Trelonk Farm Update by Adam

Late Autumn is a somewhat more quieter time on the farm. We opted against cultivating winter crops, in part due to the weather which has been very off-putting, but also because our focus remains on niche oils seeds which almost entirely spring crops.

The seeds that we have in storage have now been given the blessing of ‘dry enough’ for cleaning and so will go to Southwest Seeds Facility in North Cornwall to be filtered ahead of pressing. The Hemp harvest left the farm last week (see picture above) to go for processing up at the East Yorkshire Hemp Co.

And lastly, next week we welcome Toby May to the group. Toby is joining us as Assistant Manager for Trelonk Farm. Farming is very much in the blood for Toby, who has great experience in arable crops having farmed in Yorkshire and Australia. He also wrote his dissertation on Borage while at Agricultural college, so a very welcomed skill set. (Image © Trelonk Ltd )

The future of oil extraction with Super critical Extraction by Adam

Trelonk Farm is using cold pressing methods to extract oil from its crops (essentially is squeezing the seeds at room temperature), these oils are nutrient-dense and otherwise known as nutraceuticals, widely sold into the health, well being and cosmetic outlets.

But there is a new technology around known as Co2 extraction or super critical extraction. This highly technical process allows you to target and separate a specific compound or bio-ingredient within the plant material. The main reason for doing this is to create a pure, clean, quality oil that is safe to produce with little-to-no post-processing.

The process can isolate a particular compound, for example Borage, is a great source of Linolenic acid which is a vital supplement in helping to reduce blood pressure, Co2 extraction can pluck out this compound in concentration, whereby it can then be added to a baulking oil and prove a highly valuable and highly effective product.

Co2 extraction has also been proven to produce medical-grade quality oils, whilst also increasing their shelf life due to the sanitizing properties of the gas. First, we need to master the cold pressing but there are endless new markets and products being created through agritech, most of which people don’t even know they want yet. (Image © Trelonk Ltd )

Adapting to change in agriculture by Adam

It is widely acknowledged that UK farming is set to undergo somewhat of a revolution. With external factors driving a period of rapid change. Farming is an industry that inherently follows the traditions of its predecessor. The average framer is now over 60 years old, and we are in the midst of a technology boom that affects all walks of life, and farmers must adopt the benefits that Agritech can offer or be left behind.

Climate change too is having an effect whereby more frequent extreme weather events can harm crops, yet shifting temperate growing boundaries also bring new opportunities to grow crops that were previously only seen in further south. Farm business has in recent times relied heavily on subsidies, paid out per acreage, yet following Brexit the ways these payments are made will soon be based on a ‘polluter pays’ bases and on how land managers look after there natural resources (public goods) such as air, water, and soil quality.

Consumer choices are shifting, also, meat is now almost a dirty word, people are more conscious about the provenance of the food they eat, and quite rightly the use of herbicides and pesticides is being tightened so farmers are having to turn towards natural answers instead of quick fixes that harm the environment.

We went into farming at Trelonk with our eyes open to these problems, with the aim to be a progressive and boutique farm, through cultivating nutrient-dense, climate-smart crops using regenerative practices to develop an authentic product that consumers could trust, which value meant we are not dependent on government support.

It is still very early days, as we just draw the curtain on our ‘prototype’ cropping year but we feel we are on the right track that our farm business will help solve the problems faced. There is great opportunity ahead for the future of farming but it is both very bright and very different. (Image © Bence Bella-Schnottner )

Calendula crop which will be used for oils

Well being and Nutraceuticals by Adam

According to a recent article in the Telegraph, it is said that the wellness industry, encompassing nutrition, fitness, cosmetics and more is now worth up to £2.8 trillion worldwide, according to the Global Wellness Institute. The sector is growing rapidly. By 2022, British consumers are forecast to spend £487 per head annually on “wellness”, according to analytics firm GlobalData.

Well being is a thread that runs throughout our innovation projects, especially within Trelonk Farm as good nutrition, is the key ingredient to overall health and well being.

Trelonk Farm is the Nutraceutical (a foodstuff that has physiological benefits, or otherwise known as a functional food) market through growing specialist oil seed crops that produce nutrient dense oils. When we took the decision to diversify our farming practice it was with the intention to capitalise on this booming market. With the added value that these oil-producing flowers also have such a positive impact on wildlife, particularly pollinators and the environment.

From some of what is grown at Trelonk Farm, Borage Oil promotes healthy hair & skin, helps Rheumatoid Arthritis and is a great source of GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid). Calendula Oil is rich in Calendric Acid, whilst also having known anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Sunflower Oil is rich in vitamins A, C, D and can help skin conditions such as Acne. (Image © InterTek )

Trelonk and its links to the environment by Adam

This week Parnall Group Ltd had a formal introduction into what it is to be a B-Corporation. This is a business which is certified to say it balances purpose and profit and must properly consider the impact of its actions, both from a social and environmental perspective. Trelonk Farm is the enterprise within Parnall Group Ltd that is most closely linked to the environment, and having that understanding of what B-Corp stands for, it is clear that the aspirations for the farm business align perfectly with the aim for Parnall Group Ltd to become B-Corp certified.

Trelonk Farm is on a pathway to become a regenerative (and one day organic) farm by reducing its synthetic inputs, improving soils and protecting its natural resources. We aim to farm with a light earth touch and make sure that the harvest we yield does not come at the expense of the environment, but rather improves it. Therefore, what we have chosen to cultivate was selected with its environmental credentials at the very top of the qualifying matrix. For example, industrial hemp which is great for the environment due to Co2 sequestration and deep tap roots that improve soil structure; Borage and Calendula are wonderful crops for pollinators.

Another great example of B-Corp style farming is the Countryside Stewardship Programme in which Trelonk Farm is participating. This scheme sets aside land for wildlife for which there is a payment but it comes with a purpose, which is to improve ecosystems. There are other examples of B-Corp certified farms such as Earth Bound in California and Farm Brothers an organic cereal farm in the Netherlands. But so far there do not appear to be any B-Corp farms as yet in Cornwall, so what a great aim for Trelonk! All Images © Trelonk Ltd

Trelonk Farm Ltd

Trelonk Farm Update 20.9.19

Trelonk farm continues to harvest its oilseed crops and the final pieces of the jigsaw are coming together.

Last week saw the harvesting of our calendula, a pretty little seed containing an elixir known to soothe sapien’s skin in times of aggravation. The challenge now is to cool and dry the seed ready for pressing in the winter months. Soon will see the Borage combined and finally, when the time is right (probably a few weeks away yet) the Sunflowers.

The other aspects of the farm, the countryside stewardship, the grant application, the basic payment scheme, the data collection elements and the engagement with Exeter Uni are now fully operational. All Images © Trelonk Ltd

Pioneering Farms and How They Create A Following by Olly

To Pioneer (verb): to develop or be the first to use or apply (a new method, area of knowledge or activity). In farming, pioneers are created daily. Ever the innovator, the farmer must rectify problems, overcome challenges and get creative with profit-protecting solutions to immediate disputes. A quick Google search will provide ample evidence of farmers trying new things, new adaptations to machinery, new technology or just new perspectives that give rise to new ethos’s. All well and good. But how do farms create a following? How do farms foster a community that can coalesce in times of need and provide that essential anchor between producer and consumer?
 
Post agricultural revolution in the UK, farms have become more isolated from their communities and more disconnected from the people who share the land. Larger machinery and larger fields, mono-cropping and pesticide spraying hardly endears you to the local community, neither does growing field upon field of only one or two commodities. Interestingly, small-scale farms who grow a rich, diverse tapestry of produce have come to understand the relationship between community and farm better than most. Co-operative farming has given rise to infinite veg-box schemes where local produce is pooled together and disseminated to members of the local community (usually by one of the farmers themselves). This style of community-growing, tribe-building if you will, harks back to pre-revolution times where people shared the land, worked together and pooled resources. The benefit of this type of community-led farming extends beyond the nutritive value of the food consumed; it provides a genuine link to your food source, it provides a regular friendly face in a society plagued by problems of loneliness and isolation, and perhaps most significantly, it allows a conversation to take place between producer and consumer, strengthening social ties and fostering communal cohesion (e.g., you are unlikely to grumble at the tractor disrupting traffic if you know it to be working towards your own sustenance).
 
Whilst the above type of farming continues to grow and flourish, particularly against a backdrop of biodiversity decline, soil infertility, climate change and declining profitability, other, larger and more industrialised farms are now following suit. The challenge for farms now is how to diversify enough to warrant interest and engagement (the farm with 100 acres of wheat will likely lose out to the 10-acre plot with a variety of legumes, vegetables and brassicas in the community-creating contest). One-way farms can achieve this is to think about turning produce into products. A simple process can be implemented to increase both the interest around the product as well as its inherent value (I.e., turning apples into cider, onions and tomatoes into chutney, oil-seeds into essential oils etc.).
 
At Trelonk, we are already part way down this path. In our first year, we have planted 5 different oil-seed crops and have successfully gained grant-funding to enable the purchase of a seed-press. We have also submitted a rigorous Countryside Stewardship application that will lock us into environmental land management that will benefit the local community (through increased protection of vital resources such as water, air and soil) for the following 5 years. This means we now have a farm that provides ample space and sustenance to our native wildlife, ample interest with regards to our cropping diversity, as well as owning the means of production (the seed press) to enable us to turn our primary produce into saleable products. The next step is to spread our message, to tell people we are here and to begin cultivating a like-minded community that shares our values of environmental, economic and social cohesion. All Images © Trelonk Ltd

Calendula crop which will be used for oils

Communications and the role of the media in farming by Olly

I often ponder what is the relationship between communication, media and farming? What could it be and to what end could we improve it?

Interestingly, most people I spoke to on the subject described farming and farmers as impenetrable, impermeable to outsiders and perhaps wary of judgement. Certainly, those of us enthused enough to want to know more about where our food comes from, how farmers manage land sustainably or indeed any other farming-related query, know only too well the confusion and discomfort felt when the answer provided is laden with farm-jargon.

Similarly, farming itself is a rather impervious pastime. Without the privilege of inheriting a farm or some land, it can be nigh-on impossible to get a foot into the industry. These factors combined leave us with an industry susceptible to tradition and all its pitfalls; little effort to adapt and change with the times, a lack of young, fresh impetus and, perhaps most perniciously, a lack of trust in knowledge or expertise from sources outside of the immediate agricultural circle.

What then, can media do to improve relations and to stimulate genuine, open and honest conversation between the custodians of our land and the rest of us who must put up with the consequences of their actions?

I think most people would agree that media can help to raise awareness of an issue; David Attenborough and his Plastic Revolt, Greta Thurnberg and Climate Change or Monbiot and Land Use to name but a few examples. Raising awareness of issues related to farming is a crucial facet in the fight against climate change and its effects.

Only last week, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produce its 6th report aimed specifically at raising awareness of the environmental impact of animal agriculture. This, in turn, evokes debate from both sides of the issue, making it (in theory, at least) easier for communication between farmers and non-farmers.

So, media can help to raise awareness of key issues related to food production which, sequentially, stimulates debate leading to richer communication and a deeper understanding of the entirety of the debate. Good stuff.

Finally, it is worth considering how we could improve media’s role in communication between the farming and non-farming communities. A brief chat with our resident marketing assistant Robyn revealed some of the nuances of media in the 21st century. Intriguingly, of all the mediums, video content is now the most consumed across online platforms, indicating a general shift towards immediate and instantaneous transfer of knowledge and information. The task, therefore, is how to wrap up the delicate and often intricate challenges and problems facing food production and farmers today, in a way that will captivate time-poor audiences.

Perhaps the best thing media can do to contribute to the on-going debate about environmental protection vs food production is simply offer each side a more understandable, easily digested version of one another’s views. The future of media in agriculture has never been more relevant.

Technology: How Drones & Mapping are Helping the Modern Farmer

With the development of ever more automated and ingenious technology in agriculture comes the sense that we are on the precipice of another agri-revolution. The last one, in the 18th century, was driven by the desire to increase production levels to the direct expense (albeit not knowingly) of the systems that naturally supported production in the first place. Now, some 250 years later, the next revolution is poised to deal with the shortcomings of the last, to address the ramifications from policies and developments that now threaten our very existence.

The major challenges we face today, climate change, biodiversity loss, soil infertility, soil erosion, depleted fresh water stocks, sea level rise (and acidification), increased efficacy of pests and disease, mass extinctions in the natural world, polluted water ways and large-scale habitat removal to name but a few, are all coming to a head. The next revolution will have to both protect and improve our natural resources, as well as increase production levels to cope with a swelling population.

Technology and automation can provide some incredibly innovative and exciting solutions to these challenges. As a specific example, drone use offers the chance to accurately map soil conditions across the farm. This allows the farmer to apply applications sparingly, and only where necessary, reducing the amount of application used, improving the farms economy and protecting the environment. Another example can be found in the use of crop protection programmes designed to allow a drone to fly over crops checking for early signs of pests or disease. The early identification of such an issue allows the farmer to easily deal with the problem as an isolated case, protecting the other crops from treatment (where before the whole field may have been treated) and avoiding costly whole-crop losses. In summary, early indications show that technology has the power and potential to transform agriculture for the greater good, for greater environmental provision, for greater production levels and for greater welfare for animals unfortunate enough to be stuck in the current system.

There is, however, a rather large BUT standing in the way as technological developments and automation tell but half the story. The human side to this presents further challenges. The demographic of the farming community in the UK puts the average age of a farmer somewhere between 50 and 70, an age group which historically has evidenced a significant lack of digital literacy and a propensity for risk aversion. The uptake of technology in agriculture so far has reflected as much. The other challenge facing agri-tech is the public perception of agriculture and farming itself. Seldom will teachers encourage pupils into farming, particularly so if they evidence a skill in one of the ‘core’ subjects that relate directly to school leagues. The difficulties in attracting young, intellectual and innovative minds to the industry are only now being identified as limiting factors to the spread of agri-tech and of climate-smart and genuinely innovative agricultural practises the country over.

So, there we have it, agriculture is being squeezed so tightly that a revolution is around the corner. Agri-tech poses a potential solution to many of the issues surrounding environmental protection, increasing production and farm/labour safety. The farming demographic in the UK is perhaps uneasy with the speed of such drastic changes catalysed by agri-tech. And finally, public perception of agriculture as a career does little to attract the kind of people necessary to carry through technology into an archaic industry, bringing with it new ideas and fresh impetus to boot. The future of farming depends, surely, on its ability to increase production whilst improving natural resources/conditions. Agri-tech stands alone as a beacon of hope.  All Images © Trelonk Ltd

Root of Plant - Trelonk Ltd

Cornish Summers by Olly

Alas, the Cornish summer comes to fruition. As the summer holidays arrive, a deluge of wind and rain howls across the county, gleeful almost in its energy and mocking-like in its timing. It spoils beach-days and sends children packing, destined for the doom and gloom of the television and the inescapable wailing of the ‘back-to-school’ crowd. For farmers, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Harvests up and down the country have at best been delayed, and in the worst cases cancelled altogether. Crops that sprang sprightly from the summer soil just last week now lie jaded against the earth, flattened by weather with all hope of retrieval washed away in the mizzle. At Trelonk, our crops are standing up to the beating remarkably well.

The deep taproots of the Hemp, Borage and Sunflowers secure them safely in the soil, and the Calendula field simply sways and dances with the wind. Agronomically speaking, 50% of the farm is now ready for harvesting, or at least for cutting (our Borage and Hemp will remain out in the field as part of the next steps in their harvesting process). Obviously, we will await calmer climes, but the excitement of seeing fields of flowers morph slowly into fields of seeds has now reached fever pitch.

Finally, it is a pleasure to report that the ‘budding’ stage of the rose production process is now over, and we can bid a warm and grateful farewell to our contractors. The roses will see out the summer before being ‘headed-back’, a process that involves cutting the root stock ‘head’ away to allow the preferred species ‘head’ to flourish. All Images © Trelonk Ltd