My few days in Istanbul before heading to the Black …
From the Global Hazelnut Sector to the Garden of England
Project
about the project
Kentish hazelnut production has a long history. Cultivation of hazelnut variants known as Kentish Cobnuts have led to unique landscapes within the county and across the country.
Preserving this industry is important for the rural economy and environment. Natural England Technical Note TIN013 highlights that Kentish Cobnuts are considered to be a ‘traditional orchard’ and contribute to the landscape mosaic of rural England and have significant cultural, wildlife and historic interest. Many traditional orchards (known as Plats) have been lost to neglect, grubbing up and development. Cobnuts are also a UK source of food for Red Squirrel projects.
The project will seek to discover more about:
- Market & Policy Environments
- Farming Practice & Approaches
- Diversification & Value-added initiatives
- Communities & Local Economies
- Marketing & Preservation
The overall aim of the project is to make sure that the humble Kentish Cobnut remains a well marketed product that is popular with the buying public.
Find out more below and over the coming months.
Travel
The Trip
The research trip will be carried out in two stages according to the seasons.
Northern Hemisphere 2019
Southern Hemisphere 2020
Turkey
Stage 1
China
Stage 2
USA
Stage 3
Australia
Stage 4
New Zealand
Stage 5
Part 2 (Australia & New Zealand) begins in....
- 00Days
- 00Hours
- 00Minutes
- 00Seconds
WCMT
about the WCMT
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust runs the Churchill Fellowships, a unique programme of overseas research grants. These support UK citizens from all parts of society to travel the world in search of innovative solutions for today’s most pressing problems.
Every year WCMT award 150 Fellowships. These fund outstanding individuals to travel for 4-8 weeks, anywhere in the world, researching a topic of their choice among global leaders in their field. On their return, we help them to share their global learning with professions and communities across the UK.
Tom’s project is in the Rural living: strengthening countryside communities category that examines the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
To apply for your own fellowship and to find out more head to the WCMT Website.
Follow
Trip Blog
Find out about and follow the trip
Tom
About Tom
Tom is the third generation involved in his family farm at Roughway Farm in Kent, launching the farm online to provide fresh produce directly to the consumer. Until very recently he represented residents at the local Borough Council, he also has a full time Marketing career and is the Treasurer of the Kentish Cobnuts Association. He has also previously written for The Daily Telegraph. He studied BA History and Politics and received a full scholarship for his MA in Modern British History at the University of East Anglia.
tOM
Churchill Fellow
Purpose
Trip Objectives
Some of the trips core objectives.
Market & Policy Environments
Gain a clear picture of their market & policy environments
Farming Practice & Approaches
Learn about different approaches to hazelnut farming.
Diversification & Value-added
Find out about hazelnut diversification and value added approaches
Communities & Local Economies
Discover local initiatives and how these factors have enhanced local economies and communities
Marketing & Preservation
Ultimately, I want to make sure that the humble cobnut remains a well marketed product that is popular with the buying public and thus preserves the industry.
Cobnuts
Why Cobnuts Are important
1
Traditional Orchards
A unique Kentish landscape.
2
An excellent Nutritional Profile
Cobnuts contain a range of vitamins and are an excellent source of fibre and protein. Find out more about cobnuts.
3
Tasty and Versatile
Cobnuts are very versatile. Partly due to how the kernel evolves from when eating green to the sweeter drier kernel. Roughway Farm has a range of cobnut recipes to try.
4
Opportunity
Opportunities for diversification and value added.
5
A UK Feed Source
Cobnuts are a UK source of food for Red Squirrel projects. While feed can be imported, sometimes Kent cobnuts become a critical source of food. In addition, conservation projects like to use cobnuts in public displays.
Contact
If you can help with the project or would like to get in contact with Tom please email or get in contact via social media.