That's it, I'm done

Having given my presentation at the annual Nuffield (UK) conference I am relieved and also disappointed.
The Nuffield were great, the hotel was great, the presentation went ok but I was pretty pissed off that because of circumstances beyond my control I had to attend to the arrival or 130,000 chicks at the farm on Friday afternoon and their wellbeing on Saturday.
Maybe next Year I can get to enjoy the conference fully!

Let me repeat my thanks to my wife Mandy, the Nuffield scholarship trust and my sponsors The Three counties agricultural society and the Worshipfull company of Fruiterers.

REPORT WRITING

I HAVE BEEN SORTING OUT MY PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE REPORT AND MANAGED TO DOWNLOAD THEM ALL ONTO A PICASA ALBUM:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106092319072583059897

HOLLAND HAS WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD FIND IN CHINA

We travel North into Holland, tracking parallel with the German border. After half an hour we pass the Floriade horticulture show which lasts for Six months and expects 15,000 visitors each day. Yet again I am in another country that clearly values it's food production industry and wonder what we can possibly do to match this in the UK.
We have yet another hectic day of cherry orchards, nurseries and trial sites.

Our hotel is opposite  the main town station and I am staggered to find a massive amount of bicycles, more akin to what I had expected to see in China.
The massive drive home the following morning drags on but it marks the end of my Nuffield travels and gives me time to reflect on what an epic journey I have had.

MAYONNAISE ON CHIPS AND CHERRY IN BEER

I leave at 2.30am for us to be in the fruit market at Sint Truiden by Midday only to discover that there is no trading because of the rain. We find fruit crops in Belgium to be variable and like us they are really struggling with the wet weather and cold temperatures.

We visit several great nurseries and orchards along with the PC fruit research centre. At dinner in Maastric we discover Kriek beer but can't blame it for virtually falling asleep after the main course.

A DASH TO GERMANY

The opening of a Third terminal at Manchester airport has spawned a few new Ryan air routes which is great because it is a doddle for me to catch a train mid afternoon and be in Germany to eat by 8pm! Memmingham is yet another cold war military airport that is slowly being transformed for commercial traffic and once again Ryan air's vague geography works in my favour because it is billed as Munich but in fact 100Km West of the city. I find yet another gem of a town that I wish I could enjoy at my leisure with the family but do find a great place to eat.
An early start is rewarded with stunning views as the sun rises over the snowcapped alps. I travel South and at lake Constantine traverse West to Friedricshafen.
Fruitwelt Bodensee is held in a new airy conference centre and has an awful lot to look at in a single day. It's nice to see some of the German apple machinery and I also get to look at a lot of processing kit.

Too soon I hit the autobahn and zone out for the trip home. The initial train journey is shared with some over exhuberent Friday night revellers but at least I make my links and am not condemned to spend the night on the Shrewsbury station platform.

THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL

The wonderful hospitality continues in Brazil. we have a whirlwind tour of orchards throughout the  Valdena region. One of the most staggering sights is of the 2657Ha Schiu orchards and a tour of one of their pack houses. The final orchard of the day is difficult to see as the sun has already set. In the headlights on the way out of the orchard I thought I saw a dog but a native also spots it and say's it's a giant rat.  Weighing in at 150Kg, the Capybara used to be quite common in this part of Brazil but for some reason numbers have declined.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara

We retire for another wild barbeque. I can't help but wonder, is that really a pig on the spit or something else...??

14 hours travelling and the Brazilians throw a party

Yet more travelling today but with the complication of Two flights and a Five hour bus ride. On entering Brazil I reflect that on my global tour, the infrastructure of many countries is extremely similar and that it is really only the people and weather that vary. It turns out the area of Southern Brazil that we are in has quite a strong European influence. The journey takes us Five hours north of Porto Allegre (happy port). On arrival in Vacaria we discover that the whole town has turned out with local dignitaries and Guochos.
The gathering commences at 9.30pm with a raft of welcome speeches and presentations. Finally, after a great meal including a huge barbeque, there is wonderful entertainment with traditional music and dancing. This is a combination of tap dance around a Two metre iron pole laid on the floor, folk dance in couples and an awesome display of twirling ropes with either wooden balls or flames on the end. These Brazilians know how to party.

LOST IN AN ARGENTINIAN ORCHARD

Today it was the central valley of the Rio Negro that we visited. The Kleppe estate is 6000Ha but only grows 800Ha of apples & Pears. These are divided into 100 blocks by wind breaks and irrigation canals. It would be very easy to get lost in the labyrinth of tracks, in fact they have fixed GPS trackers to all tractors to keep tabs of where they are. The upshot of this was that they did not inform the workforce initially and found some erratic practices such as one tractor stopping Thirty times in an hour (the operator was found to be texting), many additional siestas and lots of missed spraying rows. The quality has also increased significantly as drivers are aware that excessive speed with bins will be flagged up! After a great lunch by the Rio Negro (and swim of course) we spot a wild ostrich. That evening we are once again entertained to a great traditional barbeque and entertainment

AFTER CHILE THE DUST SETTLES

The Neuquen province of Argentina is on a plateau 600m above sea level. It is part of Patagonia and is naturally scrub. Over recent Years the oil companies have moved in to rejuvinate the economy but before that the Rio Negro area relied solely upon 50,000 Ha fruit. Mainly apples and Pears. Argentina is one of the world’s largest exporter of pears and they use rootstocks taken from wild species adapted from trees once planted by Catholic priests. The area is also famous for it’s dinosaur discoveries and there is a great museum which unfortunately we had no time to visit.

The argentinians immediately blame the Chilean's for sending their volcanic ash across from the Andes which has not only grounded their aircraft but also made a mess of their crops. Should we not be able to fly out I can think of a lot worse places to be stuck in.

The fruit trees here are unbelievable high (even taller then my cider apple trees) and  circus performers would struggle to pick from the huge wooden ladders.

What got the area started was a huge barrage and 116Km long irrigation canal system installed by us Brits in 1916. Apart from changing electric motors it has been faultless since! At the off take location I spot a horse drawn sprayer which was built in 1901, a stark contrast to the 2011 model I saw in New Zealand!

There is a massive storm so we take refuge in the local winery and have yet another excellent meal

CROSSING THE ANDES

I notice as we travel on to Pucon that the roads are significantly better than Twenty Years ago. Sure enough upon arrival we discover a chaotic Pucon which is hosting the Chile Iron man competition. I guess the overcast weather favours them but we do not even see Pucon in it’s full glory with Volcan Villurica shrouded in cloud.

I am always uncertain as to whether you should return to a place that you remember with great fondness in case it has change and will never be the same. Here is a prime example of a place that we had enjoyed as a small village with maybe one outdoor livery but now reminded me of a ski resort like Whistler with about 20 liveries, restaurants as far as the eye could see and tourist gift shops selling overpriced crap.

We now took the road up a beautiful valley towards our Andean crossing and Argentina. The sun came out and we were treated to lakes, waterfalls, unique trees and snow capped volcanoes. The border crossing was prolonged, not surprising I suppose with three buses clogging up the outpost on a Sunday afternoon. After crossing a grey melt water stream, cascading off the volcano, the landscape changed dramatically. We encountered a rolling plateau with Hereford cattle, sheep and the occasional poncho clad horseman. It becomes drier the further we progress and the sun sets behind us, outlining one final dramatic outline of the volcano.

MORE BURN'T WOOD THAN HOLLYWOOD

Los Angeles proves to be far less Holywood than it’s North American counterpart. In fact the only similarity is there have been a spate of recent forest fires. The hotel has a casino but it really is not too glamorous. My Five Year old nephew could have played roulette just as well as the local labourers who appear to be randomly dropping chips on squares. I come out on top, I haven’t spent any money but I find a chip on the floor.

As we head south the landscape becomes far more lush and we are entering cattle & corn territory. The standard of living appears to be dropping judging by the standard of housing and appearance of horses and carts on the dirt road.

We end up in Valdivia which once suffered an earthquake in excess of Nine on the richter scale and have an excellent seafood meal by a large estuarine river.

Mad Cows and Englishmen

Mad Cows and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

An early start today to hit the road towards Los Angeles (Chile).

There is a lot of holiday traffic on the road and several convoys of combine harvesters (on the main motorway through Chile) and this still does not hold up the traffic. We stop at some waterfalls with some naff stalls and a few trashy stalls.

It was the height of the BSE beef crisis when I last visited Chile. Our camp at the Siete Tasas (Seven Teacups waterfalls) was raided by cattle who ate all our food and even the washing up powder. They ran off like mad cows with their mouths frothing. So it was with some irony that we stop at the “mad cow” restaurant for lunch. Anticipating BSE burgers we have the usual slab of chewy beef.

That afternoon’s trip to the orchard is made worse by the fact that we have no water. The heat here is amazing as it just keeps building to 6pm and later. We arrive tired at the hotel in Los Angeles, a small town on the Bio Bio river and somewhat less glamorous than it’s Californian namesake although it is far less protentious, less polluted and I like it.

Heat and Volcanoes

The early morning sunshine is wonderful but I should have taken heed of the Cacti as we pulled into the first orchard of the day. Later I discover the hole in the ozone layer as it gets really hot!

More cherries today where the proprietor, Antonio Walker (with a silent L and the chairman of the Chilean fruit growers group) has planted 150Ha since 2007). Later we also visited his apple orchards where he had planted 100,000 trees in Three weeks. Not many growers can brag about the back drop of a volcano for their orchards.

I am surprised to find trees that appear to be growing paper bags. Antonio has placed 1.8 million bags on apples to hit the value added Taiwan market.

In between we drop in at the Joint SAG / USDA / ASEX inspection facility. There are Five of these impressively modern set up’s and as a measure of the importance of agriculture in Chile, the former president personally opened all Five. They aim to intercept reject able goods before they travels to the USA and end markets.

Let me make one thing clear, travelling in January is not good for New Years diets. Lunch started with a succession of finger food. We are invited to our table and the entrees just keep going. Fortunately I am tipped off as somebody has spotted half a dead cow being prepared out back. I pace myself but as we wait longer I become progressively more hungrier. The great thing is I am in no hurry to go anywhere and am really glad not to be in the baking sun.

That evening we eat alfresco at a winery of 4000Ha! It’ a great atmosphere, listening and watching local singers and dancers, good company, lots of food and wine and a clear sky to confuse all amateur astrologers.

Due South

Finally we are all set to leave Santiago and head South. My previous experience of Chile was that with only one main arterial road, the pan American highway, logistics were pretty straight forward. Well apparently this is not the case you have Chileans organising the agenda.

We head East off the highway up the Maipo valley and fond memories flood back of paddling the Maipo (coming across a school bus in the river) and egressing at an awesome rustic vineyard café. To my horror the Maipo has now been damned.

Suddenly we are in a vast and impressive tree nursery with Four million trees and a mountain back drop to die for.

Even at 10am the heat is intense

We meet a father and son “one. Man band combo” at a restaurant for a late lunch.

That afternoon I see my first cherry orchard and realise what a unique situation the Chileans have. Infinite variations of latitude and elevation and a climate to die for. Then it’s on to Churico, a small town which got hammered by the earthquake. We find limited options for food and get offered what the waiter calls “traditional Chilean beer – Stella artois”!

NOT SO CHILEY

Once again I leave blighty in mid winter and arrive to vibrant Chile sunshine in the southern Hemisphere. However yet another false dawn as I spend the first Two days stuck in a hotel conference room looking out to the mountains, what makes it worse is that there is a 52 metre pool in the foreground and I have only been in it twice (very briefly). I am at the IFTA (International fruit tree association) conference – High Density – High profit.

So far I have discovered that there is a high density of Americans at the conference and that by what the Hyatt are charging they are the ones making the high profit.

I last visited Chile 20 years ago and the little I have seen to date in Santiago indicate that things have moved on massively.

The conference is very intensive but extremely interesting. I had however already sussed out my planting system for this Springs 6,500 Pear trees when I bumped into one of the speakers from Belgium in the toilet queue on the plane.

The only disappointment is that the plug hole in the modern bathroom’s don’t allow the water to empty the wrong way around.

More about Chile soon as we head South and hit some orchards tomorrow.