30/09/08 A Perthshire farming family is crushing, bottling and marketing rapeseed oil direct from the field after hatching an innovative diversification project which followed months of research.

The Cameron family, who farm a 400 acre mixed arable and livestock unit at Ferneyfold Farm, Madderty, near Crieff are delighted with the local support for their new product which is now sought after by a range of local shops and restaurants.

David Cameron and his wife Elizabeth have grown oilseed rape on the farm for more than 25 years and, with the innovative drive of daughter, Margaret, and son-in-law Mark, they are now producing “Summer Harvest” branded rapeseed oil.

Mark, who was originally from South Wales, previously worked as an IT consultant in London on the trading floor of an investment bank. After getting married the couple moved back to Scotland and Mark started to research the potential demand for Scottish rapeseed oil.

“I’ve always loved cooking and had heard of rapeseed oil being used as an alternative to olive oil but when we started to research a bit further we discovered the huge health benefits of rapeseed oil which is only six per cent saturated fat, compared with olive oil which is typically 14% and butter at 59%,” said Mark.

“Coupled with the drive for locally produced food and lowering food miles, we felt there could be real potential for rapeseed oil from Perthshire,” he added.

Rapeseed oil also had naturally occurring Vitamin E, an antioxidant, and is a good source of omega 3, 6 and 9. With a shelf life of around 12-18 months, the oil is simply pressed and filtered with no preservatives or additives.

The oil has a deep golden colour and fresh, light nutty taste and can be used in salad dressings, salsas and marinades as well as for stir-frying and baking. With a higher burning point than olive oil, rapeseed oil is, added Mark, great for roasting too.

With Mark’s IT background, designing a website www.summerharvestoils.co.uk to support the marketing of Summer Harvest Oils has been a priority and supporting him in developing many of the recipes featured on the site has been wife Margaret – chief tester and critic!

The family made a trial batch of rapeseed oil in May this year when they crushed the first tonne from the 65 acre crop grown at Ferneyfold. One tonne of oilseed rape produces around 300 litres and the family are producing 500ml and 250ml bottles, as well as larger catering volumes.

“We had previously been attending Perth Farmers Market where we sold potatoes and that really made us aware of the public demand for locally grown food and gave us the confidence to take the rapeseed oil idea forward,” said David.

The first trial batch was a real learning curve, with the moisture content of the oilseed rape proving a crucial component in successful crushing. The family also had to get to grips with the minefield of legislation behind food packaging and labelling, with welcome guidance and assistance from local environmental officers.

Local support for the project has been fantastic, pointed out Mark and Margaret. Summer Harvest Oil is now on the shelves of a number of Perthshire farm shops, including Brig Farm Shop at Bridge of Earn, Gloagburn at Tibbermore and Dalchonzie Fruit Farm Shop near Comrie. Local restaurants have also been delighted with the product, including Yann’s Rooms and Restaurant in Crieff and Crieff Hydro Hotel.

The product has also performed very strongly in a taste test by Demijohn Liquid Deli, which has premises in Glasgow and Edinburgh, out-performing other rapeseed oils available.

“Oilseed rape has always performed very well in Scotland, with the longer daylight hours a factor in this, and it seems the growing conditions also result in better tasting rapeseed oil. The taste will vary slightly each year depending on the growing and harvest conditions which gives the oil a really distinctive character,” added David.

A further three tonnes of oilseed rape have been crushed this summer and, with demand continuing to grow, the family are now looking at developing a range of oils, including infusions with Scottish-grown garlic and herbs.

At present the oilseed rape is crushed by a contractor but, going forward, the family is seriously considering investing in a crusher for Ferneyfold.