While most apple farms are/were founded by families, some have grown to become multi million pound enterprises. This week The EAM visited Victoria Farm at Hadlow in Kent created by Peter and Gina Kedge on a modest parcel of land owned by her father and developed over 30 years into what is now 65 hectares of modern orchards on several sites bought by Peter & Gina over the years.
I was attracted to Peter and Gina by parallels with my own background which was also of a similar model, very much a family farm of which I was the third generation. Like Victoria Farm we grew, stored and packed our apples on farm and marketed through a marketing group to Sainsbury and Tesco.
Peter and Gina now joined by their youngest daughter Jessica have grown their apple farming business but increased it from an initially small base into an area circa 150 - 200 acres. Their two other daughters; Isobel and Lucy are currently making their lives in Wales and Bournemouth respectively.
Below: from the Victoria Farm website
Victoria Farm Ltd is a family owned fruit growing company established over 30 years ago at its present location in Hadlow, Nr Tonbridge in the beautiful countryside of Kent. We grow many varieties of apples including Gala, Bramley, Cameo, Cox, Braeburn, September Wonder, Cheerfull Gold, Russet, Red Windsor etc. Usual picking season is approximately August to November and packing is August until April.
We have a dedicated modern top fruit packhouse with full BRC accreditation and all fruit is grown to the red tractor standard.
Although I have known Peter and Gina informally from 'mutually attending' farm walks over the last 30-35 years, an event at Hadlow College in June 2012 (next door to Victoria Farm where I spotted this adorable little Jack Russel cross named Alfie with Gina, and over the last few years when we met I always asked after Alfie and promised to visit Victoria Farm! This week the visit happened and apart from seeing Alfie again after 13 years, I enjoyed a couple of hours with Peter, Gina and Jessica and a buggy ride around some of the many hectares of apples. Blossom stage from pink bud to full bloom (Red Windsor)
Below: left. Alfie in June 2012 as a puppy and right. Kedge family with new puppy Daphne held by Gina, centre daughter Jessica and (right) Peter holding ALFIE now 13 years old.
Below: Touring the orchards in Peter's Buggy, here passing Red Windsor in full bloom
Below: Bramley orchard planted at Boormans Farm 45 years ago
Below: Part of Bramley apple folklore
Bramley tree planted 45 years ago by Peter Checkley as a student at Hadlow College
Boormans Farm was part of Hadlow College at the pinnacle of it's time as THE College for young fruit growers and while the 'legendary' Roger Worraker was a leading Tutor!
At that time a common format for Bramley growing was 'open centre' trees.
Roger championed a pruning format with a central leader, and a base level of fruiting branches and a second tier of fruiting branches higher up. This format was taught by Roger at Hadlow and later as an advisor he promoted it widely across the Weald of Kent.
Peter Kedge told me this orchard still crops consistently well at 45 years old!
Peter bought Boormans Farm from Hadlow College in 1997
Ref: Peter Checkley, who is a long time friend of The English Apple Man and worked for Gina's father as a young man. he was a student at Hadlow College when the Bramley orchard was planted at Boormans Farm
The business grows circa: 65 hectares of apples, made up of - 35 ha Gala, 5 ha Cameo, 9 ha Braeburn, 4 ha Robijn, 3 ha Cox, 1 ha Egremont Russet, 1.5 ha Fuji, 2.5 ha Red Windsor, 15 ha Bramley, 9 ha Magic Star.
Annual cropping is circa 9,000 bins (last year 10,000) x 300 kg
5K bins on farm C/A and DCA storage. Plus more off farm.
Below: left. At Boormans Farm Braeburn and right. part of a very large investment in Magic Star
Below: left. Reservoir at Victoria Farm and right. One of the accommodation units at Boormans Farm
Click on: Victoria Farm home page
Click on: Caring for the environment
Peter, Gina and Jessica and Farm Manager Simon Saunders, are rightly very proud of their achievement. The farm is planted with top quality varieties, grown to a very high standard. The re-planting programme means healthy balance between young trees and those in full crop. By storing on farm in modern state of the art C/A and DCA storage ensures fruit condition when marketed is in top condition. Packing the fruit on site keeps costs to a minimum.
My family farm premise is accurate and Peter's management of the farm is a perfect example of matching high production standards with the best environmental standards. "A nice story emphasises the farms environmental standard, when a high profile customer suggested Peter might benefit from their grant scheme advisor helping achieve their 'customer' required standards, the conclusion from the advisory/auditor was' "well I am afraid you won't qualify for the grant, because you are already doing everything on the list!"
Marketing is managed by AB&B Marketing
ABB Marketing is a Producer Organisation (PO), marketing quality English apples, pears, plums, damsons, cherries and blackcurrants.
ABB was established back in 1989 and became a Producer Organisation in 1996. We have an enviable reputation for the high quality and consistency of our produce and throughout this time we have developed valuable long-term relationships with our customers.
The English Apple Man Comments.
The 'family' premise is integral to the marketing group as well. The members are very much family operated farms. The founder was a large family farm and all members sit on the board of AB&B.
That is all for this week
Take care
The English Apple Man