Looking back on 2017, there were many contrasting moments; 'personal' and 'professional' and in the world in general.
In late February The English Apple Man joined The Under 40's Conference on their first visit to the Southern Hemisphere; 55 delegates left Heathrow for Cape Town on Sunday 26th February 2017............
Click on: CAPE TOWN to read about the Under 40's in South Africa
Below: The Under 40's delegates at Boschendal
Below: The English Apple Man & Family celebrating his 75th Birthday at The George Inn in Robertsbridge
On a personal basis, my 75th Birthday in March was a definite high and as we entered the summer months, my wife was regaining her mobility after a knee replacement in November 2016 - things were looking up until my mother fell and broke a hip in August; quickly followed by my wife falling and breaking a bone in her arm...........
On the 'upside' we managed to have a two week break in Malta in early October - a chance to re-charge our batteries, before returning to organise mother's long term care....
Below: Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar Malta always a perfect place for Sunday lunch
A very early season!
To appreciate the earliness of the season: click on 14th April EAM JOURNAL
The 2017 season is well ahead of last year; it has been colder this week and there have been some frosts around, low enough to cause anxiety; fruit growers will be X's fingers in the weeks ahead with more cold and some wet weather forecast!
The apple & pear season has been one of 'contrasts' - an early season faired well for blossoming plums and cherries experiencing good weather at blossom time, while apples and pears experienced a mixture of conditions at blossom time, with severe frost damage OR no frost damage depending totally on location. Initial prognosois indicated a very poor apple crop and a patchy pear crop. Vines also suffered and on the continent frost damage caused havoc;
Read more about the frosts in Europe by clicking on FRESH PLAZA
The situation in May is reviewed in The Journal for 5th May
June 9th 2017
After the General Election yesterday (8th June) and the speculation caused by the result................I wrote........
"The spring frosts have caused considerable damage to apples and pears across Europe and volumes of apples will be affected. Frost is a horrible and often unfair experience as some farms will suffer severe frost and loss of crops while others may be unaffected.......
Well; time to sign off.........its been an eventful day.....quite where the political scene will take us all in the year/s ahead is the 64,000 dollar question......at the moment it all seems a mess, with no political party in a position to govern effectively....whatever our political allegiance I fear none of us will see any positive results".......
A changing picture
As summer unfolded, the level of damage became clearer, with some orchards apparently unnafected and others decimated; by harvest time the potential yield was looking better and by the end of harvest, 'some' growers had record yields in 'some' orchards; the full spectrum varied from nothing upwards to light crops of (generally) large apples; particularly Braeburn, to yields of 60-80% of normal.................
Harvesting well under way...........
By the end of August apple picking was well under way; not just the early varieties!
A quote from an apple grower, epitomises the early season: comments from industry friends like: 'its crazy' - "we have just started picking Cox and Gala is already edible on the trees"
To view the early season Click on EAM Journal for 1st September
Dining with young friends.......
In November, The Under 40's celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the U40's Conferences with a Fund Raising Ball, held at The Hop Farm at Beltring and attended by 120 diners.
Below: 2019 Under 40's Committee
Left to right: Tom Christensen; Emily Livesey (Chair), Jim Burston, Marzena Lipska, Matt Greep & Hamish Light
This year has had many highs and lows; on a personal basis, celebrating my 75th birthday was something I never expected having lost my mother at the age of 46 and father at the age of 64...........the low has been watching my step mother who has lavished love and care on my brother and I over the last 60 years, succumbing to old age as she now depends on living in care......
The industry that I have spent my life working; 'in one format or another' for nearly 60 years has survived serious frost damage and produced a yield sufficient for most growers to survive another year; albeit helped by the better prices resulting from lack of crops in Europe......
Wishing all my readers a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year..........
Take care
The English Apple Man