LIVE24SEVEN // Interviews
Photographs courtesy Lower Court Farm, Putley and taken by John Teale
www.johntealephotography.co.uk
his 64-acre farm in Putley was his crop of shiny red Katy apples. Unlike traditional cider apples, which range in taste from barely edible to spit-it-out horrible, these are a dessert variety and delicious eating apples in their own right. However, Nigel grows them to sell mainly to the volume cider producers for blending, although they can be used for single variety ciders.
Later this month and into early November he will be harvesting his traditional cider apple varieties. These comprise Somerset Redstreaks; Michelins, originally introduced into England from Normandy by the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club and Dabinetts. Like the Katy apples, these crops are mainly sold to volume producers. However, Nigel is experiencing increased demand for all of his apples from craft cider makers, reflecting the developing taste for the artisan- produced drink. He says: “This is a market we are seeking to develop even further in the future, so if anyone making their own cider is interested in apples or apple concentrate, we would love to hear from them!”
Long gone, on this farm, are the days when apple trees were shaken by long hooked poles and the fruit picked-up manually. Whilst this method is still used in traditional standard orchards, where the trees would be damaged by mechanical harvesting, at Lower Court Farm, Putley the harvest is now fully mechanised. It’s a fascinating and somewhat surreal process. In the hands of a skilled operator, the “shaker”, pulled by a tractor, moves up and down the rows of trees. Two mechanical arms fasten around each trunk; there’s a sudden shudder and the apples tumble to the ground. The timing of the harvest is crucial - if Nigel has judged it right, and the apples are ripe and ready, practically
none will remain on the branches and few of his precious crop will be wasted.
Following on behind the shaker, Nigel uses a special machine to pick up the apples from the rows between the trees and transfer them by conveyor belt to the trailer hitched on behind. Any apples left directly under the trees are picked up separately, once Nigel has used another machine to blow them out into the central aisle.
Apples harvested for craft cider makers are then washed and boxed, but for the larger orders they are stored in a wonderful, aromatic heap in the farm barn until they are picked up by lorries from the cider factories.
Find out more: Discover the history of cider making at the Cider Museum, in a former cider making factory at Pomona Place, Hereford.
www.cidermuseum.co.uk
Download the free Golden Fire app in the Apple and Android app stores or visit
http://www.ruralmedia.co.uk/golden-fire.aspx
Visit
www.bigapple.org.uk to see the full programme for this month’s Big Apple celebrations (October 8 and 9) and make a diary note for next spring, when Blossomtime Weekend will be held in and around Putley on Sunday April 30 and Monday May 1.
Go to
www.lowercourtfarm.co.uk for more information about the quality cider apples produced at Lower Court Farm.
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