Lavender Harvester
The Lavender Harvester was developed in conjunction with Norfolk Lavender over a period of six months to fulfil the following criteria:
- To increase the speed of crop harvesting
- To reduce the amount of crop loss - especially during bad weather conditions
- To be operated by one person
- To make loading and unloading simpler and more efficient.
The machine utilises a specially designed head which is adjustable to meet the height of the cut required. It is critical not to make the cut too low down, otherwise the lavender will not regrow the next year.
The cut lavender is conveyed into the receiving hopper via a continuously running belt. As the lavender starts to fill the machine, a belt inside the receiving hopper (operated manually by the tractor driver) can be moved to shift the lavender further into the receiving hopper and therefore avoiding any build up at the end of the conveyor.
When the entire hopper is full, the tractor driver simply lowers the discharge belt (which acts as the end of the hopper in the upright position) and discharges the lavender into the awaiting boxes.
This is an extract of a national press release regarding the partnership:-
"Harvesting has been brought into the 21st century. Norfolk
Lavender Ltd, England's premier lavender farm, have taken delivery of a new harvester to enable
their annual, 100 acre harvest to be processed more efficiently, and with less crop loss if
conditions are bad.
The Lavender Harvester has been designed and built by David Harrison Handling Solutions Ltd of
Aldreth, Ely CAMBRIDGESHIRE, in close co-operation with Norfolk Lavender Ltd. The tractor-mounted
harvester replaces a machine specially built in 1971. It will cut significantly faster and needs
only a driver rather than a driver and two people on the back. Loading and unloading will also
be much simpler. Previously, every sack of harvested lavender was handled a minimum of eleven
times.
Henry Head, Managing Director of Norfolk Lavender Ltd, said, "it is a wonderful way to celebrate
my 25th lavender harvest. The new machine will help us to produce an even higher quality oil
because we will get the crop from the field to distillery quicker.
David Harrison commented, "We are delighted to have worked with Norfolk Lavender on this unique
project. The co-operation between our two companies has been fantastic and we hope that what we
have done with Norfolk Lavender will have wider application for alternative crops within the UK
and worldwide."