Tangmere Airfield Nurseries look back on an eventful growing year - of two halves. A wet and dark spring gave way to a very sunny and warm summer followed by a light autumn, resulting in a 5% increase in the 5-year average sunlight. In fact, there were 70 more hours of sunshine in July than the last two years – a heatwave and one of the UK’s hottest summers on record.
Events
In what is a pivotal time for the food and farming sector, the nursery hosted Jane King, CEO of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (in February) and Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union (in July) spending time touring the glasshouses and meeting the team. Both visits, organised by the West Sussex Growers’ Association provided an opportunity to discuss the key challenges facing growers and the priorities for driving forward the development of British horticulture.
At the third LEAF Open Farm Sunday, more than 1,500 people visited, nearly double the number of visitors that attended the first event in 2014.
Looking forward
2019 will mark 30 years of production here at Tangmere. In 1989, they started with 7.5 acres of land which has now grown tenfold to 79 acres under glass.
Right now, the team in Spain are in full swing, busy harvesting peppers from the crops planted out in September at the 31-acre site. At Tangmere, the team are busy planting and once again, the young plants are in the glasshouses as they look forward to production starting in March.
For more information:
Tangmere Airfield Nurseries
The Old Airfield
City Fields Way
Tangmere
Chichester
West Sussex PO20 2FT
Tel: +44 (0) 1243 533696
Fax: +44 (0) 1243 753210
Sales: +44 (0)1243 753220
www.tangmere.co.uk