FELCO postpones the international pruning competition due to the coronavirus propagation.

In light of the current European and global epidemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and the uncertainty linked to the global spread of the virus, as well as cases detected in Switzerland, FELCO has the responsibility to anticipate risks to our employees, subsidiaries, partners and visitors.  In this type of situation, it is best to side with safety, and caution must be applied, especially as over 70 international guests and 150 Swiss based guests planned to travel to the Neuchâtel region.  For these reasons FELCO has taken the decision to postpone the international pruning competition.

A competition to select the world’s best vine pruners 

In viticulture, annual pruning is a key activity to ensure the success of future harvests and the life of the vine.

FELCO SA, a global leader in pruning shears, is organising the first International Vine Pruning Competition. This will take place on March 10^th, 2020 in the magnificent vineyard of the Chateau d’Allaman, near Morges (canton of Vaud), Switzerland.

This international competition will be the grand finale of vine pruning competitions organised in 2019 and 2020 by our subsidiaries or partners in 13 countries: South Africa, USA, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, England, Slovakia and, of course, Switzerland.

The best vine pruners from each country will compete in the vineyard before a jury of six vineyard pruning specialists from around the world.  FELCO brand ambassador, Marco Simonit, the Italian master pruner, will be the president of the jury. Technique, work quality and speed will be the criteria used to rate each competitor on their “single Guyot / Cane” and “Single Cordon permanent / Spur” pruning.

FELCO SA also aims to bring Swiss wine-growing professionals together during the competition and invites them to attend.

“The goal of this competition is to show the importance of pruning know-how in wine-growing.  Events like these are essential for our company to become even closer to users, and fully understand their needs and offer them tools and solutions perfectly in line with their expectations.  

FELCO SA also now intends to be a real player in the transmission of knowledge and pruning techniques. This type of competition makes an important contribution, alongside the courses given worldwide by our teams and partners”, explains Christophe Nicolet, CEO of FELCO SA.

This international pruning competition will also mark the launch of the 75th anniversary festivities of FELCO.  Various events will be organised throughout the year in the spirit of “Swissness” to celebrate FELCO values of innovation, quality and tradition that define the brand and products.

From February 8^th, the FELCO team will join CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), the organization responsible for preserving 12,000 trees representing 23 coffee species in Costa Rica, and provide CATIE team with high performance FELCO tools to optimize their pruning work in the coffee collection.  FELCO along with sponsoring the in-depth study has also donated a vast variety of pruning tools to ensure that the CATIE team is taking care of these unique coffee species with the best pruning tools available.

Hands-on, intensive training sessions will be provided by FELCO to the local CATIE team to get the most out of their new FELCO tools, such as the new high performance Power Blade Series electric pruning shears!  A great opportunity for all to share pruning experience and expertise!

HIGH PERFORMANCE CUTTING TECHNOLOGY

The FELCO Power Blade Series® range features the latest cutting-edge innovation from FELCO, the FELCO XPRO blades. A revolution in pruning, these new blades have been designed and manufactured by FELCO for this new range to provide consistent pruning and cutting excellence. FELCO XPRO blades are made of top quality, high speed steel (HSS), they have a new design, and ensure superior cutting-edge performance and longer blade life compared to blades made from conventional steel. The FELCO XPRO blades prune with precision and efficiency to ensure a clean cut and longer plant life.

NEW FELCO APPLICATION

CONNECT TO YOUR PRUNING SHEARS

Any FELCO Power Blade Series® tools can now be connected by Bluetooth to your mobile device using our new FELCO application. 
This application allows you to adapt your tool to your needs as you can adjust the semi-opening and activate holster mode. The application provides tool performance data such as the number of cuts, time of usage and cut size statistics. It also gives you information on the next required service and warranty status for your tool. Finally, the FELCO application allows you to perform a quick tool diagnostic by providing relevant information about the working condition of your tool and will advise whether your tool requires service at a qualified FELCO service center.

Download now the new FELCO application on IOS or Google Play Store!

FELCO is a proud to partner with the Old Vine Project (OVP) in South Africa, helping to promote and preserve old vines through pruning education.

In vineyards worldwide, old vines are proudly mentioned on bottle labels. Value is accorded to old vineyards and the wines they produce.  However, only in one country, South Africa, is that claim certified by a national wine regulatory authority. 

Members of the Old Vine Project can now place a Certified Heritage Vineyards seal on bottles of wine made from vineyards 35 years or older, along with the planting date. This seal guarantees the consumer that the wines are authentic and the vines from which it was made were grown according to the OVP viticulture and winemaking guidelines.

The OVP was formalized in 2016 with seed funding from the Rupert Foundation, although the effort to document South Africa’s old vines was initiated by viticulturist Rosa Kruger back in 2002. André Morgenthal, OVP project manager, joined Kruger from 2016 to take things forward. With traction gained and awareness spreading, more projects are being launched to build the OVP footprint.

Some of the most exciting new wines in South Africa come from noble old vines, however in the past, it was being lost in huge anonymous tanks. The farmers also received little reward for the low yields. Rosa Kruger says, “.... We believe, that in essence, older vines make wine with a certain quality and character that is uniquely different to wines made from younger vines. Older vines have, as a result of their age, more problems with wood diseases and vigor than younger vines”, before adding “A careful pruning and certain principles must always be respected. Each vine is uniquely different, and each vine must be approached by analyzing the individual vine’s growth habit and problems of that specific vine”.

Preserving through training and education

South Africa has a total of 3505 hectares old vines, which is 4% of the total vineyard hectares.  Older vineyards bear less fruit resulting in less tonnage per hectare and ultimately a lower return on investment.  The people who take care of the vineyards, form the foundation of a good wine. The talent and level of skill of the pruner determines the longevity of the vineyard.

In general, vineyard workers are uninformed and therefore are unaware of the special needs of old vines to consider when they start pruning.  It is essential to start a training program to explain to pruning workers how to respect old vines in their approach and their pruning methods. The aim is to train every single person who prunes an old vine in the Western Cape, within the next 3 years.

FELCO is proud to be part of the OVP preservation program and supporting the four initial training sessions hosted by members of the Old Vine Project in 2019.

Rosa Kruger shares the following insight “Old Vines are a wonderful source of knowledge for scientific research in our understanding of plants and the aging process of vines, especially in this challenging time of climate change.”

“By implementing sustainable viticulture practices, such as using virus free material, planting different cultivars, planting in different areas, using correct and effective pruning practices, we can foster a culture of planting to enhance vineyard aging”, Morgenthal adds.

The long-term aim of the project is to create a network of knowledge which encourages an in - and out flow of information.  Four instructors were trained over the year, who in turn trained 60 attendees. The attendees in turn will take the knowledge of old vine pruning principles back to the network of 60 OVP members. 

It is not only the knowledge and upskilling of people that plays an essential role but also the influence this has on enhancing self-esteem and confidence through training and skills development. 

FELCO 2 - a special anniversary series

The FELCO 2 is FELCO’s most iconic pair of secateurs / pruning shears.  Since 1949, the year it was launched, more than 16 million units have been sold worldwide. To celebrate its 70^th anniversary, FELCO is releasing a FELCO 2 Limited Series with a commemorative gift, sales proceeds from this limited series help support this impactful OVP program. 

FELCO is a proud supporter of the Old Vine Project (OVP) in South Africa, and through pruning education helping to promote and preserve old vines in South Africa.

In vineyards worldwide, old vines are proudly mentioned on bottle labels as a value. However there is only one country where that claim is certified by a national wine regulatory authority, South Africa, where there are over 3500 hectares of certified old vines.

As far back as 2002, Rosa Kruger, a renowned South African viticulturist, recognized the potential, value and uniqueness of old vines. Together with André Morgenthal, they started documenting old vineyards and launching dedicated projects to spread the OVP footprint.

“We believe that in essence, older vines make wine with a certain quality and character that is uniquely different to wines made from younger vines…”, explains Rosa Kruger “…but as a result of their age, they need more care. We prune them very carefully, following specific principles and guidelines”.

Members of the Old Vine Project can now place a Ceartified Heritage Vineyards seal on bottles of wine made from vineyards 35 years or older, along with the planting date. This seal guarantees the consumer that the wines are authentic and the vines from which it was made were grown according to the OVP viticulture and winemaking guidelines.

FELCO Africa has been a crucial pillar of support and a strategic partner of OVP since their inauguration in 2016 and is glad to pursue its involvement in supporting pruning skill awareness and empowerment through knowledge of all levels of vineyard workers. “The training, empowerment through education and upliftment of vineyard workers will ensure specific goal-based, outcome-based education of the wine industry community and enhance opportunities for future generations” explains Gys Liebenberg, CEO of FELCO Africa.

Thanks to the release of a limited edition of the FELCO 2 tool, celebrating the 70th anniversary these iconic pruning shears, FELCO Africa, with proceeds from the sale of these tools were able to hold four training classes consisting of a theory module, followed by hands on practical experience in an old vines vineyard.

During 2019, four instructors were trained, who in turn trained 60 attendees. The attendees in turn will take the knowledge of old vine pruning principles back to the network of 60 OVP members. It is not only the knowledge and upskilling of people that plays an essential role but the importance this has on enhancing self-esteem and confidence through training and skills development.

Pruning is an artisanship that shapes the longevity of the vineyard and the quality of the wine. OVP and FELCO look forward to a long-term relationship, ploughing back into the wine industry and cultivating a culture of knowledge and upliftment.

For more information, please contact:

Gys Liebenberg, Managing Director of FELCO Africa, gys@felco.co.za, +27 82 458 6847
Michèle Charpié, FELCO SA, mcharpie@felco.com, +41 32 858 14 21

Old Vine Project

The OVP was formalized in 2016 with seed funding from the Rupert Foundation, although the effort to document South Africa’s old vines was embarked on by viticulturist Rosa Kruger back in 2002. The OVP wants to focus efforts on enhancing and contributing to the social, environmental upliftment and positive economic impact on the wine industry. www.oldvineproject.co.za

FELCO: You have over 20 years experience in sustainable agriculture, community development and food security programs, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa. How did you get your start in agriculture and sustainability programs?

Tom Cole: I started as a volunteer tree-planter in post-war Mozambique in 1992.  After a year they asked me to lead a community agricultural program focused on demobilized government and rebel soldiers.  During those next three years in Mozambique I also earned my Permaculture Design Certificate at Fambidzanai, the Permaculture Research Center of Zimbabwe. Those experiences taught me the importance of community mobilization in some of the most challenging environments one could imagine.  That early exposure to permaculture design and agroecology also gave me a critical understanding of soil fertility and water conservation as core foundations of real development.

Considering your humanitarian career path, what led you and Linda to start the AWR organization?

Linda Eckerbom and I met at that time in post-war Mozambique.  She had worked with refugees in Angola and had built and was running a vocational school in Northern Mozambique focused on giving youth the skills necessary to survive and thrive in a post-war environment.  We both spent some years after that working for and consulting with several larger humanitarian organizations as we continued to build our own skillsets and capacties, eventually settling in Uganda with our two children where I was based as Save the Children’s Africa Region Agricultural Advisor and later one the Country Directors in their Uganda office.  Over time we began to see that the larger these organizations began to grow, the more they were losing their connections to the communities they were trying to serve. After some time talking Linda and I were inspired to build an organization based on the principles we had learned earlier in our careers. Now, 12 years later, that early inspiration has built an organization that directly impacts more than 90,000 people across Northern Uganda.

What does the availability of tools mean to the people participating the permagarden program in Uganda?

Having the proper tools gives African Women Rising staff the confidence to carry out their work in the best possible way. They are an extension of their professional identity and allow them to prune trees, cut shrubs and manage vegetable gardens with a level of precision and control many of them have never known before. This partnership with Felco has given the team great pride in their results and what they are trying to do to make life better for refugees and others affected by or recovering from conflict.

With a lot of tool manufacturers available, why did you choose FELCO as partner?

I had never thought about approaching another company for support.  I’ve used Felco tools my entire professional career and they were always what I’d hoped to outfit our agricultural team in Uganda with.  We’d managed to buy some hand pruners for senior technical staff but were never able to outfit all of our agricultural team given our limited resources were focused on getting more permagardens built and famers trained.  This support and partnership from Felco is something I am incredibly proud of both personally and professionally.

Can you tell us about your own first experience with FELCO tools?

After Mozambique I spent three years apprenticing on and later helping to manage a 5-hectare organic farm in California.  My key mentor there at Fairview Gardens, Michael Ableman, taught me the art and craft of pruning fruit trees: peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, apples, Asian pears, figs, citrus, mulberries, cherimoyas, avocados. Several hundred trees each season and he had a well-used and cared-for pair of Felco 8s in his hand to do most of the work.  Occasionally his Felco hand saw was called on to cut out diseased and dead wood.  Ableman was the first to teach me the importance of having the right tool at hand, and I was lucky enough to have been given a pair of Felco 8s as I worked with him.  I’ve now owned 6 pairs of Felcos in the years since, not because I’m careless but because over the last 23 years I’ve passed on Ableman’s gift to me.  I’ve kept my original pair and holster but often carry a spare when I continue to travel and lead agricultural trainings, allowing me to pass them on to key farmers I’ve met along the way who haven’t had the access or opportunity to own their own pair of quality hand pruners. Felco 8s are now with farmers in Ethiopia, El Salvador, Mozambique, DR Congo and Uganda. With Felco’s support we now have 50 African Women Rising agricultural technicians in Northern Uganda proudly using their Felco tools.

The future of the global coffee industry can be found in Turrialba, Costa Rica, where some 12,000 trees representing 11 coffee species are conserved by the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE). 

For the past 70 years, the coffee collection at CATIE has served the coffee industry well, especially in Central America, where all rust-resistant coffee varieties can trace their origins to this ten-hectare field gene bank. Unfortunately, the CATIE coffee collection is at risk, due to aging trees, insufficient funding, and no backup system.

In order to address the many threats that the collection faces, the Crop Trust will lead an independent, in-depth study, with the support of FELCO, that will provide CATIE with a clear understanding of what they need to do to meet and maintain international standards in their coffee tree species conservation efforts.

The study will provide a comprehensive assessment of the status of CATIE’s coffee diversity collection. It will examine everything from the age of trees conserved, to safety duplication practices, to past and possible future levels of demand for each type by the coffee industry. The results will be used to recommend urgent, costed actions to ensure long-term conservation and availability of the collection.

“Just like the FELCO 2 iconic prining shears, CATIE’s Coffee Collection celebrates its 70th birthday this year, and we want to help them safeguard this diversity for the next 700,” said Marie Haga, Executive Director of the Crop Trust. 

"We are pleased that a company like FELCO is stepping up to support this crucial study, and we hope that others will follow their lead,” she added. “That cup of coffee that millions of us around the world enjoy every day depends on it."

The Crop Trust and the Global Conservation Strategy for Coffee Genetic Resources

The Crop Trust is an international organization working to support crop diversity conservation in genebanks, forever. Through investment income generated by its endowment fund, it provides financial support to international, regional and national genebanks, and the world’s backup facility, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The Crop Trust’s global patron is His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. www.croptrust.org

The FELCO-funded in-depth study is the first concrete step to implement the Global Conservation Strategy for Coffee Genetic Resources. Developed by the Crop Trust in collaboration with World Coffee Research (WCR), the Strategy identifies four genebanks as the key custodians of the world’s diversity of coffee. Three of these are located in Africa: in Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Madagascar. The fourth is CATIE’s International Coffee Collection. Together, they are referred to as the ‘Origin Collections’.

“The Crop Trust / FELCO in-depth study is the first step in what we anticipate will be a global collaboration that will benefit all those involved in the coffee industry. Without access to coffee diversity, the industry won’t be able to meet the growing global demand for coffee. And ultimately, failing to conserve this diversity over the long-term will have repercussions for the tens of millions of people in Latin America, Africa and Asia who depend on coffee for their livelihoods,” said Jennifer “Vern” Long, CEO of WCR, a non-profit collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry.

FELCO 2 - a special anniversary series

FELCO’s most iconic secateurs is the FELCO 2. Since 1949, the year it was launched, more than 16 million units have been sold worldwide.  To celebrate its 70^th anniversary, FELCO is releasing a FELCO 2 Limited Series; proceeds from its sales will help fund the Crop Trust / FELCO in-depth study.

FELCO was present at the OIV congress with a booth displaying and demonstrating FELCO products. The latest new products, the FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 were on hand, ideal for smaller hands and performing precision work in vineyards with surprising ease and power. The FELCO after-sales service team gave live demonstrations on how to maintain and service FELCO tools showing those present why FELCO tools are made to last.

The recent partnership of FELCO and SIMONIT&SIRCH also contributed to the learning and exchange at the OIV World Congress. FELCO’s CEO Christophe Nicolet introduced Marco Simonit who in turn gave an impactful presentation on how a specific pruning method can extend the life of vineyards around the world. As vineyard health and combating vineyard disease are critical topics, this impactful presentation was of high interest to the delegates.

The OIV World Congress moves next from Geneva onto field visits at other locations around Switzerland and will wrap up at the world-renowned Fete Des Vignerons event in Vevey, Switzerland. The OIV delegates will experience an event which has been celebrating the life of vineyards in Switzerland since 1797 with events taking place every 20 to 25 years.

“Being able to sponsor the OIV World Congress is a fantastic opportunity to exchange with those involved in vineyards and wine from around the world”, says Stephan Kopietzki CCO of FELCO SA. “We appreciate the possibility of showing and explaining how our products can help maintain vineyards, and of course being able to bring Marco Simonit to present a pruning method to extend vineyard life. Vineyard longevity is a meaningful topic for delegates from around the world.”

For information on the OIV go to: http://oiv2019.ch/2019/
For information on Marco Simonit and the SIMONIT&SIRCH pruning method go to: https://simonitesirch.com/
For information on the Fete Des Vignerons go to: https://www.fetedesvignerons.ch/

The future of the global coffee industry can be found in Turrialba, Costa Rica, where some 12,000 trees representing 11 coffee species are conserved by the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE).

For the past 70 years, the coffee collection at CATIE has served the coffee industry well, especially in Central America, where all rust-resistant coffee varieties can trace their origins to this ten-hectare field gene bank. Unfortunately, the CATIE coffee collection is at risk, due to aging trees, insufficient funding, and no backup system.

In order to address the many threats that the collection faces, the Crop Trust will lead an independent, in-depth study, with the support of FELCO, that will provide CATIE with a clear understanding of what they need to do to meet and maintain international standards in their coffee tree species conservation efforts.

To celebrate the 70^th anniversary of its most iconic pruning shears - the FELCO 2 - which has sold more than 16 million units worldwide. FELCO will release a limited series of the FELCO 2 tool, sales proceeds of this tool will help fund the study.

“We believe that the long-term vision of the Crop Trust aligns well with FELCO's focus on quality products known for their longevity,” said Stephan Kopietzki, CCO of FELCO. “Just like the design of FELCO's products, it is crucial that the conservation of crop diversity is made to last. Crop diversity and preservation is essential for all life on Earth and should be treated as such.”

The study will provide a comprehensive assessment of the status of CATIE’s coffee diversity collection. It will examine everything from the age of trees conserved, to safety duplication practices, to past and possible future levels of demand for each type by the coffee industry. The results will be used to recommend urgent, costed actions to ensure long-term conservation and availability of the collection.

“Just like FELCO 2 iconic model, CATIE’s Coffee Collection celebrates its 70^th birthday this year, and we want to help them safeguard this diversity for the next 700,” said Marie Haga, Executive Director of the Crop Trust.

"We are pleased that a company like FELCO is stepping up to support this crucial study, and we hope that others will follow their lead,” she added. “That cup of coffee that millions of us around the world enjoy every day depends on it."

The Big Picture

This in-depth study is the first concrete step to implement the Global Conservation Strategy for Coffee Genetic Resources. Developed by the Crop Trust in collaboration with World Coffee Research (WCR), the Strategy identifies four genebanks as the key custodians of the world’s diversity of coffee. Three of these are located in Africa: in Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Madagascar. The fourth is CATIE’s International Coffee Collection. Together, they are referred to as the ‘Origin Collections’.

Unlike maize, rice or wheat, coffee cannot be conserved long-term in seed form. This means so-called field genebanks must maintain multiple living trees of each of the different varieties or species. This is expensive and demands constant care. Unfortunately, many critical coffee genetic resources have already been lost, as trees have died due to lack of adequate maintenance. Many of the coffee trees conserved in the Origins Collections are aging and in need of replanting or specialized attention. Due to being so diverse, they are also in need of a wide variety of cultivation practices (for example, cultivated and wild trees differ in their needs for shade, pruning, fertilizer, etc.).

“The Crop Trust / FELCO in-depth study is the first step in what we anticipate will be a global collaboration that will benefit all those involved in the coffee industry – from small-scale producers and roasters to baristas and consumers,” said Jennifer “Vern” Long, CEO of World Coffee Research, a non-profit collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry.

“Without access to coffee diversity, the industry won’t be able to meet the growing global demand for coffee. And ultimately, failing to conserve this diversity over the long-term will have repercussions for the tens of millions of people in Latin America, Africa and Asia who depend on coffee for their livelihoods.”

For more information, please contact:

Luis Salazar, Crop Trust, luis.salazar@croptrust.org, +49 171 185 9490

Michèle Charpié, FELCO SA, mcharpie@felco.com, +41 32 858 14 21

Additional information:

The Crop Trust and the Global Conservation Strategy for Coffee Genetic Resources
The Crop Trust is an international organization working to support crop conservation in genebanks, forever. Through investment income generated by its endowment fund, it provides financial support to international, regional and national genebanks, and the world’s backup facility, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The Crop Trust’s global patron is His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.www.croptrust.org

CATIE’s International Coffee Collection
Located in Turrialba, Costa Rica, far from coffee’s center of origin, this collection consists of almost 2,000 types of domesticated and wild coffee, maintained in close rows of trees on ten hectares of land. They have been assembled over the decades from Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and all over Central America. Its history goes back to the late 1940s. https://www.catie.ac.cr/en/

Links to:

https://www.croptrust.org/saving-coffee/

https://stories.croptrust.org/story/70-years-on/

https://www.croptrust.org/spotlight/talkin-coffee-conservation/

https://stories.croptrust.org/story/cup-o-joe/

FELCO is pleased to support African Women Rising (AWR), a small nonprofit organization active in Uganda to empower women after war by providing technical skills and support for success via education, agriculture, and microfinance training.

Twenty years of war destroyed the agricultural capacity of Northern Uganda. Knowledge was lost, crops and animals were stolen, and land abandoned. As the primary producers of food, women bore the brunt of the conflict.

In today’s post-conflict environment, most of African Women Rising women rely on agriculture as their main source of income and livelihood. An entire generation lost their agricultural skills. More than teaching techniques, AWR’s Resilience Design Field Crop and Permagarden programs are about sharing the principles behind water and soil management and developing a contextual understanding to design a system to be as productive and regenerative as possible.

FELCO is providing AWR’s programs with agricultural tools to ease and improve crop maintenance. “FELCO is proud to support the vision and dedication of African Women Rising to improve the livelihood of women by empowering them after war through sustainable agricultural programs,” says Stephan Kopietzki, CCO of FELCO. “This small nonprofit strives to make a big impact; we are pleased if FELCO tools can provide assistance achieving this goal”.

AWR’s programs are built around participatory approaches designed to maximize exposure to practical lessons. The programs last for one year and follow the seasonal cropping cycle so that farmers can immediately implement what they learn.

PERMAGARDEN PROGRAM

The FELCO tools will be used for Permagarden Program whose goal is to increase access to diverse and nutritious sources and adequate quantities of vegetables and fruit throughout the year.

“We are pleased that a company like FELCO supports our activities and provides the best tools to develop our agricultural programs,” said Thomas Cole, co-Founder of African Women Rising. “Being a long-time user of FELCO, I know the importance of ergonomics and efficient tools in crop maintenance”.

The method shows how farmers with only a small amount of land can produce food throughout the year by learning principles behind proper gardening and resource management and matching those principles to basic practices. The project outcomes and long-term impact have broad ramifications and include increased soil fertility, increased crop yields, better diet and nutritional intake, increased income for participants and increased access to healthcare and schooling.

African Women Rising

Founded in 2006 in Santa Barbara USA African Women Rising works in partnership with community-based groups to improve the lives of women in post-conflict areas of Africa. Rooted in the conviction that women should be active stakeholders in defining their own development strategies, African Women Rising builds on initiatives that the women themselves have started.  www.africanwomenrising.org

Permaculture

The permagarden method combines components of permaculture- an agricultural approach using design principles to utilize natural systems for production- and bio-intensive agriculture- an agricultural approach that maximizes crop production through sustainable practices that increase biodiversity- to create a highly productive garden and homestead compound. It is designed to work in both the rainy and dry seasons and is a whole compound approach that improves soil fertility and water management to produce nutritious crops.

Interview of Tom Cole by FELCO

FELCO: You have over 20 years experience in sustainable agriculture, community development and food security programs, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa. How did you get your start in agriculture and sustainability programs?

Tom Cole: I started as a volunteer tree-planter in post-war Mozambique in 1992.  After a year they asked me to lead a community agricultural program focused on demobilized government and rebel soldiers.  During those next three years in Mozambique I also earned my Permaculture Design Certificate at Fambidzanai, the Permaculture Research Center of Zimbabwe. Those experiences taught me the importance of community mobilization in some of the most challenging environments one could imagine.  That early exposure to permaculture design and agroecology also gave me a critical understanding of soil fertility and water conservation as core foundations of real development.

Considering your humanitarian career path, what led you and Linda to start the AWR organization?

Linda Eckerbom and I met at that time in post-war Mozambique.  She had worked with refugees in Angola and had built and was running a vocational school in Northern Mozambique focused on giving youth the skills necessary to survive and thrive in a post-war environment.  We both spent some years after that working for and consulting with several larger humanitarian organizations as we continued to build our own skillsets and capacties, eventually settling in Uganda with our two children where I was based as Save the Children’s Africa Region Agricultural Advisor and later one the Country Directors in their Uganda office.  Over time we began to see that the larger these organizations began to grow, the more they were losing their connections to the communities they were trying to serve. After some time talking Linda and I were inspired to build an organization based on the principles we had learned earlier in our careers. Now, 12 years later, that early inspiration has built an organization that directly impacts more than 90,000 people across Northern Uganda.

What does the availability of tools mean to the people participating the permagarden program in Uganda?

Having the proper tools gives African Women Rising staff the confidence to carry out their work in the best possible way. They are an extension of their professional identity and allow them to prune trees, cut shrubs and manage vegetable gardens with a level of precision and control many of them have never known before. This partnership with Felco has given the team great pride in their results and what they are trying to do to make life better for refugees and others affected by or recovering from conflict.

Can you tell us about your own first experience with FELCO tools?

After Mozambique I spent three years apprenticing on and later helping to manage a 5-hectare organic farm in California.  My key mentor there at Fairview Gardens, Michael Ableman, taught me the art and craft of pruning fruit trees: peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, apples, Asian pears, figs, citrus, mulberries, cherimoyas, avocados. Several hundred trees each season and he had a well-used and cared-for pair of Felco 8s in his hand to do most of the work.  Occasionally his Felco hand saw was called on to cut out diseased and dead wood.  Ableman was the first to teach me the importance of having the right tool at hand, and I was lucky enough to have been given a pair of Felco 8s as I worked with him.  I’ve now owned 6 pairs of Felcos in the years since, not because I’m careless but because over the last 23 years I’ve passed on Ableman’s gift to me.  I’ve kept my original pair and holster but often carry a spare when I continue to travel and lead agricultural trainings, allowing me to pass them on to key farmers I’ve met along the way who haven’t had the access or opportunity to own their own pair of quality hand pruners. Felco 8s are now with farmers in Ethiopia, El Salvador, Mozambique, DR Congo and Uganda. With Felco’s support we now have 50 African Women Rising agricultural technicians in Northern Uganda proudly using their Felco tools.

With a constant focus on improving product quality and service, FELCO has decided to make key changes to the FELCO 32 pruning shears / secateurs that will update the blade design.

The FELCO 32 blade has been made through a forging process, from 2019, the new blade for the FELCO 32 pruning shears / secateurs will be stamped just like the blades of all other existing world class FELCO pruning shears /secateurs. This update will allow FELCO to use a proven and mastered manufacturing process, while preserving the technical properties of the product.

The design of FELCO 32 will be slightly modified, as the side pockets on the FELCO 32 blade will be removed and the new FELCO 32 blade will have smooth sides like on all FELCO blades. Both blade versions are fully compatible on the FELCO 32 the tools.

Professional users and demanding gardeners will find in FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 the unique know-how of the FELCO brand in areas of ergonomics, durability and ease of use. These two new models of pruning shears are extremely compact and lightweight, offering an efficient and powerful pruning solution for branches with diameters up to 18 mm / 0.7 inches in all types of demanding environments.

Thanks to the specific design of the cutting head, that is highlighted by a slightly curved blade, the FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 allow for a powerful, yet smooth cutting action. The curve of the counter-blade is optimised to hold the branch as closely as possible to the centre of the cutting head to ensure powerful, smooth cutting. The slim design of the two tools, makes them extremely manoeuvrable and allows easy access to branches when cutting. The forged aluminium handles (with lifetime guarantee) are lightweight and rugged and their shape is designed for optimal handling. The carefully designed ergonomics of the shears, with an angled cutting head and shock absorbers significantly reduce wrist and hand strain, providing superior comfort even during intensive and heavy-duty pruning.   The FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 blade and a counter-blade are made from high-quality hardened steel. A wire cutting notch and sap groove make work easier while the micrometric system allows you to easily adjust the tool with precision to ensure clean cutting.   As with all FELCO pruning shears, each component of FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 is replaceable, ensuring that the life of the tool can be extended as long as the owner chooses.

“In response to market demand and in collaboration with our professional users in the field, we have developed these small, lightweight and efficient pruning shears. Do not let the size fool you, the new FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 pruning shears are high performance, powerful pruning shears that are perfect for smaller hands but equally productive in larger hands.  They extend the FELCO range by offering an alternative to users with small hands and those who are looking for compact and easy to handle pruning shears. Designed carefully down to the least detail, made with fully renewable energy and produced according to our high-quality standards, the FELCO 14 and FELCO 15 will be particularly appreciated for pruning work in arboriculture, landscaping, gardening, viticulture, and nurseries” adds Stephan Kopietzki, CCO of FELCO.

The international partnership and collaboration between FELCO and SIMONIT&SIRCH is officially underway to promote the shared philosophy of improving vineyard life. Thanks to the SIMONIT&SIRCH pruning method, the most correct cut is in fact applied to guarantee a long life of the vine, while FELCO through its instruments ensures that each cut is performed cleanly and precisely. The agreement was formalized on the occasion of the Pruning Festival, conceived and organized by SIMONIT&SIRCH, which took place on March 9th in Erbusco, in Franciacorta. It was signed by Marco Simonit, CEO and co-founder of SIMONIT&SIRCH, and Stephan Kopietzki CCO of FELCO.

FELCO and SIMONIT&SIRCH are two key companies in the wine sector, internationally renowned and present worldwide. With this partnership, they begin a large-scale collaboration that includes, among other things, the presence at important events aimed to raise awareness among vine-growers, students, and vineyard enthusiasts on topics such as training, tutoring, quality in the performance of pruning, the choice of the most suitable tools for the safety and comfort of the operators.

 "For years we have been using pruning shears and material from FELCO that, with their quality and ergonomics, guarantee us two equally important things for us: the well-being of the pruners and the well-being of the plants on which we work" explains Marco Simonit.

 "It is not easy to find a partner with such shared values ​​and with such a significant international impact - says Christophe Nicolet, CEO of FELCO SA - We are excited to collaborate with SIMONIT&SIRCH, who have authority and a great following in teaching the correct pruning of vines all over the world. We are confident that, by combining our skills, we will help the winemakers and vineyard workers.  The pruning shears are the winemaker's tool, and with FELCO's attention to the ergonomics, performance and durability of cutting tools, we are convinced that we can also help vineyard workers trained by SIMONIT&SIRCH to obtain even more from the pruning method they learn, educating them to make better use of the tools they use."

SIMONIT&SIRCH

Founded in 2003, with headquarters in Corno di Rosazzo in Friuli Venezia Giulia, SIMONIT&SIRCH is the only specialized and accredited international group in the field of training of personnel in charge of manual pruning of vineyards. It has developed the SIMONIT&SIRCH branched pruning method (which reduces the devastating impact of cuts on the plant's lymphatic system due to the internal desiccation they cause), which can be adapted to all forms of vine cultivation. With a team of instructors all over the world, SIMONIT&SIRCH trains 150 of the leading international wine companies and collaborates with many of the most renowned wine research institutes and universities in the world. In 2016 he set up the DUTE in Bordeaux with the ISVV, the only university diploma in the world of pruning and picking buds.

www.simonitesirch.it.

The official ceremony took place in Basel, on June 12, in the presence of the President of the Switzerland, Alain Berset.

FELCO has been rewarded for the visionary nature of its approach to sustainable creation, its commitment to quality in a world where today's planned obsolescence reigns.

Like the Swiss army knife, the "Perfect" chocolate spread or the "Toblerone" chocolate, our iconic FELCO 2, 70 years after its launch, is now a national icon thanks to its ergonomics, precision craftsmanship. and recognized quality.

FELCO is very honored by this recognition and would like to dedicate this award to the memory of Félix Flisch, the company founder and the creator of the iconic FELCO 2, and to all the collaborators whose know-how and professionalism has allowed FELCO - after 73 years of activity - to reach its current position.

P.-Y. Perrin-Flish, part owner Flisch Group
(grandson of the founder)

The 2018 Swiss Grand Prix for Design was awarded to three winners. The two other winners are: textile designer Cécile Feilchenfeldt and graphic designer Rosmarie Tissi.

You can see two reports on the 2018 Swiss Grand Prix of Design from the Swiss television channels RTS and SRF. For more information, please visit directly the swiss design awards website.

The key feature of the FELCO 211 lies in its cutting head: the variable radius on the blade generates a strong pull effect providing significant cutting power to the user.  The engineers at FELCO have also optimised the curve of the anvil blade, so that the branch is held as close as possible to the centre axis, providing maximum leverage. The result is felt immediately, especially as cutting hard wood becomes easy and effortless.

The FELCO 211 is produced in Switzerland by FELCO using generations of cutting tool manufacturing know-how and in a factory using 100% renewable energy.  It has the highest quality steel blades that are hardened and precision ground using FELCO’s proprietary processes, and the forged steel anvil blade provides extreme ruggedness, durability and a long life. The handles are extruded lightweight robust aluminium, and their innovative I- beam profile gives them maximum resistance to physical stress. They are available in three lengths: 40 cm, 50 cm and 60 cm.

The FELCO 211 combines robust design, cutting power and user comfort. The handles have non-slip coating for a grip that is comfortable and pleasant to the touch; soft rubber shock absorbers make cutting smoother throughout the cut, a sap groove facilitates work while the micrometric blade adjustment system with the freely supplied adjustment key makes it easy to adjust the cutting head precisely.

Manufactured in Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane in Switzerland, the FELCO 211 will be available for sale from autumn/winter 2017 from FELCO tools dealers worldwide. As with other tools of the brand, spare parts will also be available, to further lengthen the life of the tool.

“The FELCO 211 has been developed to address the needs of professionals who make heavy-duty use of such tools, sometimes in very tough conditions. With its lightweight & strong I-Beam tubes and powerful high performance cutting head, the Felco 211 allows you to cut large diameters easily and comfortably. The new lopper is available in three handle lengths, and extends our range to provide our consumers with a high performance two-handed cutting tool to get their work done efficiently with more power and comfort” said Stephan Kopietzki, Sales and Marketing Director of FELCO.