Planting Jersey Royal potatoes on the coast, we are SO close to the sea. You can even see France!

[@SteveMillar-t3f]

I’m been watching your videos and they are fascinating, years ago i was a lorry driver all sizes I used do potatoe runs to the farms to pick up them, I appreciate the hard work that you and the workers do, people should spend some time on the farms to see how hard the work is so should the governments and see how quickly they run away

[@masseyman6290]

You’ve finally got a quality red tractor in a video….long may that continue.

[@masterfarms]

Haha we’re Deere through and through but my cousins helping us plough for the season so you’ll see it around a little more yet !

[@masseyman6290]

@ good man, nice to hear it 👍 I don’t know who supplies Massey on Jersey, but I know a man called Simon Cousins who I think is something to do with farm machinery on the island - he was Massey harvesting in the UK for many years and a top man.

[@treve2627]

Enjoying your videos. Surprised that you don’t use polythene as in Cornwall for early production.

[@masterfarms]

Yes we do that will come in another video, just didn’t get to film it this time. Thanks for watching. 👍

[@whathasxgottodowithit3919.]

Another very interesting video, thank you for posting, it brought back fond memories. When we used to visit Jersey regularly we would stop for Morning coffee at the Breakwater Cafe at St Catherine's. Many years ago I worked on a Country Estate in Nottinghamshire, and all our seed potato boxes were stamped with Barnby Manor Estate on one side, and on the other side LT COL H.L.V. Beddington 1963

[@masterfarms]

No problem great to hear you’re finding them interesting. Yes the stamps on the side are a fascinating part of the history. Some of our boxes are a lot older than me !

[@ianm452]

Excellent filming and commentary, helped by a bit of sunshine and the sea view. I'm pleased that somebody takes the trouble to show the world how we farm in Jersey. Thank you for your effort.

[@masterfarms]

Thanks very much great to hear 👍

[@jpeel2066]

You wouldn't need any salt on those potatoes. They are so close to the sea. Great video. All the best 🇬🇧.

[@masterfarms]

Thanks very much 😀

[@Greenpower-t9y]

Lived there for 28 years, seen this many times and it never stops amazing me, well done.

[@masterfarms]

Thanks very much !

[@robertvanderlinden2813]

i like how this looks more like gardenwork than actual mass potato cultivation that we have here in the Netherlands

[@masterfarms]

Thanks sometimes a bigger field would be nice 😬

[@s1914]

Another excellent vid. Really liking your channel 👌

[@masterfarms]

Thanks very much 😀

[@raymondcarroll1670]

Great to see how you work, you have a lot of tractors and machinery, maybe you can show us around them all sometime? Please.

[@masterfarms]

Cheers will do can be a wet week video !

[@raymondcarroll1670]

@masterfarms thanks, I'm looking forward to seeing the fleet

[@jonathantroth2536]

Hi, very interesting video and it brought back many happy memories. I used to work for the Soil Association as an organic inspector and visited Master Farms back in September 2011. It was nice to hear words such as cotils and vergee again! I think 'perch' was also a unit of measurement (length?). I was lucky to spend 2 to 3 weeks per year in Jersey (and on the other island!) from roughly 2004 to 2012. Despite spending so much time in Jersey, I had never seen Jersey Royals being planted. In 2014, I left Soil Association and worked for another auditing company based in Harrogate, although I did visit Jersey a couple times more, auditing potato packhouses on behalf of Lidl UK. Since 2018, I have lived and worked in Austria. I am no longer connected with agriculture, but I still work as an auditor in the food industry in Austria and neighbouring countries. Does Master Farms still grow organic potatoes? Hope 2025 is a good growing season for you. Regards Jonathan

[@chrislee2221]

Lovely soil the driver was ploughing back, I expect it has had yrs of seaweed added by generations past.

[@iansmartel5473]

I doubt if seaweed is applied nowadays, that was what gave them the flavor.

[@masterfarms]

This land hasn’t had much seaweed. It’s slightly heavier and what we find is it takes a lot longer for the soil to dry out after applying seaweed. These fields are rotated and have been in grass for a few years for our heifers to graze.

[@markyoull6744]

great video i know were you are i worked in jersey on chateau des deeves i miss jersey

[@masterfarms]

Glad to hear you miss the island, thanks for watching.

[@PennyDouglas-yb7tg]

Brilliant mate.nice.video.any jobs.going.seasonal.all best in sherwood

[@masterfarms]

Thanks very much for watching 👍 We’re all sorted for the coming season can let you know if anything comes up. Cheers

[@PennyDouglas-yb7tg]

Okey dokey.all best.

[@willyfindlay4398]

Amazing how you use these tiny cliff top fields. They must be small to see the Massey reversing with a three furrow plough. It is still very labour intensive. Where do your farm workers come from ? Are they just seasonal? Thanks for your video. 😊

[@masterfarms]

Thanks these fields range from 0.5 to 2 acres. Yes it’s very labour intensive we’re lucky to have a great team to help us. We are a mix of seasonal and full time. Ranging from local, UK, Polish, Portugese and Phillipinos.

[@ollywareing9419]

Another interesting video guys thankyou. What fertiliser do you use and does it make much difference considering how little time and the size of potato you require. Also how far apart are the tubers? 2 inches? 😊

[@masterfarms]

Hi thanks for watching. We use a Yara Mila Sulphurcut. Yes it’s crucial to ensure a good yield. Although it’s a short growing season the potatoes still require nutrients all the way through to ensure a healthy crop which in turn reduces other disease issues. Yes slightly depends on seed size these are only about an inch apart as the seed is very small.

[@ollywareing9419]

@masterfarms Great thanks. Keep the vids coming 👌🏼

[@swiss300173]

Lovely soil, I love these videos, have you ever heard of any mishaps with machinery etc going over the cliff edges?

[@masterfarms]

Thanks, no luckily no machinery but we have had a heifer run down over the top onto the cliffs. It was a youngster and the first time she’d been out to a field. She just ran and ran ! Luckily she wasn’t too big around 9 months so we were able to with 6 people lift her back up to safety! Hopefully that’s the last time we take the cattle trailer to the beach !

[@peterdennis9359]

Looks very labour intensive but very instresting what you are doing please can I ask what area you farm in total

[@Jan-Boer]

Thanks for the video, I find it unbelievable how much seed potatoes you use. Isn't it possible to get more sprouts on the tubers by a heat blast or removing the top sprout? And then need less seed potatoes.

[@masterfarms]

Thanks we already knock the first shoot off these seed potatoes in October, it’s been a strange year with little and slow sprout growth. The Jersey Royal seed also will not yield the same as other varieties so we have to plant more to ensure we can get the crop.

[@TimWatson-g8x]

Hi how many acres do you farm and how many of those lovely Jersey cows do you milk 😊

[@masterfarms]

We farm around a 1000, we have a 420head herd aiming to milk around 200 all year round. Thanks for watching. 👍

[@alexanderhartmann07]

Wie hoch ist der ertrag an Kartoffeln bei ihnen?

[@masterfarms]

Early yields 4-5 tonne as the season progresses we can get 8-10 tonne.

[@thomasforbes8904]

How much do you get per ton for the spuds when there ready for selling

[@thomasforbes8904]

Are they not planted very near together for potato crop Normally 8/10 inch spacing ?

[@barrytipton1197]

Love jersey royals Lots of people in uk are saying they not the same now you stopped put seaweed on them Can you please explain

[@masterfarms]

Thanks great to hear! I think the main thing is eating them fresh. The biggest issue can be if they are sat on a shelf in a warm environment with lots of daylight (like a supermarket) this can cause greening, which will then result in them not tasting as nice. We find locally people say they taste just as good as they use too. The best way to sell them is dirty, which is how we sell the majority locally. However supermarkets push for them to washed and bagged at the end of the day they are our main outlet so we have to do what they ask.

[@barrytipton1197]

Where do I buy fresh and dirty

[@sn00pgreen]

fingers crossed for a good potato yield..I was the proud owner of a pedigree jersey heifer as a house cow when I was a boy, gallons of milk

[@masterfarms]

Ah that’s cool 👍 Thanks for watching.

[@scruftough]

Why plant so close, I always planted from 6ins up to 13ins apart

[@masterfarms]

Thanks We’re aiming for a high number of small salad potatoes, the high seed density helps this.