Winterwood Farms Ltd

03/09/2026

🌦️ From extreme rainfall to record-breaking dry conditions - farming increasingly means being prepared for the unexpected.

Winterwood’s Coleman, National General Manager in South Africa, has been speaking to the International Blueberry Organization about the realities facing South African blueberry growers following this year’s extreme weather.

Some farms recorded an extraordinary 300-400mm of rain in just a few days during May, causing severe localised flooding and significant damage to infrastructure.

Yet just two months later, Cape Town International Airport recorded its lowest July rainfall since 1958.

As Dylan discusses in the article, the impact on blueberry production has varied considerably from farm to farm. While some growers have suffered major losses, the wider South African industry remains resilient, with national export volumes expected to remain relatively stable.

But the bigger challenge is adapting to increasingly unpredictable conditions, from protecting infrastructure and securing water supplies to managing the additional logistical and operational costs that extreme weather can bring.

It’s an important insight into both the challenges and resilience of South African blueberry production. 🇿🇦

The article has now been published by both the International Blueberry Organization and FreshFruitPortal.

🔗 Read the full article on the International Blueberry Organization website here: https://www.internationalblueberry.org/2026/08/13/south-african-blueberry-season-faces-extreme-weather-realities-resilience-amid-localized-disruption/

Or use the link below to read it on FreshFruitPortal

Despite the dramatic rainfall, the physical impact on crops was highly localized rather than industry-wide, keeping blueberry export projections steady.

02/09/2026

🫐🇵🇱 The season continues at Polana Ochoża!

Elliott is one of our latest blueberry varieties to ripen in Poland, alongside Liberty, helping us extend the Polish season well into September.

The fruit is looking fantastic on the plants, with plenty still to come over the next few weeks. 🫐

31/08/2026

🇿🇦 Restoring and rebuilding at Melwood Farm

Back in May, severe weather caused significant damage at Melwood Farm in South Africa, with erosion along the river as well as damage to roads and access across the farm.

Fast forward a few months, and these photos show just how much has changed. 💪

The river has been restored with properly constructed and strengthened banks, water is flowing effectively again, and damaged roads and access routes have been repaired.

It’s been a considerable job, but a great example of the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the farm operating effectively while protecting the land and infrastructure for the future. 🌱🫐

28/08/2026

🫐 Great varieties take time to understand.

At Winterwood, we continuously trial and evaluate blueberry varieties, learning how different genetics perform under our growing conditions and assessing their potential for the future.

And trialling doesn’t always mean looking at the newest variety.

LastCall, currently growing in a dedicated trial field at our Polana Ochoża farm in Poland, was commercially released in 2014. While there is understandably a great deal of interest across the industry in new blueberry genetics, experience has shown us that some older varieties can demonstrate valuable resilience in increasingly challenging growing conditions.

Poland has experienced several consecutive years of extreme weather events, putting both established and newer genetics to the test.

Our LastCall plants are still relatively young, having been planted just two years ago. Frost tolerance has presented some challenges so far, but it is too early to draw final conclusions. We’ll continue to monitor how the plants establish, develop and respond over the coming seasons.

That’s exactly why trials matter. We look at the complete picture - from frost and weather tolerance to yield, fruit quality, plant health and market suitability - giving varieties time to show both their strengths and weaknesses.

It’s a continual process of trialling, measuring, learning and adapting, helping us make informed decisions about what we grow today and what we plant for the future.

💙 The Winterwood Way. Every day.

27/08/2026

Mariya Balezdrova, Staff Planning Manager at Winterwood UK, is responsible for ensuring the business has the right people in the right place at the right time. From recruitment and onboarding to training, holidays and staff availability, Mariya plans staffing levels around the needs of the business, working closely with managers and departments to ensure teams are prepared and supported, particularly during the busiest periods. 🇬🇧🫐

Mariya joined Winterwood in 2017, beginning her journey as a Label Office Operator. Since then, she has progressed through several roles, including Production Assistant and Packhouse and Staff Planning Assistant Manager, before becoming Staff Planning Manager. Her career reflects one of the things she values most about Winterwood - the opportunity to learn, develop and progress within the business.

Originally from Bulgaria, Mariya has a Bachelor's degree in Economics and two Master's degrees in Marketing and International Project Management. Before moving to the UK, she worked at a NATO military base in Bulgaria as a Materials Control Supervisor, responsible for managing and controlling materials across the base. 🇧🇬

What Mariya enjoys most about Winterwood is the friendly atmosphere, the support she receives from management and the opportunities available to grow. She particularly values being part of an organisation where people are recognised and appreciated for the contribution they make.

That belief is also central to Mariya's own approach to leadership. Her goal is to build a strong team where everyone feels appreciated, heard and supported. She believes that when people feel valued, they are more motivated to perform at their best and contribute to the wider success of the business.

For Mariya, good leadership is about bringing out the best in people - supporting and motivating individuals, helping them reach their potential and working together to achieve better results. Honesty, open communication and mutual respect are all fundamental to the way she leads her team.

Outside of work, Mariya loves travelling and spending time with friends and family. She enjoys reading, going to the gym and taking long walks, particularly when she can be outdoors. The sea is her favourite place to relax and recharge. She is also a huge tennis and Wimbledon fan and has recently taken to the court herself as a beginner player! 🎾🌊📚

26/08/2026

🫐 Draper looking good at Pioterrberry Wielistowo. 🇵🇱

A quick look at the Draper blueberry plants at our Wielistowo farm in Poland, with the crop developing beautifully.

Draper is a northern highbush variety bred, known for producing attractive, firm berries with good flavour and excellent post-harvest quality - all important characteristics for the fresh market!

Great to see these plants progressing so well in Poland. 💙

25/08/2026

🇵🇱 Catching up with the team in Poland

There’s no substitute for getting together in person, and a recent visit to Poland gave some of our UK team the opportunity to catch up with colleagues, growers and partners across our Polish operations.

Terry joined Piotr, Paweł, Marek and Maciej for a busy few days, starting with a visit to the Polskie Jagody packhouse, where the team met up with Agata, before heading to Plantation Nad Tanwią (PNT) for a tour of the farm with Jarek.

Wednesday was spent at Polana Ochoża, walking the crops and discussing growing systems, future varieties and planting plans, as well as looking ahead to new sales and marketing opportunities.

And it wasn’t all work! The visit also included a little team building over a few games of bowling - with Terry very keen for us to mention that he took the win, apparently much to Piotr’s disgust! 🎳😂

Visits like these are a great opportunity to share knowledge, see what’s happening on the ground and, importantly, spend time together as one team across different countries.

24/08/2026

📹 A promising sight at Melwood Fruit. 🇿🇦

After the challenges brought by the recent floods, it’s really encouraging to see the Masena and Dazzle blueberry plants looking healthy and showing plenty of promise.

Farming will always bring challenges that are beyond our control, and recovering after difficult weather takes time, hard work and careful crop management.

Seeing the plants respond well and the crop develop is a welcome sight. 💙

22/08/2026

🫐 Big news for blueberries - and for the science behind them.

A major new systematic review and meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has added powerful new evidence to our understanding of anthocyanins - the natural compounds responsible for the deep blue colour of blueberries - and their potential role in long-term health.

This is a substantial piece of research, bringing together decades of evidence from 18 prospective studies involving more than 360,000 adults, alongside 65 randomised controlled trials.

Among the findings, higher anthocyanin intake was associated with:

🫐 26% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease
🫐 18% lower risk of heart attack
🫐 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes
🫐 9% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality
🫐 8% lower risk of developing hypertension

The clinical trial evidence also showed improvements in blood vessel function and fasting insulin levels.

And this matters for blueberries because they are naturally rich in anthocyanins. The researchers suggest that relatively small and achievable increases in anthocyanin intake could potentially contribute to meaningful long-term health benefits.

With researchers including experts from Queen’s University Belfast, it also highlights the strength and international credibility of UK research in this field.

There is a lot of detail in the full research, but the message is certainly worth sharing: the evidence supporting the place of anthocyanin-rich foods such as blueberries in a healthy, balanced diet continues to grow.

👉 Read the full story and findings here: https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/07/17/blueberry-health/

21/08/2026

🫐 Now these are some seriously impressive blueberries!

Our young Valor berries are looking fantastic in Poland - beautifully large, with great shape and plenty of impressive fruit developing across the plants.

Valor is a variety known for producing particularly large, attractive berries, with the firmness and quality that make it well suited to the premium fresh market.

Of course, variety is only part of the story. Producing berries like these comes down to matching the right genetics with the right growing environment, alongside careful crop management and a lot of expertise from our teams on the ground.

And judging by the size of these Valor berries, they’re certainly enjoying life in Poland! 🇵🇱🫐