The farm is part of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme, so there is a wide variety of wildlife on the farm. We have seven different varieties of apples, including Bramley cooking apple and a small number of plum and cherry trees.
We knew little about fruit growing when we bought the farm in early 2003, so we have been on a very steep learning curve! It is quite a challenge and of course every year is different – last year we had an infestation of a small moth call Ermine moth, whose caterpillars munched through some of the orchards. There is very little even a conventional grower can do as the caterpillars create a web nest which they rapidly retreat to if they sense the slightest movement of air. We start picking in mid August – Discovery, the first, slightly pink fleshed, fragrant apple and picking then continues until early October. Our apples are placed into large wooden bins in the cold store and are graded, packed and weighed through the autumn, and often into the new year. In a good year, about three tons are collected by haulier every week.
The farm is licenced by the Soil Association and we supply most of our apples to a local wholesaler, Boxfresh, who has a successful organic fruit and vegetable box delivery business. Some of our apples are also sent to the best known organic box schemes in the south of England.
Our juice is available from local farm shops, farmer's markets and direct from us, as well as:
www.realdrinksofhereforshire.co.uk
