38 M H POSKITT LTD JUN / JUL 2018 • farmers-mart . co . uk
38 M H POSKITT LTD JUN / JUL 2018 • farmers-mart . co . uk
a few changes became a direct supplier 20 years ago . All my friends said I was doomed going direct but I spent a lot of time with them , finding out what they wanted and matching their needs and our business grew as a result .’
While carrots are what Guy is known for they only make up 20 per cent of what he now farms , but they make 70 per cent of his value . He ’ s turned his attention to parsnips too .
‘ We started with them 15 years ago and they now make up 5 per cent of our farmed land but 15 per cent value . They have a huge spike in Christmas week when we shift 300 tonnes . We harvest carrots from July through to May growing many carrot varieties but Nairobi is by far the most popular and has been the main
‘ What I ’ m really into is technology , innovation
and good ideas . We now have camera grading technology that can determine quality , length and weight at the rate of 140,000 carrots per hour ’ carrot variety the UK for 25 years . Javelin is the parsnip market leader . We have a huge combinable crops acreage , but it only makes up around 4 per cent of turnover , our carrots are grown across 1500 acres . We have share farming and contract farming agreements . I enjoy being a normal farmer as it ’ s a lot less stressful than dealing with retailers , but probably still not as much fun as I ’ ve always found dealing with buyers .’
Pumpkins have been added to the farming mix in more recent years and Guy now grows upwards of a quarter of a million every year . Potatoes are grown for McCain ’ s and Walkers . Sugar beet , again a substantial crop , goes into Newark .
The packhouse and prepared food business is where most of Guy ’ s team are employed .
‘ What I ’ m really into is technology , innovation and good ideas . We now have camera grading technology that can determine quality , length and weight at the rate of 140,000 carrots per hour . On the farming side I ’ m an advocate of precision farming techniques and on administration we ’ ve moved to a new automatic system of being billed . I meet with the managers in the packhouse every Monday to discuss issues ; and with the farm team on a Wednesday . We have away days to brainstorm ideas to make savings and discuss what can be done better .’
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