He told some 80 members of BIFGA during an orchard walk, following its annual general meeting on 3 June, that the farm, which is run on a high-output, high-cost system, produces an average net profit of only 3p/kg of fruit.

The apples, including Gala, Braeburn, Cox, Cameo, Egremont Russet and Early Windsor are stored and marketed by local co-operatives, AGA and SGT, and graded and packed by packhouses run by their members.

Extra income is provided by a seasonal farm shop, a fishing lake, a 1,500m training track for race horses, honey, apple juice, the rental from five offices and two workshops and agricultural consultancy and computer software businesses.

The 0.4ha lake, which was made 12 years ago by damming a stream, is let to a fishing club. Bees housed in 24 hives produce the honey and pollinate the fruit. They are managed by a local beekeeper who, thanks to “constant vigilance and good hygiene”, has kept on top of the Varroa mite that infests virtually all UK honeybees.

Knight said that he employed no permanent staff. Routine work is done by contractor Barry Collins and harvesting by HOPS-recruited labour that he shares with a neighbouring grower. The farm’s machinery and equipment is his own.

Among the apples is a small 21-year-old orchard planted to supply the farm shop. Its 24 varieties on MM106 include many old ones such as Ashmead’s Kernel.

Rabbits are an expensive problem on the farm, said Knight. They are able to lift the guards round trees trunks and climb into the trees to cause ring barking and tree death. They also chew holes in the bird netting that protects young cherries on Gisela 5 rootstock.