THE LIE OF THE LAND

Farmers and growers have been through a tough few months in Yorkshire, as they tell us here

- Bethan Hyatt

There is a period in the farming calendar known as the hungry gap – a few weeks in spring when there is little produce, before a fresh crop of fruits and vegetables springs to life in May and June, sending farmers and pickers flocking to the fields to harvest their bounty. This year, however, the joyful summer sprouting season has coincided with the coronavirus lockdown, leaving farms without their seasonal workers from overseas. The Pick for Britain campaign encouraged unemployed and furloughed workers to seek jobs on local farms to make the most of our wonderful produce and keep the nation fed. Here four Yorkshire farmers share how they’ve fared over recent months.

PHILIP DODD

Managing director of Herbs Unlimited which grows fresh herbs, salads, speciality herbs and edible flowers in Thirsk ‘Early on in the season, before lockdown had even started, we thought we’d have a problem with seasonal labour, as the majority of our pickers are Romanian. But we were fortunate that two of our normal pickers were already here, as some of our crops were ready earlier, so they have trained up our new recruits.

‘There’s been a lot of interest in picking, particularly from students. In a normal year I’d be pulling my hair out trying to get enough labour, but with less demand for our produce, I haven’t needed as many pickers. It’s a real skill: you’re working outside, it’s manual labour and the plants need cutting correctly – some need to be almost manicured into shape.

'What's been quite shocking has been food waste'