What does it take to grow the perfect carrot? Our suppliers at Strawsons dish the dirt.

<p>‘We don’t need any lights on here at Strawsons!’, jokes Ian Holmes, crops business manager at the family-run farming business based in Newark, Nottingham. And if carrots truly do help you to see in the dark, then he’s not wrong. The team at Strawsons has been supplying tasty carrots to Asda since 2014 – and a lot of them. Sales and procurement manager, Alastair Ferguson, tells us they grow in the region of 100 million of these flavourful, antioxidant-rich veggies each year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p></p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/240314-ian-holding-carrots-smiling_GL?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p></p>
<p>Both men bring their experience of a background in farming to their roles; Alastair grew up on a dairy farm and later went on to manage a farm in Cambridgeshire where they grew onions, potatoes and other fresh produce. While Ian’s journey has been a little closer to home…</p>
<p>‘I live 10 minutes away, in the area I grew up in,’ says Ian. ‘I spent all of my childhood on a local arable farm – all I ever wanted was to become a farmer.’ After getting his degree in agriculture and crop management Ian gained valuable experience, knowledge and insight working within the pesticide industry. This included honing his skills in the areas of agronomy (a type of agriculture that focuses on field crop production and soil) and technical management.</p>
<p>‘I specialised in root crops and potatoes and then, later in 2013, Mark (Strawson, company owner) was advertising for an agronomist to join the team. I always wanted to get back to a bit more of the practical day-to-day farming and agronomy, so that was the real draw for me. I couldn’t love my job any more than I do,’ says Ian who admits to pinching himself when the role at Strawsons farming business came about.</p>
<p>Day-to-day farming is very much a part of Ian and Alastair’s remit, supplying top-quality carrots and delicious parsnips to Asda stores up and down the country, ensuring their processes deliver the best vegetables.</p>
<p>‘We aim to supply carrots 52 weeks of the year,’ says Alastair who’s been responsible for managing the supply chain here at Strawsons for 11 years. ‘The process starts with planting the carrot seeds. One of the key considerations is getting the soil ready; we use a machine to remove any large stones or debris that might impact growth. Nobody wants wonky carrots, so this enables them to grow in a straight, uniform way.’</p>
<p>Next, it’s about making sure the soil is as nourishing as possible. ‘Once the crops are in the ground, the most important decisions are made around fertiliser and controlling weeds, pests and disease as well as ensuring a sufficient water supply to create an optimal yield,’ explains Ian. ‘Carrots are excellent at fetching their own nutrients from the soil, so they don’t have huge nutritional requirements, particularly for nitrogen; this is great because nitrogen fertiliser is, in agriculture, one of the main sources of carbon emissions,’ explains Ian.</p>
<p>From a crop protection point of view, there are many challenges facing the team, be it pests or disease, which sees Ian personally tending to the veg – somewhere in the region of 1,500 acres of it – to ensure superiority. ‘I’ll visit each crop on a weekly basis, which involves walking the fields to check on the growth of the crop and spotting any potential issues, then making decisions on how best to manage these so the crop can fulfil its potential,’ says Ian.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p></p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/240314-ian-with-shovel_GL?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p></p>
<h2>THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT…</h2>
<p>While Strawsons has family very much at the heart, it’s also moving with the times and using cutting-edge technology to harvest the finest crops, explains Alastair. ‘We’re using new technology to monitor moisture levels, rainfall and wind speed, so Ian can look at his phone or his tablet and see what’s happening at any point to get an overview. You can’t remove the human element – that’s crucial – but technology can certainly improve what we do. In fact, I think that will only continue and the change in agriculture within even five years will be huge. We’ll soon be at the stage of driverless tractors,’ he adds. And while tech plays a huge role at Strawsons, harvesting carrots remains a manual job – for the moment, anyway.</p>
<p>The next part of the carrots’ journey involves logistical precision. Alastair and the team make carefully considered decisions on the order in which to harvest each crop, depending on specific parameters such as ground environment, how well the crop has grown and any risk of disease. As Ian explains: ‘It’s important that we know where we think we’re going to want to harvest at what particular time so we can manage the required harvest intervals and make sure the crop is compliant with our applications.’&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ian then passes the carrot baton to Alastair who has daily orders from Asda HQ and it’s his responsibility to ensure deliveries are faultless. ‘We dispatch lorries every day for the delivery, so we have to have a continued supply of product. One of the biggest challenges once we’ve passed the growing season, which is from the spring to the autumn, is the weather and getting the crop out of the ground. We’ll be talking about what crops we want to harvest in which sequence but also on what land they’re on in order to keep waste to a minimum,’ says Alastair.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>‘We’ve probably got the most modern carrot factory in the world. The family invested in top-of-the-range equipment two years ago and now all of our produce is optically sorted,’ Alastair explains. ‘We have a machine that looks at every single carrot – its size, any defects – and then it decides where to pack it. It’s been a game changer in terms of where we are as a business. We’re now able to look at this data and use AI to develop the process,’ he adds.</p>
<p></p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/240314-combineharvester_GL?scl=1 " alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h2>BACK TO THEIR ROOTS&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Tech aside, unlike other veg which is picked and stored, much of the crop is left in situ, explains Ian. ‘We leave the (unharvested) carrots in the field and cover them with plenty of straw to insulate them and protect them from the frost over the winter. This also traps cold air underneath, keeping them refrigerated and fresh tasting during the springtime.’&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ian takes immense pride in his role. ‘Every day is a bit different and that’s what keeps it interesting all year round. To see the result of the team’s efforts across 12 months in terms of the crop and then see that go through to the pack house and on to store, knowing you’re helping to provide the nation with a great-tasting healthy product that they enjoy, it’s a real feel-good factor.’&nbsp;</p>
<p>So, if you’re planning a visit from the Easter bunny this year, there’s only one way to serve up a portion of Strawsons finest, according to both Ian and Alastair: ‘Keep it simple,’ says Ian. ‘A heap of honey-roasted carrots and parsnips with your Sunday roast – you can’t beat it.’ And knowing those orange beauties have gone from field to fork in around two days, well what could taste better than that?&nbsp;</p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/240314-holding-carrots_GL?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h2>FEELING INSPIRED BY OUR TASTEMAKERS STORY?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Taste our <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/carrots-root-vegetables/asda-crunchy-sweet-carrots/30240?utm_source=refferal&utm_medium=article_carrots-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda Crunchy &amp; Sweet Carrots</a> as you’ve never tasted them before with four of the best recipes using carrots. Our <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/chai-carrot-scones?recipe_id=891a9c47-d26b-11ee-b03e-0915ed4460d1" target="_blank">Chai Carrot Scones</a> with gentle spices are sure to become a new family favourite. Tuck into <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/orange-carrot-and-walnut-pearl-barley-salad?recipe_id=a13b3738-d26b-11ee-b03e-35553a272363" target="_blank">Orange, Carrot and Walnut Pearl Barley Salad</a> for an easy supper, or give them a Middle Eastern twist with our Garlic, <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/garlic-honey-parlsey-braised-carrots-with-zaatar?recipe_id=6c66e4a6-d26b-11ee-b03e-fb94e6e26292" target="_blank">Honey and Parsley Braised Carrots with Homemade Za’atar</a>  – divine! Or, as Ian suggests, keep things simple and try our <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/honey-roasted-carrots-parsnips-quinoa-rukmini-iyer?recipe_id=48ae86e0-cec4-11e9-9e36-5b3f4ba97e04" target="_blank">Honey-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Quinoa and Rocket</a>.</p>
<div style="display: flex; justify-content: space-between;">
<div style="width: 48%;">
<h3 style="text-align:left;">CHAI CARROT SCONES WITH ORANGE-INFUSED ICING</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/chai-carrot-scones?recipe_id=891a9c47-d26b-11ee-b03e-0915ed4460d1" target="_blank">View recipe</a>&nbsp;</p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/891a9c47-d26b-11ee-b03e-0915ed4460d1_Square?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p><strong>Serves:</strong> 8<br><strong>Ready in:</strong> 50 mins<br><strong>Price per serving:</strong> £0.39<br><strong>Recipe info:</strong> Faff factor 2/5, Freezable</p>
</div>
<div style="width: 48%;">
<h3 style="text-align:left;">ORANGE, CARROT & WALNUT PEARL BARLEY SALAD</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/orange-carrot-and-walnut-pearl-barley-salad?recipe_id=a13b3738-d26b-11ee-b03e-35553a272363" target="_blank">View recipe</a>&nbsp;</p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/a13b3738-d26b-11ee-b03e-35553a272363_Square?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p><strong>Serves:</strong> 4<br><strong>Ready in:</strong> 50 mins<br><strong>Price per serving:</strong> £1.15<br><strong>Recipe info:</strong> 1 of your 5-a-day, Low-salt, Faff factor 2/5</p>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; justify-content: space-between;">
<div style="width: 48%;">
<h3 style="text-align:left;">GARLIC, HONEY &amp; PARLSEY BRAISED CARROTS WITH ZA'ATAR</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/garlic-honey-parlsey-braised-carrots-with-zaatar?recipe_id=6c66e4a6-d26b-11ee-b03e-fb94e6e26292" target="_blank">View recipe</a>&nbsp;</p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/6c66e4a6-d26b-11ee-b03e-fb94e6e26292_Square?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p><strong>Serves:</strong> 4<br><strong>Ready in:</strong> 40 mins<br><strong>Price per serving:</strong> £0.90<br><strong>Recipe info: </strong>1 of your 5-a-day, Low-fat, Low-salt, Faff factor 2/5</p>
</div>
<div style="width: 48%;">
<h3 style="text-align:left;">HONEY-ROASTED CARROTS & PARSNIPS WITH QUINOA & ROCKET</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/honey-roasted-carrots-parsnips-quinoa-rukmini-iyer?recipe_id=48ae86e0-cec4-11e9-9e36-5b3f4ba97e04" target="_blank">View recipe</a>&nbsp;</p>
<img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/48ae86e0-cec4-11e9-9e36-5b3f4ba97e04_Square?hei=600&wid=620&scl=0.76" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
<p><strong>Serves:</strong> 4<br><strong>Ready in:</strong> 1 hr 10 mins<br><strong>Price per serving:</strong> £0.75<br><strong>Recipe info: </strong>2 of your 5-a-day, Low-salt</p>
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<p>Make sure to stock up on everything you need at <a href="https://groceries.asda.com?utm_source=refferal&utm_medium=article_carrots-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda</a> or pop into <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/" target="_blank">your local store</a>.</p>


Carrots - Meet the Tastemakers

By Asda Good Living,11th March 2024

TAGS

RELATED ARTICLES