East Seaton Farm News

Soft Fruit Grower of the Year 2010: LM Porter, East Seaton Farm

19th February 2010

East Seaton Farm was created as a soft fruit farm in 1991 by Lochart and Debbie Porter. To maximise soft fruit production on this exposed coastal Scottish farm, different techniques have been used to lengthen the natural growing season, giving the business the ability to target and fulfil niche supermarket requirements.

Key goals included the production of top-class fruit as economically as possible, the creation of a production curve guaranteeing consistent supply, the maximisation of worker output, the creation of a portfolio of different soft fruits and ensuring the security of protection structures on an exposed and volatile site.

Unable to find tunnels on the market that could meet its needs, the farm trialled and developed its own "Seaton System" — a low pitched tunnel with plastic ploughed into the soil giving strength and good sealing to maximise heat and fruit grown on a peat-based substrate.

This system allowed strawberries to be produced in early May and a second crop in late August — and in turn Scottish raspberries in late May through to late September.

Meanwhile, the ability to manage the growing environment allowed new reduced pesticide and pesticide-free techniques to be introduced for the production of Good Natured Fruit — now branded and released onto supermarket shelves - and participation in environmental schemes such as Operation Bumblebee.

The farm, as part of the Angus Soft Fruits group set up by Porter that supplies 10 per cent of the strawberries and 40 per cent of the raspberries eaten in the UK, has also now expanded into blueberry production. This involved manipulating the farm's predominantly 6.5ph loam soil to 4.5ph high organic matter soil by converting farm machinery to apply peat and mulch.

Plantations of an early blackberry, Karaka Black, in a Seaton tunnel fruiting from June to August then an overlap of Loch Ness in a cooler multi-span gives the farm a full season finishing at the end of October.

In all, the farm is now producing 1,450 tonnes of soft fruit including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries over a six-month harvest period for the major multiples.

Original Article found here >> Horticulture Week

Bright future for soft fruit in Scotland

18th March 2010

L.M. Porter, a soft fruit grower and arable farmer with a fruit packing business based in Arbroath, Scotland who recently won the Grower of the Year award from Grower Magazine for innovations in their poly tunnel design. The company is part of the growers group who produce soft fruit for the Angus Soft Fruits group.

Situated on the East coast of Scotland they are exposed to the strong chilly winds coming off the North Sea. Being a soft fruit producer they were looking to make the poly tunnels more suitable for the weather conditions, by creating a more set, well sealed tunnel they have been able to more than double the production period for the soft fruit.

David Warden, Farm Manager, who put the company forward for the award, said that production has now gone from 300 tons per year to 1500 tons. L. M. Porter grows strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries as well as contract packing soft fruit during the off season. David has seen a big rise in demand in the UK market for blueberries in the last few years and L.M. Porter can now supply blueberries for the UK supermarkets from August until October because of the redesigned tunnels. They grow an early variety of raspberries which are available from the beginning of May and continue with a late variety which carries on until October. Blackberries are available from June (early variety) ending in October with a late variety.

David said the production at L.M. Porter hopefully will not be affected by the severe winter which was experienced all over the UK this year, although there was some damage to the tunnels within the growing group because of heavy snow fall, due to coastal situation of the farm the temperature only went as low as -6°C, where as other growers in the region suffered from temperatures as low as -18°C which lead to many of the plants dying. These companies face major replanting for this season.

Scotland is well known for its soft fruit production, and thanks to the forward thinking and sustainability shown at L.M. Porter, the future looks bright for the soft fruit industry in Scotland.

Contact:
David Warden
LM Porter
david@lmporter.sol.co.uk

Original article found here >> Fresh Plaza

Angus man aims for fruit prize

1st February 2010

Farm boss only Scot in running for grower of the year

An Angus farm manager is hoping to retain for Scotland the award for the UK’s soft-fruit grower of the year.

David Warden is Scotland’s sole representative in the category, which was won last year by growers Ross Mitchell and his father, Murray, of Castleton Farm at Fordoun, near Laurencekirk.

Mr Warden, 37, works for Lochy and Debbie Porter on their 400-acre unit at East Seaton, Arbroath.

He is responsible for the farm’s blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry production, which is marketed through Mr Porter’s Angus Soft Fruits group.

Mr Warden also looks after the Porters’ arable operation and ware-potato enterprise.

To get to the final, he has had to submit a report on the financial and production performance of the 180-acre soft-fruit operation.

Mr Warden, who has been at East Seaton for 11 years, said the biggest change since he started was the switch to tunnel-based production and the lengthening of the growing season from May to November.

“We used to pick the crop from about the time of the Royal Highland Show in June,” he said. “Picking continued for another month.

“Now we start about May 7 and keep on going until the first week of November.

“The labour force when I started was about 150 folk from Arbroath. Now it is nearly 400. They are mainly eastern European, with just 2% of them coming from Arbroath.”

Mr Warden comes from Forfar and worked on farms in Angus before studying at the Scottish Agricultural College’s Craibstone campus and then gaining a post-graduate qualification there in farm business organisation and management (Fbom).

After graduation, Mr Warden worked with Medlock and Medlock at Mains of Haulkerton, Laurencekirk, before moving to East Seaton.

Douglas McTaggart, 28, is shortlisted for the young grower of the year.

He manages the Co-operative Farms' 150-acre strawberry operation at Rosemount, Blairgowrie, where he has five full-time staff and upwards of 220 part-time workers at the height of picking season.

Original Article found here >> Press and Journal

Farm Manager wins prestigous award

18th February 2010

THE MANAGER at East Seaton farm has received the accolade of soft fruit grower of the year at an awards ceremony at the Wyndham Grand Hotel, London.

David Warden (38) is responsible for all arable and fruit operations at Lochy Porter's farm.

He beat off competition from fruit growers around the UK to become edible crop grower of the year.

His day-to-day responsibilities include the supervision of 190 acres of soft fruit, mostly under polytunnels.

At the height of the season, Mr Warden can have up to 450 people on the farm picking raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries for sale through Angus Soft Fruits.

A native of Forfar, he has worked with Mr Porter for 11 years. He was education at Forfar Academy and is married to Jenny. The couple have two children, Ian (4) and Anna (3).

Mr Warden now goes forward to compete for a world title which was won last year by Ross Mitchell, from Castleton, Fordoun.

Original Article found here >> The Arbroath Herald

Migrant workers ‘satisfied’

13th September 2007

AN ANGUS fruit business which has grown from a small family concern into part of a leading UK consortium in the production of strawberries and raspberries in the last few years said yesterday that one of the keys to its success was a happy and motivated workforce.

East Seaton Farm in Arbroath has become one of the area’s largest employers, typically accommodating around 300 migrant workers in Arbroath alone at the height of the season.

The influx of migrant workers from eastern Europe in recent times has not been without its problems, but claims that foreign students are treated little better than modern day slaves are strongly denied.

“There will always be one or two people who are not happy, but in the main I would say that 99.9% of the people we have here are satisfied with their work and conditions,” said managing director Lochy Porter.

“I would also say that goes for the majority of farms in this area, not just our own business.”

Mr Porter said he was happy to make this claim in the knowledge other farms would have to undergo the same stringent auditing processes as his own.

“Every single aspect of the business has to be accounted for. We are ethically audited each year and the last thing we want is an unhappy workforce because, at the end of the day, that would affect productivity,” he said.

Mr Porter and his staff welcomed local councillor Bob Spink to East Seaton yesterday on a fact-finding visit. He wanted to see living and working conditions after local claims that foreign workers in Scotland were often forced to pay for sub-standard accommodation.

There are 57 static residential caravans for workers at East Seaton, each with its own toilet, shower and kitchen.

Field manager Allen Innes said that all are subject to gas and electrical tests once a week.

“The accommodation is mixed but we try to keep nationalities and friends together,” he said.

“The students are responsible for their own hygiene, and some are obviously tidier than others. We try not to invade their privacy too much, but cabins are inspected on a regular basis.”

Workers at East Seaton pay £35 a week for their accommodation, which includes cleaning of communal areas, an internet cafe and laundry. In addition, the farm has a recreational area offering pool, table tennis, volleyball, football, a disco and a gym.

Mr Porter said there was nothing stopping Scottish people doing the job, and there was a local woman working alongside the students.

Pickers are paid slightly above the national minimum wage, and top workers can earn up to £100 a day during their 61/2-hour shift. Typically, most earn around £275-£300 a week.

“It is important the people who come to work in this industry understand the type of work involved,” added Mr Porter. “That is something that needs to be communicated very clearly at the outset from the agencies who recruit the workers.”

The workforce at East Seaton is largely recruited through the HOPS (Harvesting Opportunities Permit Scheme).

A high percentage return each year.

“We have a few students who are here for their fifth year,” said Mr Innes. “It is not uncommon for those coming back to bring friends with them next time.”

Artur Cialowicz (24) from Poland said he enjoyed working at East Seaton. “Three years I have come here and I think I will be back again next year.”

Fellow Pole Kamila Kaczmarek (23) added, “We want to work and we can make good money here. We will come back and take friends with us.”

Mr Spink said, “The first thing that strikes me when talking to the workers at East Seaton, almost exclusively east European, is how content they appear and how positively they talk about Arbroath, the people they have met, and the job they have chosen.

“Most of these young people are students who travel to Angus to earn some money and enjoy a new experience, probably intending to come only once—but very often end up coming again and again, and usually to the same farm,” he said.

“Many indeed have made their home in Arbroath and are integrating fully into the community.

“It is true that there are areas where some improvements could be made, but nothing is ever perfect, and as long as these mainly minor issues are recognised and addressed then that surely is acceptable.

“The crucial elements of fire safety, health and hygiene, pay and conditions were all in place and regularly audited, not only by national bodies such as HOPS but by their super- market customers—who I know from experience can be very demanding.

“I believe there are about 5000 eastern Europeans working in Angus, all making a valuable contribution to the Angus economy, directly though their taxes and spend in local shops, and indirectly through the success of the farms who employ them, who supply most of the UK’s major multiple retailers.”

Mr Spink said that his visit to East Seaton had given him a valuable insight into an important industry and, with an “open door” invitation, answered all of the questions he had.

“As in any business sector there are the good and the not so good, and this was but a snapshot on one farm,” he said.

“My conclusion is that, having seen the enthusiasm and commitment of the senior management of East Seaton, and their pride in what they do, I have seen one of the better operations, and I thank them for their openness.”

Original Article found here >> The Courier