Crop Information:
Dried Herbs
Arnold Farms has historically grown a large area of Perennial
Sage and Curly Parsley from the early 70's. Initially supplying
Littleton and Badsey growers down in Evesham until early
2000, when the production and processing facilities were
acquired and relocated to Arnold Farm's base near
Ombersley.
Arnold Farms only supplies homegrown, farm assured
product enabling full traceability (NB. spray records dating
back to the early 70's for 90% of our production fields) and
minimal risk of fraudulent impurities which is normally
associated with imported product - for further information on
impurities in imported product please see our news.
Dried Parsley
Arnold Farms is a relatively large grower of Dried Parsley in
the UK. We supply various spice merchants, food ingredients
suppliers and food manufacturers.
Parsley is supplied in 10 kg paper sacks with a plastic liner.
Our special storage facility enables us to provide all year
round supply with no disruption to availability.
Dried English Perennial Rubbed Sage
Arnold Farms is one of the largest growers of English
Perennial Rubbed Sage in the UK. We supply various spice
merchants, food ingredients suppliers and food
manufacturers (Sausage Making Industry).
Because of the way we propagate our sage at Arnold Farms, it
is a genetically consistent strain ensuring a consistent base
ingredient into the drying process.
Sage is supplied in 10 kg paper sacks with a plastic liner. Our
special storage facility enables us to provide all year round
supply with no disruption to availability.
Fresh Herbs
Arnold Farms grows throughout the year a large range of
fresh herbs. sold bulk for various markets. Due to our soil
type and irrigation capabilities we have perfected various
growing techniques to grow fresh herbs on a large scale
which improves supply consistency and limits crop risk from
weather.
Rhubarb
Availability
- Late February to September
- Yearly Average of 60acres
- Supplied in 7.25kg (16lb) plastic crates or 10kg returnable supermarket crates
- Large orders/continuous supply easily accommodated
About Rhubarb
- Rhubarb suits well drained, fertile fields that get a lot of sunlight.
- It can be planted in Early Spring as crowns or alternatively in the autumn after they have become dormant.
- Main crop rhubarb is a perennial plant that is grown outdoors arriving in Spring.
- Once planted rhubarb plantings remain productive for 8 - 15 years.
- Field grown rhubarb has a flavour that is more intense than forced rhubarb.
- It is the stalk of the rhubarb plant that we eat, the leaves however are poisonous and should not be ingested.
Did You Know?
- Rhubarb is botanically a vegetable! However it is treated as a fruit due to its thick, fleshy stalks.
- It is a very old plant - with records dating back to 2700 BC when it was cultivated for medicinal purposes in China.
- Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and very high in fibre.
- It is also claimed that due to its acidic properties rhubarb is good for cleaning pots and pans!
Forced Rhubarb
Availability
- January to March
- Available in 6kg Cardboard Boxes
About Forced Rhubarb
Did You Know?
- The process of forcing rhubarb was in fact discovered by accident when some rhubarb roots were accidentally covered by soil
by workmen at Chelsea Physic Garden in 1817. When soil was removed, pink, tender and higher quality shoots of rhubarb were found. The flavour of this rhubarb was preferred and commercial growers in London started blanching rhubarb and lifting roots into buildings. This concept was expanded in Yorkshire where they brought the rhubarb 'on' in huge sheds - whereby the popularity of rhubarb grew. The producers were centralised between Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford and became to be known as the 'Rhubarb Triangle'.
- A train known as "The Rhubarb Express" would make its journey from Yorkshire - delivering freshly harvested rhubarb to
London Markets every night for the season. It ceased its journeys in the mid 1960's due to the post war decline in forced
rhubarb popularity.
Potatoes
Availability
- October to March
- Available in 15kg or 25kg paper sacks
About Potatoes
- The potato originated 8,000 years ago in South America, and 2000 years later were grown in Peru.
- It was not grown in the UK until 1597. The industrial revolution helped the potato grow in popularity as people demanded cheap, energy rich foods. It then went on to become a British staple - roasties, crispy chips and creamy mash.
- Potatoes are naturally fat free and are also very high in vitamin C and B6. However the level of vitamin C depends on the type of potato and method of cooking - new potatoes contain the best levels.
Did You Know?
- It was believed that the potato held medicinal qualities and was rubbed on the skin of sick patients.
- Crisps were invented by accident in 1853 when a customer sent his serving of potatoes back to the chef for being cut too
thick. Instead the chef cut them extremely thin and fried them in hot oil. Contrary the customer loved them and potato crisps have been popular ever since.
- Potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space in 1995 in order to feed astronauts on long space voyages.
Sweetcorn
Availability
- Mid July to Mid October
- Available as a box of 28
About Sweetcorn
- Sweetcorn is a variety of maize, but its tender seeds are
eaten as a vegetable.
- Sweetcorn suits deep, rich soils, and early crops suit light sandy soils because they are quicker to warm up in the spring.
- Unlike traditional field corn. sweetcorn varieties are harvested when their ears have just reached milk stage, of which only lasts a short time - particularly in hot weather.
- The sugar content in the seeds/cobs can quickly convert to starch and so they should be used immediately or frozen.
- Sweetcorn is high in carbohydrate and sugars and also contains vitamins A, B3 and C.
Did You Know?
- Sweetcorn leaves were used as chewing gum by Native Americans.
- On average there are 800 kernels on an ear of sweetcorn.
Combinable Crops
Arnold Farms grows approximately 350 acres of combinable
crops to act as a break crop within a large rotation of fresh
produce crops. This enables Arnold Farms to deal with
problem weeds, disease build up and improve soil structure.
- Continuous supply out of store.
- Full spec Milling Wheat and Malting Barley.
- Fully crop assured
Hay and Straw
- Arnold Farms can supply hay and straw ex farm throughout the yeR.
- Fully crop assured.
- Lorry and yard friendly bales
- Standing straw also available
- Both large square and round bales available
