Albert Johnson of the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Co was among a group of innovative cider producers featured in a recent BBC Farming Today Show as part of their coverage of two of the most important events in the farming year - the Oxford Farming Conference and the Oxford Real Farming Conference.

The Oxford Farming Conference is the leading international conference held in the UK for farming and agribusiness. It takes place in January every year in the historic surroundings of Oxford University. The OFC’s mission is to inform, challenge and inspire the delegates who attend and be a force for positive change throughout the industry. The Real Farming Conference was set up by those in the industry who were opposed to the idea that farming should be considered as ‘just’ a business and many proponents of Real Farming are also organic.

The Great Cider Debate, which Albert was part of, was the only event which brought the two conferences together and he told the Ross Gazette it was very successful, he said that the debate was a lot of fun and the cider went down very well.

Farming Today’s, Anna Hill asked all the important questions; such as how are cider producers preparing for Brexit and how is climate change affecting this popular tipple. The panel members also brought along their ciders so guests could taste how the decisions they make on-farm affect the finished products.

Cider and Perry is in Albert’s blood. The Johnson family have been pressing cider at Broome Farm since the 1930s. All their cider and perry is pressed on the farm, mainly from their own fruit.

Ross on Wye Cider & Perry’s scale of production allows them to make small batches of single variety and blends. Recognising the value of blending allows them to create ciders with more depth of flavour, giving mixtures of acidity, tannin, astringency as well as varying aromas and aftertastes. This means working with a wide range of varieties from bittersharps such as Foxwhelp, Browns or Frederick to bittersweets like Dabinett, Yarlington Mill and Major.

Originally Albert was not certain he would follow the family path into farming and he studied international politics, but he found himself drawn back to the farm.

As he was interested in developing the farm he considered new and innovative ways to develop the crop and joined forces with his cousin, a sheep farmer, who grazes 45 ewes in his orchard. This is a venture that has had multiple benefits for both. The project is one of those supported by a local charity Innovative Farmers, which promotes farmer-led collaboration and research.

The charity gave the company a small amount of seed-money as a contribution to begin their herd of Shropshire Sheep, and to graze them in the orchard and see how that would effect the productivity of both crops.

Albert told the Gazette: “The debate was a lot of fun - I enjoyed representing traditional, small Herefordshire Cidermaking alongside Aspall Cider and Sandford Orchards, who are much larger producers from other areas of the country.

“The reception was very positive - both to my cider and also to the farmers in the audience who were interested in the possibility of sheep and orchard grazing.”