WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR QUALITY!
Across both businesses we have several accreditations including Leaf, Red Tractor and BRC. We are audited annually to ensure we continue to provide top quality produce to our customers, along side providing the best accommodation and living conditions to our on site workers, all while implementing rugged and proactive environmental policies that ensure we are working cohesively with the land we farm. We run the most up to date machinery on the market through precision farming. All our tractors run GPS and RTK systems with variable rate seed and fertiliser used to minimise inputs and maximise outputs. We are currently looking at ways to track our operational costs much more efficiently through the use of tractor telematics to monitor fuel consumption and track time spent carrying out tasks in the field.
POTATOES
We grow approximately 350 hectares per annum of potatoes destined for the processing, crisping and seed markets. We aim to start harvesting our early varieties such as Lady Rosetta in July and aim to be finished by the end of October for our maincrop potatoes that go into store.
The majority of our potato storage is at our main base Rock Farm although we also have storage facilities we rent elsewhere.
We started our seed growing operation in 2012 on the Cotswolds with the aim to produce consistently high-quality seed for our maincrop enterprises. We have found that we can consistently do this given that much of the land has never had potatoes grown on before.
COMBINABLE CROPS
We grow approximately 2000 acres of combinable crops. These include Wheat, Barley, Oilseed Rape and Herbage Seeds. We aim to run a 6-year rotation on much of our land as we believe in sustainably farming our soils for generations to come. Potatoes also falls into this rotation every 6 years with cover crops grown before planting to improve the soil structure and put more organic matter into the soil.
Our combinable crops are grown on a wide range of soils from a sandy loam near our base in Lea to much heavier clay soils on land that we rent. Our rotations therefore vary considerably depending on the soil type of land that we farm.
BLUEBERRIES
We began our journey into Blueberry production at Woodfields Farm in 2017, when we began planting our first variety, Duke.
In its first year (2018) we produced a small 3 tonne crop. Now, with an additional 3 different varieties, we are producing near on 150 tonnes, which will reach 300 by the time the crops hit maturity.
All our blueberries are situated at our Top Field and Fourteen Acre sites and are covered by polytunnels from March through to August.
The picking season begins in June, we aim to pick our last berry before mid August. All 4 of our varieties are considered early cropping, which when combined with early tunnel coverage and a naturally early site mean we can produce some of the first UK blueberries on the market.
RASPBERRIES
Raspberries were planted at B. H. Savidge & Son in 1997 with just 2 acres. They were grown without tunnels and the season was short, just two months: June and July. Since then, we have increased to 20 hectares, which are all grown under either glass or polytunnels, this gives an extended season and we can now pick from April until the first frosts in late November.
We grow multiple varieties of raspberry, some for commercial supply, others in trial plots. We are always looking for the very best berry - large, juicy, sweet, with a good shelf life.
Tunnels and glasshouses allow us the ability to reduce the plant protection products used on the crop by as much as 95% and gives us a consistent quality.
We have over 250 seasonal staff to pick raspberries when the season starts in April. Our pickers come from far and wide - some locally and others from further afield. We employ over 10 different nationalities making our campsite a hive of cultural activity.
Woodfields Fruit Ltd is part of a co-operative of growers called Berry Gardens. Berry Gardens have growers across the UK, who all work together in order to supply the best British fruit into markets within the UK and across the globe.
APPLES
The love of fruit at Woodfields Fruit Ltd began with Apples, today, some 60 years later, they still form the back bone to the fruit enterprises.
Currently, 10 hectares of dessert apples are grown - Braeburn being the main variety. All are grown for the supermarkets and sent off the farm to a Co-operative packhouse for packing.
All of the work on our apple trees is undertaken by hand. Pruning in the winter, thinning during the summer, through to the harvest in the autumn.
Each and every apple, as its picked, goes through quality and size checks to ensure they meet the high standards we expect.
THE BERRY HUT
Our new venture!
Introduced in the 2021 season, we felt we could better service our local customers with a berry dispensing vending machine that was open 24 hours a day.
The Berry Hut was a great success, our loyal customers were very positive with their support and it's opened our eyes to the possibilities on our own doorstep.
The Berry Hut will be returning for each fruit season, with a few improvements. Keep an eye on our social media for when we announce its return.
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