The Journal gives a weekly update on events in our English apple orchards, using pictures and video clips to follow seasonal activities and giving the consumer a level of detail not available from any other source.
All aspects of growing, harvesting, storage, grading, packing and marketing are included enabling consumers to understand the challenges English growers face in supplying our sophisticated market place.
At the BIFGA Summer Farm Walk last week, before the walk, several presentations were made
On Wednesday The EAM joined 100+ attendees at the BIFGA Summer Farm Walk at New House Farm at the invitation of John and David Hinchliff
This annual event organised by John Breach and BIFGA Hon. Secretary Judi Perry who performs miracles 'year after year' is a must visit!
John Hinchliff in his welcome, remembered how he came to be host this year!
The story goes: "At a social event last year John Breach (JB) remarked to John Hinchliff (JH) - " We never see you at a BIFGA farm walk? - JH response; "well they are all in West Kent and I live in East Kent" and you never have one in East Kent! JB responds to JH - "Well would you like to host BIFGA next year" hmmm Okay said JH!
This week; Fruit Focus - the annual trade show held at NIAB at East Malling near Maidstone in Kent took place on Wednesday 10th July.
I can't remember when the first Fruit Focus was held, but I seem to have been going for many, many years.
Fruit Focus has developed over the last decade from an event dominated by soft fruit; e.g.. Strawberries, Raspberries, et al. with interest from top fruit growers, especially in the availability of machinery, but now Viticulture is the dominate entity.
Below: A view of part of the showground on Wednesday; note the clouds, it did not rain and the temperature was very a very pleasant 18-20 C unlike so many recent recent years when Fruit Focus baked under circa 30 degrees C or more!
"At the age we are (Octogenarians) it seems like every other week, we learn of another friend passing and attending 'Celebrations of life Ceremonies' with increasing frequency!
SO: Last weekend, it was an absolute delight to attend a wedding ceremony!
The wedding saw my wife's Great Niece Zara marry her partner of five years James at a Charming wedding location in Wiltshire.
Due to the English Apple Man receiving 'minor operation' (Carpal Tunnel) two weeks ago the 'right hand has not been able to perform it's routine tasks easily. Thankfully stiches were removed yesterday and normality is approaching.
Of interest!
Below: Left to right. Guy Singh-Watson (Riverford) Ali Capper (BAPL) and Sysco GB representative
At the recent Festival of Fresh held at Evesham United
Ali Capper, Sysco GB and Riverford were among the award winners at FPJ's 2024 open-air summer festival
Winners were carefully chosen by FPJ's editorial team for standout performance in the UK market over the past 12 months.
The awards were presented at Festival of Fresh 2024 which was hosted by Nationwide Produce at Evesham United Football Club on 13 June.
Day 5
- Family Tree Farms, Fresno. Large scale Stone Fruit and Blueberry grower with a large focus on variety development.
- Burro demonstration, automated pickers platform..ai
Day 6
- SunBerry Farms, Monterey. Large scale organic strawberry production. 500Ha farm of Organic strawberries.
- Taylor Farms, Salinas. Food service salad production.
Fog City Farms, Cannabis production, marketing, and branding. This was followed by an evening playing games on the beach by the Golden Gate Bridge, however British weather made for a quick exit to the restaurant!
Day 7
Baseball at Oracle Park,
Evening at Trattore Farms and Winery, Healdsburg. Inspirational talk from Tim Bucher owner of Trattore Farms and founder of Agtonomy, autonomous systems and software application.
Day 8
Jackson Family Wines at La Crema Winery. Regenerative farming techniques and wine tasting.
Next Generation Fruit Group visit to California Part 1
Regular readers will be aware that The English Apple Man travelled with The Under 40's Fruit Group on several occasions visiting France, Poland, Benelux, and South Africa between 2010 and 2016. After The Under 40's visited Chile the 'then new committee' took the decision to 'update the module; and rebrand to 'The NextGen; Fruit Group.
Click on: The NextGen Fruit Group Committee - California 2024
The English Apple Man thanks Jake Kinderman Top Fruit Manager Tillington Top Fruit Hereford.
Jake, who is now a member of the new committee for the next Next Generation event sent me the official press release and his own account including excellent pictures from the very busy itinerary during the visit to California in May 2024.
"It was a jam packed 8 days that I believe everyone on the trip would say was a fantastic time.
Well organised, a good mix of business/growers from different parts of the UK Fruit industry.
A highlight of the trip has to be Family Tree Farms. For a business to scale up from a few hundred hectares in 2003 to 40,000 now its staggering feat.
Just a huge thank you to the committee for organising such a well run trip and setting the bar high for the new committee to try and top!
The British Cherry season usually starts circa mid June, in East Kent, but this year picking started before the end of May
Talking to Steve Castle Farm Manager at Mount Ephraim (and known as 'Steve Cherryman Castle' as he has spent most of his working life involved with Cherries) yesterday, he confirmed this is their earliest ever start to Cherry Harvest!
Below: left. Earlise and right. Folfer
We picked EARLISE cherries her at Mount Ephraim on 26th May which is our earliest date.This seems to be a week or so earlier than a typical year. In years 2017 and 2022 we picked on 29th May and in others years between 6th and 12th June. Although EARLISE is not known for bold flavour, it seemed particularly bland this year. 
FOLFER is tasty which suggests other varieties won't suffer from lack of flavour as EARLISE has.
Maturity across the varieties this year seems to be mixed,with MERCHANT taking it's time to mature. Other varieties appear to have more mixed maturity on the trees with more green,pink and red fruit than usual,which could make picking more tricky.
Yields are looking good to heavy which are a result of early covering bumblebee hives ,honey bees and lack of frosts. MERCHANT is looking heavy, as is VANDA. The jewel in the cherry crown (KORDIA) looks promising and as exciting as ever.
We suffered with several incidents of tunnel damage this year but of course that is the risk we take.
News from AC Goatham, Great Britain's largest apple and pear grower by area and tonnage
Having gained exclusive supply to ALDI last year, Goatham's and ALDI have entered into a new venture!
AC Goatham has signed a new £750 million deal with Aldi, which will see the Goatham family supply the retailer for a further 20 years.
AC Goatham & Son has supplied Aldi with apples and pears since 2016 and was announced last year as the retailer's sole supplier of British apples.
The £750m deal will also see the introduction of a new orchard - a 200-acre plot on New Green Farm in Gravesend, growing a mix of Gala and Braeburn apples.
Aldi, which is the UK's fourth largest retailer, said the deal would provide 'vital support' for the British fruit sector.
Founded in 1947, and run by Clive Goatham and his son Ross, the farm supplies 250m apples and pears each year - more than five times the volume it initially supplied in 2016.
The business has big plans for its future, including work to extend the growing season with controlled atmosphere storage.
Ross Goatham, managing director of the farm, said: "This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the work both AC Goatham & Son and Aldi have put into the agreement to have created something truly collaborative.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, added that the deal demonstrated the supermarket's "long-term commitment to championing British produce."
With an Election announced for 4th July The English Apple Man is 'pondering over what to write' for this week's Journal
Before I continue, I was delighted to hear my good friends Nick Dunn and his daughter Steph' have enjoyed success at The Chelsea Flower Show with their new ornamental cherry; STARLIGHT
Below: From their website
In cased you missed it, Prunus 'Starlight'R has been awarded the highly coveted title of RHS Plant of the Year 2024. Nick and Steph have been down at Chelsea telling experts and journalists all about it. Prunus 'Starlight'R was hosted on the GreenJjam Nurseries stand in the Grand Pavilion!
Stephanie Dunn James, Director of the tree nursery Frank P Matthews, said the tree features white, star-shaped flowers. "the variety was originally bred in 2006, but woody trees take a long time to trial and breed." The Prunus 'Starlight' is particularly unique as it is one of only a couple of varieties that flower in winter.
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