HAMPTON NET FENCING FOR RASPBERRIES

Hampton Steel Works with Award Winning Clock House Farm.

Clock House Farm Limited, Soft Fruit Grower of the Year 2019, is a family run business farming approximately 330 hectares to the south of Coxheath in Kent and a further 30 hectares at a satellite site near Tonbridge. Clock House grow top quality strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears and plums which they supply to all the major supermarket chains including Marks and Spencer and Tesco.

In the highly competitive fruit market, it is important to produce quality fruit as efficiently as possible. Clock House continue to invest in new growing systems and crop varieties to optimize their return on investment whilst always keeping in mind the need for sustainable farming systems and practices to minimise the impact on the environment.

‘We continually consider the high value of our ecosystem which supports the business and the detrimental cost to the business if those ecosystems were to diminish or disappear.’ Said Nick Deppe, Production Director at Clock House Farm.

Clock House embrace innovation. They were one of the first English farms to grow strawberries on table tops. Their first field was established in 1998 and this system was then adopted for all their strawberry production by 2006.

Finding new ways to maintain the optimum growing environment for the plants, combined with improved presentation of the crop for the pickers, as well as reducing husbandry costs, is what Clock House strive for.

‘The opportunity to work with UK manufacturer, Hampton Steel, to develop our own specification of wire mesh that could not only support our raspberry plants but provide maximum light with little maintenance was an incredibly exciting prospect.’

‘Historically we have used traditional twine to support our raspberry plants but this is labour intensive and restricts the light reaching all the plants. Working with Hamptons, we have been able to develop a Hampton NET™ high tensile wire mesh with large apertures exactly to our specification. Our raspberry plants are grown in their individual pots, so, as they grow, the 100 metre lengths of wire mesh supported at intervals by metal poles, can be easily raised. Each raspberry plant is therefore fully supported by the wire grid that surrounds them with the additional benefit of optimum light due to the low-profile nature of the wire. Hampton’s high tensile fixed knot mesh is extremely self-supporting which was another key aspect to our selection. Each 100 metre stretch of the mesh is loosely strained so it is imperative that the mesh has as little sag as possible as it is raised.’

‘We have been hugely impressed with the quality of Hampton’s service and product. As a UK manufacturer they were able to react quickly to our new specification requirements and are keen to investigate further areas for innovation.’ Said Nick.

Hampton NET™ fixed knot machines have the versatility to be set to the customer’s own specifications. Stay wire spacings can be between 2″ and 48″ and line wires can be spaced from 2″ upwards in 1″ increments. A hinged lower or upper section is an easy addition to the manufacturing process designed to be angled out to help prevent burrowing or scaling. Fully galvanised, Hampton NET™ is guaranteed for ten years.

Also, available with a protective green coating, Hampton NET™ Green features all the benefits of Hampton NET™ but with increased durability and a twenty year guarantee.

Contact the Hampton sales team to discuss your fencing requirements 01933 234070, email sales@hamptonsteel.co.uk visit the www.hamptonsteel.co.uk to view the full product range.