Dear stakeholders,
Oh, this isn’t
for me you are thinking, they must have copied the wrong thing into their
blog. Well, if you are one of “Our
Mates”, then as we see it you have a stake in the farm, so you are our stakeholders.
I haven’t done
one of these for a couple of years so please be patient…tongue is firmly in cheek…. OK
here we go.
Since starting
Our Mates’ Farm in November we have experienced a number of challenges as well
as identified a number of potential sources of revenue (and fun) for future
years. The challenges that we have faced
have stemmed largely from due diligence questions that were never fully
answered in the acquisition process. The
main challenge, and quite frankly, disappointment, of the year to date is that
Our Mates’ Farm will not be experiencing a bumper apple crop this year. As stakeholders I am sure you will be well
aware that weather conditions have combined to produce a stellar environment
for apple growing, and be expecting great results and lots of work this picking season from
us. Unfortunately the neglected
condition of the trees has led them to a biennial production state, and as a
result we will miss out on the potential gains that this year’s weather
conditions could have provided. This
biennial situation means that with careful orchard management and husbandry
next year’s crop has the potential to be phenomenal, as we attempt to return
the trees to annual production. Whether
weather conditions and prices will align to yield a profit for the coming
year’s expected cropping remains to be seen.
The other
challenges that we are facing, and are dealing with on your behalf, are related
to infrastructure. Our repairs to the
irrigation pump and system are yielding benefits, and water continues to be
supplied to the trees we plan to pick this year and keep for next year. We have recently installed a large 24,000
litre reservoir tank at the top of the property and will soon connect it to our
water infrastructure, allowing us to use the existing pipework to gravity feed
water to every corner of the property with the turn of a tap.
The fencing of
the property remains a challenge, with fences on all four sides of the property
proving porous to wildlife, and occasionally Princess. We know that adding quality fencing will
improve the value of our farm, and we have therefore arranged for new fences to
be installed in April. Clearing the
existing, overgrown fence lines is a challenging and time-consuming task, and
the installation of new fences will be expensive, however we believe you will
see the benefits of the investment when you come for a stakeholder site-visit.
The challenge
posed by the sheep situation will soon be resolved, with the surplus assets
disposed of and profits reinvested into ongoing activities. All members of the Wiltshire division will be
retained, with the exception of one member who is “looking tasty”. The decision on whether or not to send kaBob
to “Disneyland” is still under discussion and stakeholder opinions on this will
be sought closer to the time.
In relation to
the potential future revenue streams, we have been in close consultation with
our apple customer in relation to identifying which varieties of both eating
and cider apple would most align with their future ambitions. The current plan is to graft up to 3 blocks
of trees to desirable eating varieties this winter, and graft a number of trees
in the blocks with larger rootstock to cider varieties. A testing program on the success or otherwise
of the cider grafts will determine the rollout of these varieties over the
balance of the large rootstock trees over the coming years. In the meantime efforts will be made to
return the trees not being removed to annual production. A holistic, organic program of pest
management is currently being developed.
We have
identified a number of potential uses for the trees we are removing, including
high-value woodchips, however as commercially-sensitive negotiations are
currently underway in this segment we cannot provide further specifics without
compromising our first mover competitive advantage.
The livestock
business is still in a fledgling stage, with our first lowline Black Angus
calves expected in March, and our first litter of piglets expected the same
month. Once trees are removed work will
have to be undertaken to level paddocks from their current undulating form
which is suited for apple trees. Until
hay production is required this is not a pressing concern. We have an inventory of 80 bales of hay
purchased for spring as an insurance policy against our grass. This policy had a very low purchase cost.
There are also a
number of potential side-businesses that require investigation, including, but
not limited to:
- Egg production (we are waiting
on the response of the bureaucrats in relation to the stamping question)
- Market gardening
- Accommodation
- Aquaculture (provided we can
figure out how to stop cormorants eating the trout)
Finally, to
staffing issues. We have added two
WWOOFers who are proving very useful in helping us tackle our challenges. They are staying in the guest bedroom and
Coreen is doing her best to “feed them up”.
Coreen will be leaving the farm on maternity leave in June, however we
look forward to bringing our little one into the fold and getting them working
for you all just as soon as we can.
Thank you all
for your continued interest in Our Mates’ Farm, and with your ongoing support
and assistance we can deal with the challenges we face and make our stewardship
a shining example for others to follow.
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| The trench to connect our water tank to the orchard irrigation |
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| Matt, Scott and Hannah (the WWOOFers) work on getting crushed rock out for the tank base |
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| Tank is in place! |
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| Blackberries are coming on! |
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| New life on the farm |
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| Some time for fishing (but no fish!) |
