Our Farming Tradition
The Kilby family are third generation farmers who have been in Collingham since the 1960’s, adding Oil Seed Rape to the traditional crop rotation in the early 1980’s. Wharfe Valley farms takes its name from the beautiful Wharfe Valley in Yorkshire.
In addition to traditional farming activities there is a highly successful family business growing and retailing ‘pick your own’ fruit in the summer, and other seasonal produce such as asparagus and potatoes.
Diversification
Wishing to expand and diversify into other food related products we researched the possibility of converting a home grown crop into a finished product. We consulted with DEFRA (The Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs) and with the help of grants from them and Yorkshire Forward we were able to embark on our venture into the production of culinary Rapeseed Oil. As a result we are now pressing our own Rapeseed Oil, from100% of our crop, in our specially designed and built press room on the farm.
Wharfe Valley Farms extra virgin cold pressed Rapeseed Oil
The local free draining fertile limestone soil on our farm produces a prolific rape crop, from which we produce Yorkshire’s finest Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil, taking great care to preserve all the natural, nutritional values of this product
The rape plant flowers in May and June and its yellow flowers briefly convert the landscape into a brilliant carpet of colour. The plant can grow up to 6’ in height and when harvested in July it yields tiny, jet back seeds. We store these seeds directly behind the press house, from where they are fed straight into the hoppers and very slowly cold pressed to produce oil. This is then filtered and allowed to stand before we bottle it by hand on the premises.