We have approximately 25 acres of fruit (10ha).
The fruit is produced in conjunction with modern farming practises and we abide by the Farm Assurance scheme rules.
The orchards we have today were planted from the early 1970's to last year.
The main varieties we grow are Bramley cooking apples and Conference Pears. The majority are sold to major supermarket chains with the rest used for processing into apple juice, pies, sauces etc.
We also now supply limited quantities of Horlands Farm Apple Juice. Professionally processed locally but using only apples grown on Horlands Farm. More...
Varieties of Apples and Pears Grown at Horlands Farm
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Bramley (Cooking Apple)
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Howgate Wonder (Cooking)
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Grenadier (Cooking Apple)
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Egremont Russet
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Worcester Pearmain
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Jonagold
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Golden Delicious
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Conference Pears
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Comice Pears
The Fruit Growing Year
The Fruit Year starts in the winter when fruit trees are pruned. The purpose of pruning is to promote new growth on the tree and to stimulate the tree to produce fruit bud and therefore more fruit. At pruning the farmer can also remove diseased wood and make the tree into a shape which allows air and sunlight to get into the tree, the leaves and ultimately the fruit. Pruning is somewhat of a laborious but ultimately rewarding winter job.
In the Spring the buds burst and produce flowers (known as blossom). The reason for the flowers is to stimulate bees and other insects to take the nectar from the flower and by doing this the insects accidentally pollinate the flowers. The insects fly from tree to tree and fertilise them. The orchards are normally in full bloom at the start of May, it is a treat for the senses with the aroma of the flowers and the beauty of the flowers in full bloom. It is also a very important part of the fruit growing year as poor pollination leads to a poor crop.
During this time we work hard trying to keep the trees in as good a health as possible. The number of insects are recorded and are treated only when necessary. Other diseases are also checked and a professional agronomist walks round the orchards every weeks checking for signs of ill health, pest and disease. The orchards are also kept clean and tidy, with frequent mowing and weed removal.
In the Autumn its time for picking. This is the only time of the year the farmer has any real control of his crop. At Horlands farm all of the apples are picked by hand. It is absolutely crucial that the fruit is picked carefully, any bruising of the fruit will make it nearly worthless, as will any blemishes or damage to the fruit.
The pickers are issued with plastic sizing rings so that only apples of a certain size are picked into the bins. This is because different markets require different sizes of fruit. The apples are picked into picking buckets which are foam lined bags that are strapped to the pickers. The apples are then carefully emptied into wooden bins. When full, the bins are then transported by tractor to the coldstore where the fruit is chilled to help store it, before it is packed at specially designated pack houses.
Most pack houses now have water graders which float the apples out of the bins to minimise any bruising. A team of workers then sort the fruit for different markets. Only apples of the correct size, colour, firmness and shape are bought by the supermarkets. The other fruit is sold to fruit and vegetable markets around the country, the rest goes into the processing industry where the apples are used to make pies, sauces and juices.