Suffolk-based growers James Foskett Farms Ltd will be taking up the reins as AHDB’s Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm East host this autumn.
The appointment comes following the end of the three-year programme at Elveden, who will continue to host a number of events this month and later this year as part of the transition period.
Farm Manager at James Foskett, Mike Shapland, said: “We offer a good portfolio of soils and crops and are constantly striving to make improvements, so we really feel like we’ve something to offer the industry.
“The loss of actives such as diquat obviously poses a big challenge for growers. We need to develop other strategies for haulm destruction.
“We heard really good things from other growers about the Strategic Potato Farm programme at Elveden. We are pleased to be able to work with Andrew and his team there, and with AHDB, during this transitional season, before hitting the ground running as hosts in our own right.”
Andrew Francis, of Elveden, said: “Being a SPot host was as rewarding as it was challenging. As our contract came to an end, we held meetings about ways we could stay involved with change and innovation in the industry.
“We are proud to be part of a forward-thinking community of growers and supply chain. Being part of a programme of events as we hand over to James, Mike and their team moves the SPot East programme to the next chapter”
The open days at Elveden and James Foskett form a series of events for growers in the East of England this year. They will be centred on topical issues, such as dealing with chemical loss and smart use of water.
Tim Isaac, Head of Arable Knowledge Exchange at AHDB, said: “This year is a critical one for potato growers. It is their last with Diquat, probably their last with CIPC, and many in the East are starting on the back foot when it comes to water availability.
“The SPot programme is designed to help growers make change, and as at our established farms in Scotland, the North, West and South, we will be tackling these key issues via a range of demonstrations, many of which were started in previous seasons.
“The first year of a new project is mostly about baselining and establishing a link with research. By running events this season across both farms, our new hosts will be able to pick some of this work this season – while we tackle hot-topics at dedicated events.”
James Foskett Farms will begin their tenure as SPot hosts on 1 September 2019, though they will host an event on 18 July this year. It is a family-owned business on predominantly sandy loam soils over 900 hectares. Along with potatoes, the rotation includes onions, cereals and sugar beet among its arable crops. The farm also has an organic enterprise comprising carrots, butternut squash, green peas, onions and carrots.
Events in 2019
In the East:
- 18 July – Field walk and storage update, James Foskett Farms
- August/September*– Desiccation and haulm destruction, Elveden Farms
- Autumn 2019 – GREATsoils event, Elveden Farms
Nationally, events will take place across the wider Strategic Potato Farm network at Heal Farms in Shropshire (Strategic Potato Farm West), Dillington Farm in Somerset (Strategic Potato Farm South), RJ and AE Godfrey in North Lincolnshire (Strategic Potato Farm North) and Bruce Farms in Perthshire (Strategic Potato Farm Scotland).
AHDB Strategic Potato Farms form part of the Farm Excellence programme: a network of over 60 farms which includes Monitor Farms. Farm Excellence provides a channel for integrating farmers and their businesses into the wider AHDB research and knowledge exchange programmes.
