WHARFE Valley cold pressed rapeseed oil is now one of the best respected of its kind in the UK and the Kilby family of Lilac Farm began producing it from their own crop in 2006 , processing and bottling it on the farm . What ’ s more my son Russell was in at the start with them , helping with the crop , before starting at university .

Today the Kilbys ’ multi-award-winning extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil is endorsed by celebrity chefs , foodies and nutritionists for its healthy , delicious taste and cooking performance . It is all part of the farming and farm diversification enterprise that sees the Kilbys tenanting around 620 acres across three sites having recently taken on 150 acres .

‘ Today we need much more than we grow for the rapeseed oil business ,’ says Geoff Kilby , who came to the then 165-acre Lilac Farm with his mother Myra Emily in 1969 when he was 20 years old , his father William ( Bill ) having died of a heart attack in 1963 when Geoff was just 15 .

‘ We started growing oilseed rape in 1984 . It had been around

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in the UK for about 5 years and at the time was just regarded as another break crop that left a good opening for wheat to follow .’

Other local farmers grow oilseed rape for the Kibys as they normally need around 200 tonnes of rapeseed each year to supply the markets they had grown since starting . Covid-19 and the lockdowns and restrictions that have followed has meant this year has been somewhat different on sales , particularly in the service and hospitality sector . It had already proved a challenge even getting a crop established given the weather in the latter months of 2019 .

‘ This year we are growing 60 acres of oilseed rape ,’ says Geoff . ‘ But last year , as a result of the poor autumn in 2019 , that proved extremely challenging with the wet weather and flea beetle , we ended up with a very embarrassing 17 acres which also didn ’ t look particularly good .’

‘ We ’ d planned on growing 40 acres but didn ’ t get that in because of the weather and then flea beetle took some of

it too , which we had to knock out and put in spring barley . Flea beetle is the reason why many farmers have come out of growing rape .’

‘ You just can ’ t explain why it will attack in one field and yet over the hedge it can leave the neighbouring field . There ’ s no rhyme or reason .’

Geoff is well aware that the outlawing of neonicotinoids , which had been alleged to be a problem for bees , has caused the growth of flea beetle . But he has doubts in the validity of that being the case .

‘ We have a beekeeper on our farms at Collingham and

at Elvington . The beekeeper at Elvington reckons the whole thing is a load of rubbish . He maintains it never affected his bees and they are his only source of income . Fortunately , we ’ ve not suffered as badly with flea beetle this year .’

‘ We swath in mid-late July , usually around Great Yorkshire Show time or just after and dependent on how the sun shines it can be 10 days to a fortnight before combining . In a good year we harvest at around 2 tonnes per acre , and 1 tonne in a poor year . It is interesting how different land can change the colour of the oil . I liken it to

grapes growing in a vineyard . Different land suits different grapes . Our limestone land gives a lighter coloured oil than our darker sand land at Elvington , that ’ s why we grow more of it here .’

Wharfe Valley cold pressed rapeseed oil will normally see 600,000 litres sold each year in all manner of bottles and with a range of infused flavours . The Kilbys also offer a range of salad dressings and mayonnaise .

‘ We lost 80 per cent of our business overnight when the first lockdown came ,’ says Sallyann . ‘ It was just starting to come back during the summer and we were at around 50 per cent when the second wave started . Fortunately , we only press the rape to order .’