We know that many of you are impatient to be out on our beautiful farm picking fruit. Unfortunately 2023 is a very poor year for many of the fruits we grow, and we are not going to be able to provide the experience you have come to expect. We are dependent on the weather through the whole year, and it has not been favourable for the crops we grow.

Here are some of the issues with the main fruits we grow:

Strawberries:
The strawberry plantations we have had in the ground for the last couple of years were waterlogged for much of the winter and spring, resulting in root death. Many of the plants died completely and the surviving plants have rather small fruits, compounded by recent hot weather.

We have just planted another big field which should have an August crop this year, but the plants have not established well due to the drought.

Raspberries:
Virtually no raspberries due to root problems in the wet winter.

Other cane fruit (tayberries and blackberries):
A reasonable crop but desperate for some rain!

Cherries:
When the cherries were in flower the weather was very wet and there were very few bees around. Consequently pollination was poor on several varieties, and we only have half a crop. Let’s hope that we don’t get cherry fly or splitting due to rainstorms before they are ready. They will be about 10 days later than last year.

Morellos look quite good.

Blackcurrants:
We will be doing trays of machine picked blackcurrants as usual. Not a great crop.

Plums:
Victorias look good, other varieties poor but we should have plenty for our customers here on the farm.

Apples:
A poor crop of Estival apples but there will be plenty for our customers.

Nuts:
A good set of cobnuts but there are a lot of squirrels about!

Because of this unfortunate lack of fruit we have decided to only open the farm at weekends until further notice, starting on Saturday July 1st.

Please check before you travel and we will try to let you know what to expect.

Sorry to be the bearer of such unfortunate news, but believe me, it is even worse for us on the farm!

Tom Maynard