How farming diversification has given many agricultural lifelines to this blooming golden crop…
Rapeseed oil, as a kitchen essential, has received considerable exposure over the last couple of years but there still seems to be some uncertainties as to its credentials. We have long grown Oil Seed Rape in this country but the oil it produces has not always been one we’d necessarily enjoy cooking with.
Rapeseed oil farmer, Andy Fussell from Fussels Fine Foods, explains this crop’s varied history, its increase in production and it being an essential catalyst to farming diversification in recent years.
What was Oil Seed Rape originally grown for in the UK and have we seen an increase in its growth since the production of rapeseed grown for human consumption?
“Rapeseed has long been grown for multiple uses, primarily for the food industry and the production of vegetable oil due to its high smoke point. Also in the case of bio-fuel, the oil is heated and solvent extracted making for a less desirable end product and therefore we choose to only use the natural process of cold-pressing to extract our golden oil.
Rapeseed oil has also been used in the cosmetic and equine industry for its nourishing properties and rich source of vitamins and nutrients. There are several by-products after the extraction of oil and the Oil Seed Rape (OSR) plant is widely used as a raw material for animal feed too due to its high protein content.
Not just good in pastoral farming though, when we cut at harvest, it is often the stalky Rape straw chopped by the combine that provides farmers with a good source of phosphate, potash and organic matter that can be ploughed straight back into the soil. These multiple benefits in both arable and pastoral farming, as well as a brilliantly versatile end product, makes OSR a rather beneficial crop to grow for several reasons.
The way we produce our cold pressed oil has only come along in the last 15 years or so. We grow our OSR crop for a triple effect; we harvest a quality culinary oil – plus we can sell the cold pressed rapemeal for animal feed, we get the organic matter back into the soil, and we get the timeliness of the growing period of OSR which allows me to plant my following crop (wheat) in plenty of time and in good conditions – a win, win scenario all-round for us. 99% of OSR that you see in the fields however still goes for commercial pressing so our carefully extracted oil is still in the minority. That’s why it’s important when purchasing rapeseed oil that consumers choose a cold-pressed variety – this ensures neither solvents nor heat has been used to extract the oil.”
When you decided to start growing OSR extensively, was there a particular need for diversification in British farming?
“We had been growing OSR for a long time before I decided to diversify and create a high-quality brand with a high-quality oil I was proud of.
The original reason for growing OSR was because of the rotational advantages that it provided me with, in regards to growing good-quality, high-yielding winter wheat on what is essentially a very wet, small Somerset arable farm. It allowed me also to be able to spread the workload during the seasons and so let me do all the work with the help of seasonal and peak-time labour. This was simply essential to ensure the continuation of the farm within a tough industry.
About 12 years ago there was an essential need to diversify and create oil from my own crop of OSR. Due to the world price drop of OSR, the farm was forced to drop OSR from rotation as it would have been completely unviable. Farming was already in, what I considered to be, a situation where unless some sort of alternative income was found, I would have ended up renting my ground out to another bigger farmer, selling it or at best, farming part-time and working for somebody else outside the sector that I so loved.”
Now that rapeseed oil is more understood in kitchens and by the consumer, what new ventures are you exploring in the food and farming industry?
“I am always looking for the ‘new thing’ although always in line with what we already do – farming and production of our own oil and promoting our brand, the countryside and of course British farming.
So, Fussels Fine Foods’ next big thing that is currently in full swing, is to incorporate all of the above and provide people, groups and tour parties the opportunity to come and see what we do as farmers. From planting to harvesting and oil production, visitors to the farm can learn cooking skills and understand the sheer versatility of our golden rapeseed oil. I want to use farming, food production and cooking to enhance other skills such as team building, to provide entertainment, fun and ultimately knowledge surrounding our brilliant British farming industry.”
Visit Fussels Fine Foods at; www.fusselsfinefoods.co.uk