so, it all comes back to surveying the vineyard and having the infrastructure set up correctly to ensure route planning is as smooth as possible.

“That’s what we’re trying to do at the moment, is integrate a number of different systems so I can share my infrastructure with a number of different drone and robot platforms to make that navigation planning much easier,”

Ian adds.

“It has to be grower-friendly” When it comes to using technology in vineyards, Ian says opinions have been mixed among growers, with some arguing technology is just a waste of time and resources if the crop is already even and there is little variation.

While Ian agrees with this perspective to some extent, he goes on to point out that auto section control is one piece of equipment the viticulture world could do with that has been available in broad acre farming for many years.

“If you’re turning your sprayer on and off two, or three, or four seconds before you enter the vine row, you’re turning it on too early; you are just wasting spray, and that’s not good for anybody.

“I don’t think anyone would say ‘no, auto shut-off at the beginning and the end of the rows wouldn’t be a valuable tool to help improve what is going on in viticulture’.”

However, any technology proposed to growers has to be user-friendly rather than ‘techy-friendly’, he adds, as tools that are too difficult and complicated to use will not interest growers even if the results are amazing.

“The front-end functionality and user interface has to be reflective of the people using them, and apps that are in tractors, in robots, or in and around drones, have to be user-friendly. And if we haven’t got that, then it’s a total waste of time.”

The future of automation Another project that has taken place at JoJo’s recently was looking at navigation around the vineyard for logistics to address labour shortages in the industry, which are predicted to worsen over the next five years.

The concept involves autonomous robots being developed by Antobot replacing some of the manual workforce at harvest by taking trays of grapes to the packing station.

At the present time, however, the company has found more success in the soft fruit sector, which provides a better commercial opportunity with the robots being used every two or three weeks as opposed to a single, very intense, one month of the year in the viticulture sector.

“I think this is the highlight of the challenge that viticulture has got is that, there’s opportunity in vineyards, but there’s greater opportunity in other agricultural products,” Ian remarks.

“And so, we have to be patient and find very

good use cases of how we can apply technology in an affordable and practical manner for the grower.”

He points out that grape harvesters are much more likely to dominate automation around harvest in viticulture, as they offer high capacity, high volume and high speed, with the machine needing only a single operator to bring in the crop and transfer it into boxes ready to be processed.

“At this stage, it’s a no-brainer. If a grower is looking for speed and efficiency, then it’s the likes of New Holland and Pellenc machine harvesters that will be the way forward, and I think that will be the case for the next probably five years.”

Reflecting on the robotics project to replace manual labour, Ian said there is a real wrestle between trialling new technologies and identifying those that are practical to use in vineyards at this time. However, he still considers it important to explore new concepts and approaches, as forward-thinking ideas are the drivers behind innovation.

“I’m sure we’ll knock our head against a brick wall on a number of occasions, but we’ll come to conclusions, and I’m very happy with saying no to some technology with as much enthusiasm as saying yes.”

The work to bring new innovations to viticulture at JoJo’s is set to continue, and one upcoming project will be looking at data platforms and bringing data together, which Ian predicts will be highly beneficial and useful for growers.

While traditional winemaking techniques should be protected and valued, he is a firm believer that vineyards ready to embrace new technologies to enhance production will be at the forefront of the industry.

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TECHNICAL ADVICE

robust software Optimise your wine operations with

systems

• Regulatory compliance – Ensure that

•

•

•

• •

Wineries, on a day-to-day basis, are focused on their core purpose for being in business: making an exceptional bottle of wine. To this end, they have all the best systems needed already in place. They have an excellent approach to vineyard management, a sound selection process for raw materials and modern production management systems for producing that good bottle of wine. However, what happens once the wine is made and bottled?

Many winery and vineyard businesses are still using spreadsheets to keep track of their inventory, and legacy finance software to record sales and purchasing transactions. This approach, while functional, can lead to mistakes being made and a duplication of effort.

What wineries, at this stage, really need is a good business management solution that will take care of the next part of their business journey, right from the holding and storing of those bottles of wine through to knowing how many bottles there are and where they are storied and then to the financial impact of producing and selling the wine bottles to the business.

Fruit & Vine chatted with Bevica product director, Claudio Martell to discuss why an all-in-one business management system is vital for growing, ambitious wineries and vineyards and how choosing the right one can streamline business operations and enhance productivity.

Choosing the right software system for your winery There are 10 key considerations a winery or vineyard needs to bear in mind when selecting 48

48 Tech Advice Bevica.indd 48

the right business management solution for them:

• Scalability – When choosing the software,

•

• •

ask yourself whether it will grow with your business as you expand and take on new product lines and sales channels. Make sure you look for a solution that has the flexibility to accommodate your future needs, as well as your current ones.

Comprehensive features – If you are investing in a business management solution, you need to ensure that the one you pick covers all aspects of your business, including inventory management, warehousing, duty and purchasing alongside, CRM, sales orders and their fulfilment into finance and reporting.

User-friendliness – This is vital. Your team should be able to navigate the software easily once they have been trained. This will lead to faster adoption and greater employee buy-in.

Integration capabilities – All businesses use a wide range of software solutions, both internal and third-party solutions. Make sure your chosen system can integrate easily with your ecommerce solution, MS Office productivity suite, logistics and finance partners and many more.

your system helps you stay compliant with wine industry regulations and reporting requirements as well as your HMRC duty obligations. This is particularly important if you are selling into different countries.

Data security – Robust security features are a must for any business that holds proprietary or sensitive business critical data. It is therefore important that the software offers data encryption, user access controls and regular data backups.

Mobile accessibility – In today’s “24/7 anywhere” world, having access to your data on your smart devices is essential. Therefore, make sure your software offers mobile apps and responsive web interfaces.

KPI reporting and analytics – To make informed decisions, you need a system with robust reporting and analytics tools. Look for software that can provide your business with detailed insights into your business’ performance.

Regular updates and maintenance – To stay up to date and relevant with industry trends and technology advancements, you need a system that is regularly updated.

Support and training – Your chosen system needs to be backed up by a trustworthy and knowledgeable implementation and support partner. Make sure you choose a partner who can offer you long-term customer support and training and really understands the complex needs of the wine industry.

ABOUTOUREXPERTS

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The Bevica team has considerable experience of working both in and for the drinks industry. This, they explain, means that they have an excellent understanding of the industry’s particular wants, needs and business processes and have built a system that meets them. To find out more about Bevica and how it could help modernise and improve your business processes and productivity, visit www.bevica.com

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Look leap before you

Having bought a vineyard with his wife 20 years ago, with the mentality “leap, and the net will appear”, Master Winemaker and consultant Justin Howard-Sneyd now advises his clients to look before they leap – helping them to find their ‘why?’ before they plant a vineyard. Read on to find out more.

My wife Amanda and I bought a vineyard in 2004 with no business plan, and no idea about growing grapes. Little did we know it, but we were following the advice of American naturalist John Burroughs, who said: “Leap, and the net will appear”.

We leapt. And that decision put us on a road that has fundamentally affected the way we now live our lives, and was one of the best decisions we ever made. But I now spend a good deal of my life advising a variety of clients not to leap until they have looked. Back in 2004, I was already a Master of Wine with great connections in the commercial side of wine, and we minimised our risk by finding someone to farm the land for us (and take the grapes in return), while we both kept working at our jobs and spent time formulating a plan.

And our initial ‘investment’ was only 1.8ha costing around £20,000, so we were not going to be sunk if it all fell to pieces. So perhaps it wasn’t a very daring leap. And we found ourselves a net in the form of a very kind friend who invested some more money to help us to buy two more small vineyards and to finance the first few years of production before we sold anything.

We wouldn’t change the past for a nano-

second – but knowing what we know now, I think we would do a few things differently.

To plant or not to plant?

How would I advise you if you were in a similar position today? I’d say that if you are already absolutely fanatical about wine, completely sure about why you are doing it, and have the time, energy and determination to succeed, then go for it. Especially if learning the lessons for yourself and riding the roller-coaster of uncertainty is part of the attraction. Remember, the net will appear.

On the other hand, you may be satisfied that you have taken most of the big risks you want to take in your life. You may want to make a substantial investment in a vineyard without making too many mistakes. Or you may be hesitating because you are not quite sure of what you are letting yourself in for. In this case, it would be wise to ask yourself a few questions, and talk to a few people who might be able to help you.

So who should you talk to? A viticulturist, winemaker, marketing expert, or business person?

Or do you need a psychiatrist or philosopher?

A viticulturist will tell you where to plant a vineyard and how to plant a vineyard. A winemaker

will tell you what you need to do to make the highest quality of wine that you can. A marketing expert will help you find an audience who want to buy your wine, and maybe how to tailor your wine to suit your audience. A business person may be able to optimise your profitability, and achieve the best financial result with the means at your disposal.

A psychiatrist might help you to explore whether your decision-making is rational, and whether you are in a fit state to make such a decision.

But not many of these people will tell you if you should. And it is generally in their interests to encourage you to go ahead, because then you might hire them to help. They are experts, and they know how to help you maximise your chances, within their field of expertise.

But before you jump straight into investing, you first need to know what you are

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES will you use? What about organics/biodynamics/ regenerative farming? Whatever your vision is, every decision then needs to flow out from there, and each decision has a cost implication and a risk that needs to be managed.

How can you get paid?

letting yourself in for. And to understand your motivations, and what you want to get out of it.

The first question is “why?”

Does this list of reasons sound familiar?: • Because I love wine • Because I like the idea of having my own vineyard • Because I’ve got some spare money, and I want to invest it in something I enjoy • Because I own some land, and this feels like a good use of it • Because it is a good business opportunity • Because I’d like to pass something on to the next generation • Because English wine is doing really well, right?

But what about this list?:

• Because I want to immerse myself in • • • • • • • • •

everything from forklift truck driving to form-filling Because I love pruning in the winter for days on end Because I love meeting new people and tasting wine with them Because I love making real connections with sommeliers and wine-lovers Because I want to travel the world and keep unusual working hours Because I want to develop an unexpected depth of knowledge about a surprisingly wide range of topics in which, until this point, I had zero interest Because I am prepared to risk having a frost or hail destroy my entire crop once in a while Because I love paying tax to the government Because I love finding, developing and rewarding the best people, and building a great team Because I want to hang out in the cellar door all weekend and chat to my customers.

Everyone has their reasons. You will have yours.

Ikigai – finding your ‘why?’

Our approach at The Hive Wine Consulting, is to help you understand your ‘why’. Ideally, right 52

at the start. And then to pull together a holistic plan, based on your goals.

We love a concept that the Japanese call ‘ikigai’ (see graphic on the previous page). It helps you to discover your reason for getting out of bed in the morning. What it is that will motivate you to push through the difficult days, when the obstacles seem insurmountable.

Following the concept of ikigai, your life’s ‘purpose’ lies at the intersection of four circles: What you love, what you are good at, what you can be paid for and what the world needs.

So do you have green fingers, and love growing healthy plants? Are you a natural in the wine cellar, combining a flair for flavour with an aptitude for biology and chemistry? Do you want to involve yourself in the hospitality and tourism side, and end up running a restaurant and accommodation, and managing a large team?

Or do you love creating a brief and then delegating delivery to professional management, and watch it all unfold with you course-correcting as necessary?

And what about the ‘what the world needs’ part of ikigai? After all, why does the world need another vineyard? And why your vineyard? How are you going to be different from/better than all of the other vineyards in the world?

Really importantly, how will your decision to invest affect others? Your family? Your neighbours, suppliers, customers, employees, investors, the health of land, the quality of the water, future generations?

To have the best chance of succeeding, you should establish a really inspiring vision that encapsulates what you are trying to achieve, and to articulate how it will contribute to the sum of ‘good’ in the world. If the world doesn’t benefit in some way, it is hard for anyone else to care. This vision will inform all of your other decisions.

Decisions like where and how to plant a vineyard are ones you have to live with for 30–50 years, and it is good to get these right at the beginning. And how to farm. What practices

This is probably the trickiest part of the puzzle.

There are a lot of new English and Welsh wine producers, many of them chasing the same sector of the market.

How will you make sure that you are the one that is going to succeed? How do you find customers who will love what you do? Do you know how many of them there are, where they live, what they drink and who they buy from at the moment? What do they care about? What styles of wine are you going to make? This will dictate the varieties of vines you plant, and the clones you choose.

After we have helped you determine your ‘why’, we can work with you to produce a business plan that will help you price your wine correctly for the markets you want to sell to. And at the right point in the process, we can bring in brand experts, label designers and other skilled specialists to help you express your brand vision with a logo/label/typeface/image that resonates and communicates your values. A bottle that you will be proud to put on the table. A logo to display on your winery driveway.

We can help you understand the cashflow requirements, how to work with distributors, what kind of margins retailers, restaurants and intermediates will need.

Making wine can be a risky business. There are weather and climate risks, legislative risks, economic risks and human risks. A specialist consultant can help you develop a clear-eyed evaluation of the risks you will face, and to equip you with the confidence and skills to help you navigate these choppy waters, and to provide you with a map and a compass.

At The Hive Wine Consulting, we don’t have all the answers, but we know the right questions to ask, and we have associates who we trust who can provide more specialist knowledge in the following areas: Vineyard acquisition, vineyard establishment, contract winemaking, market research, market data, label design, brand marketing and advocacy. Getting us on board early in the project could save you time and money, and save you from some expensive mistakes.

ABOUTOURAUTHOR The Hive Wine Consulting is the consulting business of Justin Howard-Sneyd MW. Justin is an industry consultant with 12 years’ experience in working with wine clients around the world, and 15 years of experience as a retail buyer, heading up the wine teams at both Waitrose and Laithwaite’s.

He has been a Master of Wine since 1999 and is a trustee of the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation and a founder of The BIB Wine Company. Visit www.thehivewine.com

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NEW Holland BB9080 baler, 2009, standard packer, very low bale count & in very good condition. £39,500+VAT ono. L Rich Tel 07774 112211 (Gloucestershire)

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KAWASAKI Mule 4 seater, road registered, diesel, electric tip, heater. £5,500+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire) PETROL go kart, Honda 5.5hp engine, gwo, chain drive. £299. J Horsington Tel 01300 341250 (Dorset)

HALF round corrugated coated tin, new & unused, dark green outer, dove grey inner, width 2.6m, running length 1.5m, arc rise 1.15m, heavy gauge 0.7mm, 30 sheets available, less than half new price, can assist with loading. £40/sheet. D Dunnett Tel 07753 842101 (Norfolk)

JCB JS145 excavator, 4800hrs, very low, 2007, owned since new - dad’s baby, twin line - hammer & rotate, quick hitch, 6’ mul tipurpose bucket, good condition. £22,000+VAT ono. W Mackintosh Tel 07984 632632 (South Yorkshire)

Call: 07805 419544 www.fgagroup.co.uk HONDA TRX420 FM, 2015, 3168mls, 465.6hrs, 4wd, tow bar, 500 ball bar, road registered. £5,000 ono no VAT. L Abel Tel 07966 025214 (Somerset)

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KUHN FB2135 baler chopper, 2009, very tidy condition, genuine reason for sale, Truro area. £9,950+VAT. R Trethewy Tel 07836 342835 (Cornwall)

USED coated box profile sheets, 6 & 7m long, plus barge boards, in good condition. POA. K Ollett Tel 01359 270047/07753 859882 (Suffolk)

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HONDA tracked power barrow, petrol, 2 forward gears, 1 reverse, turns & drives as it should, fair condition, good tracks & tipping body removes for a flat deck. £1,400+VAT. R King Tel 07929 424474 (Nottinghamshire)

SPALDINGS Air Seeder, Radar rate controller, auto cut off when raised, on board computer & fan controller, full set of optional scatter plates (never used), 3 sets of different sized rollers, all original manuals, excellent condition. £3,250+VAT. J Shambrook Tel 07876561524 (Hertfordshire)

KUBOTA KX015-4, 2017, 953hrs, good working order. £9,500+VAT ono. L Tuckey Tel 07970 789955 (Warwickshire)

FARMFORCE 3m Bootimate tine drill, good condition. £3,850+VAT. I Leverton Tel 07988 286608 (Lincolnshire)

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Machinery Traders, Farmers, Agricultural Contractors & Coach Hire for all Occasions

Selling 2nd hand machinery in 1st class order!

Trade advertising — Tel: 01473 794440 Email: hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

BOMFORD TB240 TOPPER 2012, very good blades, a great machine in as new condition

£4,995

OVER 100 MACHINES IN STOCK

KRM M3W FERTILISER SPREADER 2012, c/w weigh cells, hopper cover, a homemade ladder, and a spare set of veins, good condition

BROWNS GRASSMASTER SPRING TINE GRASS HARROWS 2018, no broken or missing tines, immaculate condition

BROWNS 4.5M AERATOR A top spec machine with Front and rear linkage, hydraulic folding and wing weights, 2021

3M 6 LEG (SUMO POINTS) DEEP TINE CULTIVATOR Comes with nearly new Dowdeswell crosskill packer

£4,995

2002 JOSKIN TR275 C3 3 rotors with 2 blades per rotor, in good straight condition

£1,750

£5,995

2013 VICON RO-XL 4100L (12, 24, 36M) FERTILISER SPREADER Hyd shut on and off, ladder, border limiter, and lights. We’ve owned this machine from new and it’s in immaculate condition £6,995

NEW (2022) MARSHALL BC25 BALE TRAILER Full spec with front and rear galvanized ladders - Anti-slip floor, hyd brakes, lights, both chassis and tie down hooks, toolbox £8,995

£4,995

£1,595

FLEMING AGRI COMPACT GRASS TOPPER Brand New 2022, shear bolt protected PTO shaft and convex skids, comer gearbox, heavy duty boron steel rotor, double galvanised chain support, galvanised headstock & skids £1,995

t: 01462 442409 • Ben: 07852 524879 • Daniel: 07734 328994 • e: office@richardtaylortravel.co.uk

Private growers can buy & sell their excess machinery, equipment & livestock with the click of a button.

St Ibbs Farm • St Ippolyts • Hitchin • Herts • SG4 7NL

PART EXCHANGE WELCOME

www.richardtaylortravel.co.uk

Ex works • All prices + VAT

Online Agri Plant & Salvage Auctions, 10am Every Tuesday 01562 773222 58

info@adamhewitt.com

www.adamhewitt.com

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FENCING & GATES PROTECH 200s post knocker, vgwo, inherited with farm, giving up farming so clearing surplus machinery, around £5,000+ new, had little use (less than 500 stakes), located mid Somerset.

Delivery can be arranged at v good rate. £2,500+VAT ono. K Heal Tel 07853 603080 (Somerset) SIMPLICITY ride-on mower. £100.

R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

WOLSELEY electric fencer (3 strand wire system), needs 6V battery. £40. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

BOMFORD Hawk 5.4m hedge cutter, cable controls, original competition flails, slew to rear model, 1.2m head, done hardly any work £7,950+VAT. S Bygraves Tel 07973 117993 (Bedfordshire)

LIVESTOCK

GRASS MACHINERY

FORAGE & SILAGE

MAIZE blade for a big tractor, been on the front of a 400hp tractor, very heavy duty bit of kit, good condition. £3,000+VAT ono. W Mackintosh Tel 07984 632632 (South Yorkshire)

VOTEX PT2 6’ topper, working order but would benefit from some refurbishment, also new blades required, gearbox, PTO, bearings & belt all in good order. £350 ono. E Gillett Tel 07710 137619 (Suffolk)

FOUR Marshiew pedigree in-milk Jersey heifers by good sires, TB4. £1,000. D Bolderston Tel 07887 925550 (Suffolk)

KILWORTH 4’ flail topper, fits compact tractor, good working order. £650 ono. N Atkins Tel 07956 167510 (Leicestershire) FLEMING 5’ topper, good working order, average condition. £700 ono. N Atkins Tel 07956 167510 (Leicestershire)

GALEBREAKER Agri, 4m wide by 1.5 high (12), all fastenings & strap guards, as new, used for one winter. £1,200+VAT ono. R King Tel 07929 424474 (Nottinghamshire)

KILWORTH 4’ paddock sweeper, fits compact tractor, good working order. £350 ono. N Atkins Tel 07956 167510 (Leicestershire)

GRAIN HANDLING/ STORAGE PROTIMETER moisture meter for cereals, c/w case & cereal grinder. £80. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

IAE calf rearing pens (block of 8), used condition, only 23 (instead of 30) pegs included. £425 ono. C White Tel 07710 830108 (Rutland)

HEDGING & FORESTRY

EASYCARE sheep, the polled wool shedding breed, no fly problems, very easy lambing, ideal for outdoor lambing, selection of very good rams for sale from the original flock, est 1965, organic & Myomax tested, phone for more info. I Owen Tel 07788 585309 (Isle of Anglesey) EASYCARE sheep, yearlings & ram lambs, from original flock of the breed, founded 1965 & selectively bred ever since, organic, all carriers of one or two Myomax genes, total wool shedders, easy lambing, quick growing, come pick your own. From £300. I Owen Tel 07788 585309 (Isle of Anglesey)

COLLINSON 12T silo, c/w auto open/ shut off from tractor, as new; also 20T EB silo. D Owen Tel 07956 674242 (Carmarthenshire) CALF shed (igloo) c/w mobile attached covered open yard, 25’ x 25’, to feed 14 calves individually, together with rack & self-feed container for concentrates, as new, no longer in milk production. D Owen Tel 07956 674242 (Carmarthenshire)

IFOR Williams TA510G livestock trailer, had very little use, 2017, 12’ double axle, full size cross division, optional lower vent gap kit, excellent condition. £6,000+VAT. P Phoenix Tel 07930 939175 (Lancashire)

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT PELLCROFT Engineering 12m grain drying tunnel, carefully dismantled, galvanised, in good condition, spare & extra parts still available. £3,750+VAT. R Hoyle Tel 07770 661239 (Essex) GALVANISED grain walling panels, 3m x 1m, together with bucket of nuts & bolts, 45 available. £1,250 the lot. G Heys Tel 07860 835416 (Cambridgeshire)

WEIDEMANN Terra Combi overseeder, very clean condition, little use. £4,995+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

MCCONNEL Swing Trim hedge cutter, only 2yrs old, has done little work, mounts onto Kubota small tractor, arms & cutter bar powered by tractor hydraulic system, in excellent condition, owner retiring. £3,650 no VAT. P Williams Tel 07966 273748 (Lincolnshire) UP to 50’ long pine trees, make good pole barns. POA. K Ollett Tel 01359 270047/07753 859882 (Suffolk)

18-FOOT livestock container with sheep decks. £1,750. K Pugh Tel 07977 912970/01694 771258 (Shropshire) COLLINSON 12T silo, c/w auto open/ shut off control from tractor, as new; also 20T EB silo. D Owen Tel 07956 674242 (Carmarthenshire) CALF shed (igloo) c/w mobile attached covered open yard, 25’ x 25’, to feed 14 calves individually, together with rack & self-feed container for concentrates, as new, no longer in milk production. D Owen Tel 07956 674242 (Carmarthenshire)

ASSIFIED FOR ALL YOUR CL ING IS RT VE AD TRADE BENTALL low volume fan, working order. £25. D Carter Tel 07768 935715 (Essex)

ATCO ride-on cylinder mower, petrol, Villiers engine. £100+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

SAM WILSOco.Nuk sam@fruitandvine.

01473 694455

OR

CONTACT...

CTER NICKI PRndO e.co.uk hello@fruita vin 44 01473 69 56

November/December/January 2023/24

F&V Nov/Dec Class pages 55-65.indd 59

LUBING 9 nozzle fog system, 3 phase, 2021,. includes pump, touchscreen control, four stage filter & Mixtron dosing pump, ideal for poultry house, will run more nozzles if required, for sale due to change of farm policy. £3,000+VAT ono. T Whittaker Tel 07984 283777 (Staffordshire)

Trade advertising — Tel: 01473 794440 Email: hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

FIFTY-FOOT 6” belt with 5.5” cups, for a grain elevator, c/w man platform. £90. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

LOGIC Contact 2000 CTF 250 rotary brush weedwipe, very good order. £1,000. R Hodgson Tel 07901 240140/01933 625495 (Northamptonshire)

RS cubical sweeper, good working order, Chepstow area. £2,450+VAT. P Land Tel 07896638584 (Monmouthshire)

MACHINERY SHOTBLASTING gun with 20kg of shotblasting grit. £50. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

www.fruitandvine.co.uk

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MACHINERY (cont) Leading Landini & McCormick dealer in Kent

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JCB bucket. £1,000+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

MATERIALS HANDLERS

JCB Skid Steer 155, very good condition, excellent tyres, no attachments, 2020hrs, 2017.

D Lloyd Tel 07756 149132 (Carmarthenshire)

Kent’s #1 online agri store

Trade advertising — Tel: 01473 794440 Email: hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

• Hand Tools • • Irrigation parts • • Rotary & flail mower • Sprayer parts • & more…

Scan the QR code to visit our store & open an online account today!

OQTFZNPVS DP VL

Can’t find what you are looking for?

Call us on

01233 226284

JCB TM320S, 2017, 7230hrs, boom suspension & JCB quick fit headstock (recently bushed & pinned), tyres 70%, serviced regularly. £41,500+VAT. M Poole Tel 07969 788452 (Gloucestershire) JCB 525-58 telehandler, 1994, super condition throughout, 7450hrs (will rise slightly), 2.5T lift, 5.8m reach, superb telehandler, only selling due to upgrade, been on farm from new & never had any issues, call for more info. £11,000+VAT ono. H Needham Tel 07713 461729 (Lincolnshire)

JCB 2CX Air Master, 2100hrs, 2 pipe, air compressor, 4 in 1 bucket, all good. £12,000+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

or visit us in-store Unit 2, Owens Court Farm, Selling, Faversham Kent, ME13 9QN

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2020 JCB 542-70 Agri Pro Black Ltd Ed, regd 03.07.20, 3300hrs, rest of 5yr JCB Premier Cover Warranty (transferable), Oko puncture free tyres, meticulously maintained, serviced by Tuckwell, owned from new, top condition, video available. £68,000+VAT. J Hill Tel 07917 002196 (Essex)

CONCRETE mixer, Lister diesel single cylinder crank start 5/3.5, always fires up, uses very little fuel, gwo, clean drum, used for a self build, no longer needed, can assist with loading. £500 no VAT. D Dunnett Tel 07753 842101 (Norfolk)

JCB 531-70 Loadall, 8000hrs, 2014, runs well, looks rough. £19,000.

K Pugh Tel 07977 912970/01694 771258 (Shropshire)

Ausa C250H RTFLT

Only 3,050hrs, free lift Triplex mast, 2013, sideshift, ideal for rough yard, nursery, fruit or landscape PLUS

£17,850

JCB 2CX Air Master, 2100hrs, 2 pipe air compressor, 4 in 1 bucket, all good. £12,000+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

MISCELLANEOUS

TWO electric motors – one 10hp, one 15hp. £75 each. E Vicary Tel 07920 832879 (Suffolk)

GALEBREAKER Rollerscreen 7’ wide x 4’ drop, never been used, still packaged, price from new. £560 each or £1,000 for 2.

Selling for £850 for 2. Will sell separately, price negotiable. £850.

J Pearson Tel 01283 732275 (Derbyshire)

MANITOU 735 MLT LSU Turbo teleporter, 11 plate, 6500hrs, all good, air con, boom suspension. £29,995+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

VAT

OQTFZNPVS DP VL

NORTON Clipper masonry saw bench, 110 volt, folding legs, recent new blade which cost around £100, sliding bed, pumped water, used on a self build, good condition, no longer needed. £500. D Dunnett Tel 07753 842101 (Norfolk) LAWRENCE Edwards PTO driven cement mixer, old but had very little use & in very good working order. £650 ono. E Gillett Tel 07710 137619 (Suffolk)

RED Rhino 5000 crusher, 500mm x 250mm jaw action, perfect working order, selling due to upgrade, 11357hrs, March 2012, good condition. £18,995+VAT ono. T James Tel 07477 797456 (West Midlands)

60

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OQTFZNPVS DP VL

JCB 520-40 Compact Telescopic Handler 4wd, 4wstr, 2T capacity, lift height 4m, quick hitch, forks carrier, 3rd line, narrow & low for working in confined spaces PLUS

£22,950

VAT

STS1250 heavy duty tipping skips, 2T, 1250L, 2021, very good straight condition, cost £700 & been used for 6 months, very clean & tidy, 3 available, located Worksop. £335 ono. P Mott Tel 07813 683410 (Nottinghamshire)

STEEL tow rope, very heavy duty, length 5m, diameter 25mm. £120 ono. E Gillett Tel 07710 137619 (Suffolk)

Champion Machinery Sales Ltd

07811 200752 • 01244 880082

MANITOU MT728, 1996, good old bomb proof machine, all in good working order, 7m reach. £12,500. L Rich Tel 07774 112211 (Gloucestershire)

JCB 456 loading shovel, 2008, 13,500hrs, bought new by ourselves, new wear edge, 80% tyres, 5cu/m toe tip bucket, high lift arms, Wastemaster spec, comfy cab, additional cooling & guarding, can be seen running, good condition. £2,2500+VAT ono. W Mackintosh Tel 07984 632632 (South Yorks)

PAPER sacks, brand new, 75cm x 55cm, block bottom, 3 ply kraft paper with moisture resistant poly membrane, easily hold 25kgs of feed, potatoes, etc, or ideal for despatch of fruit bushes, plants, shrubs, 2000/pallet.10p each. Can deliver at cost. K Jordan Tel 07880 551111 (Suffolk)

November/December/January 2023/24

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t: 01823 253808 m: 07702 501272 e: richard@parristractors.com Parris Tractors Ltd • Cutliffe Farm • Sherford • Taunton • Somerset • TA1 3RQ

JOHN DEERE 5085 M 3/2017, 2,099hrs, Power shuttle, Hi-Lo, 40K, 3 spools, electric linkage, air con, high level driving lights, Quicke Q3S self levelling loader multi docking, Euro/Trima carriage with hyd locking, 16.9/34 tyres

JOHN DEERE 6155M 10/2022, 296hrs, Auto Quad, 40K, cab+f/susp, 3 spools, f/linkage, twin beacons, Green Star ready, 650/65/38 tyres

JOHN DEERE 5100R 7/2020, 440hrs, Command Quad, 40K, f/linkage, 3 spools, high level driving lights, 16.9/34+13.6/24 tyres

JOHN DEERE 6R185 5/2023, 805hrs, Auto Power, 50K, Command Pro, cab+f/susp, FL+PTO, 4 rear+1 f/spools, power beyond, climate control, air brakes, heated electric mirrors, hyd top link, LED work lights, Auto Track Ready, 650/65/42 Trelleborg tyres, as new

JOHN DEERE 6R 250 4/2023, 871hrs, Auto Power, 50K, Command Pro, cab+f/susp, FL+PTO, 5 rear+1 f/ spools, power beyond, climate control, air brakes, heated electric mirrors,hyd top link, twin beacons, LED work lights, Auto Track Ready, chrome exhaust, 710/70/42 Trelleborg tyres

JOHN DEERE 6130M 3/2023, only 83hrs, Auto Quad, 40K, cab+f/susp, f/linkage, 3 spools, power beyond, twin beacons, 520/70/38 tyres

JOHN DEERE 6215R ULTIMATE 9/2021, 2,088hrs, Auto Power, 50K, cab+f/ susp, Command Pro, FL+PTO, 4 rear+2 f/ spools, climate control, air brakes, hyd top link, LED work lights, Auto Track Ready with Activation, Section control, 710/70/42 Michelin tyres

JOHN DEERE 6130R 7/2018, 4,015hrs, Auto Quad, 50K, cab+f/susp, 3 spools, air brakes, high level driving lights, Quick Q6S loader with Euro/Quicke carriage, 18.4/38 tyres

FENDT 312 PROFI 9/2019, only 511hrs, Vario, 40K, cab+f/susp, 4 spools, air brakes, twin beacons, f/ weights, 540/65/38+420/70/24 Trelleborg tyres, this tractor is as new £72,500

FENDT 828 3/2023, 549hrs, Vario 60K, air cab+f/ susp, EPC FL+PTO, 5 readr DUDK+1 f/spool, 205 LT hyd pump, LED work lights, hyd top link, large electric mirrors, climate control, Evo Seat, air brakes, Auto Guide Ready, 710/70/42 Trelleborg tyre

FENDT 720 PROFI-PLUS GEN6 9/2022, 550hrs, Vario, 50K, air cab+f/susp, EPC FL+PTO, 152 LT hydraulic pump, climate control, Evo Seat, air brakes, exhaust brake, 4 rear DUDK+1 front spool, design line black, hyd top link, LED work lights, 650/65/42 Trelleborg tyres

NEW HOLLAND T7.315 9/2019, 1,857hrs, Auto Command, 50K, cab+f/susp, 5 rear electric spools, power beyond, leather air seat, air brakes, twin beacons, electric mirrors, f/linkage, Accuguide ready, 710/70/42 Trelleborg tyres

FORD 5610 1984, 5,384hrs, 2wd, Dual Power, 30K, 2 spools, power steering, assister ram, 16.9/34+750/18 tyres

CASE PUMA 220 5/2020, 2,979hrs, Powershift, 50K, cab+f/ susp, 4 rear+1 f/ spool, FL+PTO, air brakes, Exhaust brake, LED lights, Accuguide ready, 650/65/42 Michelin tyres £68,000

VALTRA T174 ACTIVE 2019, 1,327hrs, Hi-Tec Eco, 57K, cab+f/susp, 3 spools, f/ weights, air brakes, twin beacons, metallic grey, 580/70/38 tyres

DEUTZ M610 5/2012, 4,166hrs, Powershift 50K, creep speed, cab+f/susp, f/linkage, 4 spools, power beyond, Quicke loader brackets and valve, 600/65/38 Trelleborg tyres

DAVID BROWN 1594 1985, 3,661hrs, Hydrashift, 30K, 2 spools, Trima 460 Professional loader, soft drive, Euro/Trima carriage with hyd locking, 18.4/38 tyres

MASSEY FERGUSON 7719S EFFICIENT 2/2021, 1,650hrs, Vario, 50K, cab+f/susp, 4 spools, air brakes, power beyond, twin beacons, high level driving lights, 650/65/42 tyres £75,000

MASSEY FERGUSON 5455 9/2005, 4,605hrs, Speedshift, 40K, 2 spools, air con, air seat, 16.9/34 Goodyear tyres.

JCB 419S 5/2022, 675hrs, Powershift, 48K, Torque Lock, Contractor Pro Pack, LED work lights, climate control, heated and ventilated half leather air seat, reversing camera, Smooth ride, auto reverse cooling fan, Q-Fit carriage with hyd locking and third service, twin beacons, 750/65/26 Michelin tyres

JCB 4220 ICON 2023, Vario, 60K, f/+rear susp, front 4 rear+2 f/spools, f/linkage, Field Pro Pack, power beyond, ISOBUS, hyd top link, electric mirrors, twin beacons, half leather air seat, air brakes, climate control, auto steer ready, road performance pack, 600/70/30 tyres

MCHALE V640 VARIABLE BELT BALER 2016 build sold new in 2017, 2,914 bales, 2.1m pick up with roller press 0.8 - 1.6m bale diameter, bale ramp, hyd drop floor, Electric controls, road lights, 500/50/22.5 tyres

TAKEUCHI TB290-2 2022, 285hrs, blade, twin services, air con, air seat, 2 speed tracking, Geith hyd quick hitch with 3 buckets, LED work lights, steel tracks

BAILEY 15T TB TRAILER 5/2022, silage sides, grain chute, hyd door, mudguards, front and rear mud flaps, beacon, reversing lights, high level rear lights, LED lights, commercial axles, sprung drawbar, arch front window, heavy duty springs, hyd brakes, Hi-Vis strips, 560/60/22.5 tyres £22,500

BAILEY 16T TB TRAILER 5/2022, silage sides, grain chute, hyd door, mudguards, f and rear mud flaps, beacon, reversing lights, high level rear lights, LED lights, commercial axles, sprung drawbar, arch f window, heavy duty springs, hyd brakes, Hi-Vis strips, 560/60/22.5 tyres, AS NEW

TOYOTA HI-LUX EXTRA CAB 146.500 miles, manual, tow bar, air con, electric windows, load liner £6,500+VAT

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 HARD TOP, 3/2023, 6,600 miles, 250D, 8 speed Auto, black roof rails, side steps, tow bar, black pack, climate control, front fog lights, high beam assist, metallic black, mudflats, 22” gloss black alloy wheels

Trade advertising — Tel: 01473 794440 Email: hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

JOHN DEERE 6155R 9/2018, 2,426hrs, Auto Quad, 50K, cab+f/susp, 3 spools, air brakes, high level driving lights, 20.8/42 Michelin tyres

www.parristractors.com November/December/January 2023/24

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Trade advertising — Tel: 01473 794440 Email: hello@fruitandvine.co.uk

MISCELLANEOUS (cont)

SINGLE phase aeration fans (3), two Woods of Colchester from a potato store, old but hardly ever used, the other has never been used & still in its original packaging. Please ask for more details. E Gillett Tel 07710 137619 (Suffolk)

JOHNSONS semi mounted potato digger/lifter, single row, good working condition. £950.

J Brocksopp Tel 07831309922 (Nottinghamshire) THREE crop conveyors – two 20’ long x 18” wide, 3 phase, on adjustable wheels, £300+VAT ono each; plus one 9’ long x 3’ wide, 3 phase, on adjustable wheels, stand approx 4’ high. £275, all in good working condition. W Butcher Tel 07979 805863 (Cambridgeshire)

PRECISION FARMING

TOPCON X30 screen & AGI 4 receiver, used, fair condition. £3,000+VAT ono. T Galloway Tel 07964 669493 (Essex)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

HAWKER high capacity automatic battery charger for electric forklift, etc, as new, never used, still boxed, 48v 90amp 3 phase. Open to offers. A Lee Tel 07836 773893 (Suffolk)

PLOUGHS

SEED potato trays, around 8000, in very good condition, all stacked on fertiliser pallets, all dry stored.

50p+VAT ono each. R Clarke Tel 07811 956789 (Essex)

9.6KWP Solar PV system with 3 phase inverters & frame, dismantled already, 2012 installed, for sale as leaving farm.

N Richards Tel 07802 721305 (Buckinghamshire)

POTATO EQUIPMENT 25KG paper potato sacks, mostly 3 ply, approx 5000 available, new & unused but printed. £50 the lot. K Cook Tel 01953 681201 (Norfolk)

GRIMME GT170 potato harvester, 2019, excellent condition, always dry stored over winter, we’ve stopped growing spuds, hence the sale of kit. R Clarke Tel 07811 956789 (Essex)

TOYOTA Hilux rear bumper, came off a 2017 Active model, has a few scratches so not good enough for a retail pickup, but would make a cheap repair to a farm truck, can send more pictures if required. £60. B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire)

SPRAYERS

IH tractor parts -- PTO covers £5, water pump £25, gaskets £10, exhaust stack £15, turbo kit parts fits IH £15, unopened oil filters fits MX & axial flow combines & Magnums £10 each, Claas baler chamber crimp, £10. P Beales Tel 07584 189359/01284 828360 (Suffolk) JD6520 SE filters (Donaldson) new engine oil P550779 (2); hydraulic P764668 & P568836. £40 ono.

J Horsington Tel 01300 341250 (Dorset)

SPARE PARTS

LEMKEN Europal 7 4-furrow plough with slatted mouldboards, c/w depth wheel, in excellent working condition. £3,250+VAT. F Webb Tel 01379 676289 (Norfolk)

MCCONNEL/BOMFORD etc, back to back flail or topper blades (43), Part no (PA 00432), less than half new price, retirement sale. £100. P Beales Tel 07584 189359/01284 828360 (Suffolk)

REAR bumper came off a 2016 Isuzu Dmax a few scratches but intact, not good enough for a showroom vehicle but would make a cheap repair for a working farm truck, can send more pictures if required. £50.

B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire)

ur For all yoIED CLASSIF TRADE ISING ADVEaRcTt... cont

ILSvOineN.co.uk SAoM@frW uitand hell 4440 01473 79 or OCTER NICo@KfrIuPitaRndvine.co.uk hell 4440 01473 79

LELY 800 LT spray tank, converted to fit front NH6640 to carry extra water for spraying. Offers. D Carter Tel 07768 935715 (Essex)

SPREADERS HORSTINE Farmery TMA4, 12m wide, manual fold, land driven, different sprockets for different rates, last used on Avadex & works out spot on, good tidy condition. £2,450+VAT. H Hutsby Tel 07917 130213 (Warwickshire) KRM Trend fert spreader, excellent working order, farmer owned from new. £975. P Brewer Tel 07540 567063 (Essex)

STRAW & HAY BARLEY straw, 170 bales for sale, from 2022 harvest, please contact for more information. £25/ bale. J Good Tel 07766 550733 (Lincolnshire) STRAW wheat, 120 x 120-90 bales, all dry in, new 2023. £26 ono. J Robinson Tel 07725 810258 (Leicestershire)

Equipment - Livestock - Feed - Fertiliser - Seed - Cash Flow Diversification - Property - Building - Debt Consolidation • Finance from £10k to £5m • Excellent rates • 3 Month to 20 year terms • Tax Efficient • Simple, quick phone application 62

• Decision within 24 hours • Bad credit history, large debts – No problem!

• High street banks unsupportive • Tenant farmers welcome

We bring the personal touch back into farm finance Please ring George Bridgman on 07522 731193 or email george.bridgman@abfltd.co.uk or apply on line at www.abfltd.co.uk

November/December/January 2023/24

F&V Nov/Dec Class pages 55-65.indd 62

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TANKS & BOWSERS

TRACTORS VALTRA N122 Versu, 2010, 8000hrs, Valtra 65 loader, front, cab & loader suspension, MX front linkage, electric service valves, creeper box, 540/1000 PTO, 50k, air brakes, good condition. £33,000+VAT. C Newland Tel 07946 609815 (North Yorkshire)

AGRICULTURAL WATER TANKS • 2,000–25,000 Litre Capacities • Potable & Non Potable Options • High Quality Tank-Grade MDPE • Frost Proof • 10 Year Warranty Against Manufacturing Defects

ES – PRICQU LENTR YO OTE EXCELDA UR Y FO either as single kits or a package to include the tank

info@shrewdindustrial.com

01743 612028

EDLINGTON 6m Cambridge rolls, hydraulic folding, lower linkage mounted, 22” rings, good condition. £2,000+VAT. N Simpson Tel 07957 202645 (Suffolk)

EU MODEL 223 STAGE V

(22 HP CATEGORY)

EU MODEL 263 STAGE V

(26 HP CATEGORY)

NEW Holland T6070 Elite, 2011, has power boost 145hp boosting to 175hp, 5500 genuine hrs, cab suspension, f/ axle suspension, 4 spool valves, Electro Command transmission, UK delivery & formalities can be arranged. £36,750 Stg. £38,000+VAT. B Hogan Tel 0035 3862 679946 (Republic of Ireland)

2010 John Deere 5090M c/w 533 front end loader & 4 in 1 bucket, 3550hrs, 30% left on tyres, ex council & has had very light use since we purchased it – mostly pulling a cattle trailer to auction & back. £27,500+VAT. P Phoenix Tel 07930 939175 (Lancashire)

TRAILERS

Ideal for use in limited spaces, like Orchards & Vineyards!

Call Francis Holohan

07496 734212

BUNDED diesel bowser, 2000L, electric pump, mobile. £995+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

RAU 7.5m harrow, levelling board, 4 rows of spring tines & double crumbler roller, mounted. £2,500+VAT ono. S Casswell Tel 07834 372729 (Lincolnshire)

SMITHS of the Forest of Dean Ltd Tank & Drum Experts

We stock plenty of IBC tanks & fittings Collect from stock or nationwide delivery available

2017 Massey Ferguson 7718 Exclusive, 5343hrs, guidance ready, Isobus, climate control, f/ linkage, 50kph Dyna 6, 4 electric spools, cab & axle suspension, 5343hrs, exceptional, excellent condition, f/PTO not included & removed by dealer. £48,000+VAT. C Baxter Tel 07742 078144 (Cambridgeshire)

WEIGHT block, 3pt linkage, ideal for a loader tractor. £60. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

TWOSE rolls, 7.3m, little used, very good, 22” rings, c/w breaker rings. £5,750. L Rich Tel 07774 112211 (Gloucestershire)

BALE trailer, 23’ long approx, twin wheels, sprung drawbar, rear lights, rear hydraulic brakes, parking brake, tyres good, deck requires attention, selling as purchased a bigger trailer. £2,650+VAT. B Burton Tel 07775 877136 (Nottinghamshire)

45-FOOT taughtliner trailer. £2,995. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

Visit www.smdd.co.uk or call 01594 833308

TILLAGE TACKLE

LEMKEN furrow press arm, with hydraulic ram for a 5e furrow reversible plough. £130. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

JOHN Deere 6420S, 2005 model, showing 12,500hrs, in good mechanical condition, with a 50k Powerquad gearbox, air conditioning, air brakes, TLS, recent new tyres at least 90%, good cab interior, paintwork has age related marks. £29,950+VAT. I Woodward Tel 07960 866025/01455 221112 (Warwickshire)

REAR PTO shaft for Unimog U1600, new & unused, in excellent condition, was removed from Unimog when bought new from dealer, owner retiring. £1,500.

P Williams Tel 07966 273748 (Lincolnshire)

MASSEY Ferguson 6170 Dynashift P45 VAD, 1996, 4700hrs, excellent condition for year, tyres 80%, very genuine tractor. £14,750. C Lane Tel 07824 358924 (Oxfordshire)

FORD 7840 4wd (1992, K reg) with Faucheux F200 front end loader, nearly 10000hrs, only 2 owners, standard gearbox, make an ideal yard feeding tractor, loader done very little work, pins all tight. £11,999+VAT ono. C White Tel 07710 830108 (Rutland)

KUBOTA L2501 compact tractor, 2020, 675hrs, excellent condition, air conditioning, DAB radio, turf tyres, Cat 1 link arms, 2 spools, front loader connections fitted, front weights. £19,950.

R Baker Tel 07973 505770 (Cambridgeshire)

FAST tow trailer used behind Unimog, used for transporting IBC, etc, with lockable chemical compartment, strong construction for army use with sprung axles, will carry 3.5T load, in v good condition, owner retiring. £500. P Williams Tel 07966 273748 (Lincolnshire)

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CALL TO AGRICULTURAL RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS ALSO AVAILABLE

WE ARE NOW STOCKISTS OF

HOWARD Rotovator, 6’, in working order. £650 ono. N Atkins Tel 07956 167510 (Leicestershire)

SUMO Trio 2.5, 5 leg, double removable discs, rear packer roller, good condition. £9,500.

L Rich Tel 07774 112211 (Gloucestershire)

HE-VA King Rolls, 12.3m, very good condition, genuine reason for sale, please call for further information. £15,500+VAT ono.

J Binning Tel 07765 064694 (Oxfordshire)

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INSULATED refrigerated lorry trailer, 44’, we last used the fridge unit about 2yrs ago & it worked fine but we couldn’t vouch for its reliability now, would be great for storage. £1,200+VAT ono. M Naylor Tel 07970 576362 (Lincolnshire)

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TRAILERS (cont)

BLUELINE TowaVan trailer, approx 10’ x 5’, 2005 but in very good condition, tailgate/ramp with locking handles, all keys, twin axle. £2,950 ono. D Plummer Tel 07710 033363 (Cambridgeshire)

2018 Bailey 18T trailer, used but tidy, one of three for sale, overhauled yearly before maize season, silage sides & 560 tyres. £18,500+VAT ono. W Mackintosh Tel 07984 632632 (South Yorkshire)

SET of rowcrop wheels, rear 13.6R48, front 11.2-R36 Alliance, John Deere colour rims, 8 stud, to fit JD 6920 or similar, 70% tread. £1,100+VAT ono. R Gemmill Tel 07802 858376 (Essex)

UNIMOG wheel embellishers, unused, brand new, set of four to fit 8 stud U1600, etc, retirement sale. £100. P Williams Tel 07966 273748 (Lincolnshire)

T&F 8.5t wooden trailer with raised sides, grain chute, hydraulic brakes, additional slanted backboard (dumper style) for beet haulage, good condition. £2,000+VAT ono. A Howell Tel 07528729118 (Cambridgeshire)

FOUR flotation wheels, strong duty “Specialised Wheel Services Ltd” & 650R75-30 Michelin Axiobib tyres 40% good, no cuts or repairs, owner retiring. £4,000.

P Williams Tel 07966 273748 (Lincolnshire) PROCLAIN wheel motor, 2013, fully rebuilt, to fit front left axle of Variant 220 Grimme, years 2011-2016, excellent condition. £3,500+VAT. D Reay Tel 07775647518 (Warwickshire)

EIGHT corner posts (2 sets) for a 5/6t Weeks trailer. £80 total. R Sinkler Tel 01377 270251 (East Yorkshire)

BAILEY 2010 flat trailer, 25’ length, sprung drawbar, for straw carting or potato boxes – takes 8 boxes, excellent condition. £5,250+VAT ono. R Clarke Tel 07811 956789 (Essex) 3’10”X6’ trailer, new tyres, new light board, excellent condition. £300. R Anderson Tel 07887 484733 (Norfolk)

VEHICLES

NOKIAN floatation 700-45-22.5 8 stud tyre, 2011, tread 80%, ideal for Grimme GT 170S harvester up to year 2013, excellent condition. £1,200+VAT. D Reay Tel 07775 647518 (Warwickshire)

AS Marston tipper trailer, high tip. £2,000+VAT. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

TYRES & WHEELS

NARROW wheels for Fendt 516 (or similar), front 320/85-R34, rear 320/90-R50, BKT, around 50% worn. £2,500 ono. M Naylor Tel 07970 576362 (Lincolnshire)

TRAILER for hay, etc, 8’ wide x 11’ feet long, but can be extended, two new tyres & all extension pieces to take length to 16’, very good condition, with recently refurbished body. £2,100. M Rodgers Tel 07739 514666 (South Yorkshire)

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MICHELIN CEREXBIB 800/70R32 (2) & two Mitas 500/70R24, came off a demo New Holland CX combine, excellent condition. £5,000+VAT ono. T Allsop Tel 07824 707916 (Derbyshire)

TOYOTA Hilux rear bumper off new 2.4L model, has a few scratches & imperfections, but would make a cheap repair to a working pickup.

Can send pictures if required. £60.

B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire)

ISUZU Dmax rear bumper off a 2016 model, missing piece of plastic trim on nearside as in photo otherwise in good order, not good enough for a showroom vehicle but would make a cheap repair on a working truck. Can send more photos if required. £60.

B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire)

2013 Isuzu Dmax Eiger double cab, only 24000 miles, one owner, well serviced & lightly used, load liner, recent MOT. POA. B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire) ROWCROP wheels, 9-5×44, have been on 40 Series JD, plenty of tread on them. £195+VAT ono. G Lawson Tel 07751 273382 (East Yorkshire)

GENUINE Unimog wheel nuts, 27mm across flats 20mm studs, 8 flat base with spring washers for fixing wheel embellishers, 10 standard bevel wheel nuts & 4 new wheel bolts, all suitable for U1600, etc, retirement sale.

Nuts £2.50 each, bolts £8.00.

P Williams Tel 07966 273748 (Lincolnshire)

NOKIAN Industrial spec tyres 440/80-R24, replaces 16.9-R24, very heavy duty tyres, ideal for road work, as new, only done 100hrs on tractor before it was sold with original ag tyres. Offers invited. B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire)

11.50X16 front tractor tyre. £50. P Beales Tel 07584 189359/01284 828360 (Suffolk)

SCANIA 420 28’ flat body, 905,000km, tested, goes well. £9,900 ono. K Pugh Tel 07977 912970/01694 771258 (Shropshire)

MITSUBISHI L200 Warrior, 2012, manual, 128,000mls, MOT August 2024, good condition farm manager’s car for 10yrs, well maintained & cared for, selling due to new truck. A Izzard Tel 07833 053026 (Cambridgeshire)

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VINTAGE & CLASSIC

1950 Nuffield M4, petrol/paraffin, road registered, new clutch, etc, c/w original buff log book. £4,500.

D Carter Tel 07768 935715 (Essex)

WANTED

ALLIS Chalmers B Series, 1944, serial/no 65092, belt pulley, tidy. £1,650. S Bygraves Tel 07973 117993 (Bedfordshire)

AUGER bucket to fit JCB. K Pugh Tel 07977 912970/01694 771258 (Shropshire) LIVESTOCK cattle, tested or untested, TB farms welcome; also store lambs, anything considered. Payment on the day. K Pugh Tel 07977 912970/01694 771258 (Shropshire)

IVECO Daily 35-11, 2016, auto dropside truck, ex Tesco, 155,000mls, RWD, good working order, body only 2yrs old, usual marks for working vehicle, MOT May 24, 4 good Michelin tyres, carries 1.5T, useful farm truck. £5,500 ono no VAT. B Gould Tel 01638 663310/07894 470640 (Suffolk) FREELANDER GS TDi, tested to 26 May 2024, 145134mls, well maintained by local Land Rover mechanic, good tyres, invoices for parts, good tyres, suitable for road or shooting. M D Langley & Sons Tel 07866 276500 (Nottinghamshire)

HYDRAULIC lifting ram for Leyland 272 tractor, Type 912HD, serial No 43367, present one leaks fluid. M Chapman Tel 01673 843663/07971 940087 (Lincolnshire) KUBOTA 60–75hp tractor with cab, M6040, M7040 or similar model. G Scotton Tel 07771 774499 (Suffolk)

WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT FERGUSON TEF 20 diesel, 1956, in good working order. £4,500+VAT. J Hurd Tel 01985 840260/01985 840039 (Wiltshire)

WINGET 10NT/R batch concrete mixer in running order, as in photo.

May be interested in non-runner as a spare, if available. J Hurd Tel 01985 840260/01985 840039 (Wiltshire) JOHN Deere 6150, must be autotrac ready. D Brown Tel 07710 316205 (Cambridgeshire)

TOYOTA Land Cruiser Icon, 2016, 73300mls, in very good condition, just had annual service & new MOT, towbar, dashcam, 7 seats, black leather interior, all in good condition. £25,550. P Wilson Tel 07971 059079 (Suffolk)

NUFFIELD 465 tractor, restored a few years ago, starts & runs well, used for road runs & fun ploughing, good tyres, always barn stored, call for more info. £5,750 no VAT. A Lee Tel 07836 773893/01440 820954 (Suffolk)

OLD Land Rover, Jeep type or pickup truck, twin cab or single cab, scruffy or MOT’d, but must be cheap, cash paid or bank transfer. Please call Jeremy. J Long Tel 07711 079821 (Essex)

BRADBURY 2 post car lift, 2500kg, 3 phase electric, c/w various lifting dollies. £700 ono.

C Bacon Tel 07974 268399 (Derbyshire)

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2015 Toyota Hilux Invincible 3L, 65000mls, top of the range vehicle, immaculate condition, been used as private vehicle, has no sign of mud dust or pet hair inside, never towed, FSH including a cam belt change, 4 new tyres & recent MOT. POA. B Robinson Tel 07740 683113 (Gloucestershire)

MAN 440 26 TGA Taughtliner, 6 wheeler, drawbar spec, auto, long MOT. £8,500+VAT ono. R Hopkinson Tel 07976 424263 (Lincolnshire)

TRACTOR mounted flail hedgecutter required, anything considered, ring with details. R Godber Tel 07506 169625 (Derbyshire) NODET Gougis Pneumasem2 required, in any condition. R Jones Tel 07930 333534 (Shropshire) VINTAGE Clayson 1530 combine, 1980s era or similar, no cab, in good working order, would consider other makes, East of England only please.

R Baker Tel 07801 557640/01953 850238 (Norfolk) JCB 525 or similar telehandler required, in good working condition, for livery yard in Beccles, Suffolk. C Ling Tel 07825 854068 (Suffolk) PARTS for recon Jeantil straw spreader, rear mounted type, contact for details. J Coxon Tel 07748 901482/07876 774404 (South Yorkshire)

www.farmads.co.uk

IVECO lorry, 1995, 18t, running order, no test. £900. K Pugh Tel 07977 912970/01694 771258 (Shropshire)

METTRON WEIGHING

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HIRE • SALES • SERVICE • REPAIRS • CALIBRATIONS • SOFTWARE November/December/January 2023/24

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being ‘dumped’ on the market with the risk of downgrading the category.

As for winery space, that is definitely a potential stumbling block. Particularly for the smaller vineyards – making small volumes of wine is difficult and very high maintenance; I think we will see a move away from contract wineries taking on numerous small clients as they try to streamline production, leaving the smaller vineyards with nowhere to go.

And if we get another 2018-sized harvest (as 2023 could well be, judging by the size of the crop out there right now) from the vineyards planted in the last five years there will be a lot of people struggling to find a home for their grapes. It may suppress the grape price inflation we’ve seen in recent years. The cost of production for sparkling wine is very high, with no return for years; some people will not survive a bumper harvest based on this.

What you

need to know about the future

of English and Welsh wine

Emma Rice, one of the most respected UK winemakers, set up her own winemaking consultancy company earlier this year. Deputy editor Sarah Kidby caught up with Emma for some industry insights...

Q. What are the most common problems your clients face?

A: I think underestimating the time, patience and financial investment required is the most common problem, along with some naiveté around how easy it will be to sell their final product. The market is becoming increasingly crowded.

Q. What are some of the biggest challenges facing English and Welsh wine and how might these be overcome?

A: Climate change is a huge threat to wine production the world over and, although we may be seeing some advantage with the increase in temperature now, it will come round to bite us if we aren’t prepared to adapt.

Volatility in the weather, not just general warming, has already hit many vineyards with later spring frosts and wetter, milder summers. Drought in some areas such as Essex is something we didn’t think we’d have to cope with here in the UK, but it hit young vineyards in 2020 and 2022 quite hard.

Irrigation may become necessary in some regions on some soils. Adapting winemaking styles and techniques is going to be crucial.

Q. Can climate change also present an opportunity for the UK, and should we be branching out into other varieties?

66

66 In the know.indd 66

A: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, being the most widely planted varieties here, can produce different wine styles across a fairly wide range of temperatures. With vineyards and vines being such long-term projects, it is not easy to change variety, but it is perfectly possible to change the style of wine made from those varieties. I think we will see more still wines made from these varieties in the years it is too warm for sparkling.

Q. As the industry rapidly expands, could the market become over-saturated? And could there be a shortfall of wineries to cope with demand?

A: Market saturation is a threat that has been talked about for years but shows no sign of happening just yet. I think the biggest threat is the price of our wines being forced down as large volumes potentially flood the market. But there is a price floor that is dictated by the cost of production, so those brands that go low will not survive long. Hopefully quality will win out with the consumer in the long run. There are markets for English wines both still and sparkling but accessing those markets is not straightforward and the brands that don’t have an effective sales strategy will find it increasingly tough to access them – this may lead to significant volumes

Q. Do you see a future for piwi wines?

And will consumers accept them as they are unfamiliar?

A: There has to be a move towards these as we face resistance to pesticides (human and plant) and an ever-shrinking number of chemicals that can be employed in the fight against mildews and rot.

The answer is not to put the variety on the label. Focus on brand. Champagne doesn’t label wine with the varieties, most rosé, still or sparkling, does not have variety on the label. Concentrate on your own brand rather than the varietal brand.

Q. What three key pieces of advice would you give to someone thinking of setting up their own winery?

A: Water, power, drainage/sewage. Get these three things right and everything else can be adapted as you go. It is very difficult to retrospectively upgrade these three key elements.

Also, space – do not underestimate how much space you will need for the winery and storage.

Q. What do you hope or expect to see in the next 5–10 years of English and Welsh wine?

A: I hope it continues to grow and expand, quality to increase and more UK consumers buying English wine as a default rather than Champagne, prosecco or Pinot Grigio!

ABOUTOUREXPERT

Emma Rice offers advice on winery design, equipment sourcing, sensory evaluation and troubleshooting, wine style strategy and general winemaking consultancy.

She was director and head winemaker at Hattingley Valley for 14 years while it grew to be one of the UK’s largest wineries. At the same time, she ran her wine analysis laboratory, Custom Crush UK Ltd. Emma has won multiple awards for her own wines and those of her clients. One of the first graduates of Plumpton College, she is also the immediate past chair of WineGB’s Winemaking Working Group.

November/December/January 2023/24

16/10/2023 12:46

OPEN Kent’s only rural and land-based college

Saturday 4th November 10:00 am – 1:00 pm PRE-REGISTER NOW AT: HADLOW.AC.UK/EVENTS

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