A farmer from Orkney has just completed the final set of tests on a new variety of bean which he has been working on since June 2016.

The farmer who must remain nameless in order to protect his research started working on the  new bean variety the day after the EU Referendum result was announced.

In an exclusive interview with The Orkney News Farmer X said:

“I was worried the farm subsidies would stop and I realised I would have to diversify. Veganism is the future and I figured if I could develop a year round crop with a big enough yield to be profitable then I was on to a winner.

“The beans have been subjected to an array of climactic conditions and have weathered them all fine. It’s pretty amazing really but I suppose that’s global warming for you.

“I have 2 wind turbines and 1 field where I have solar panels. These power an electric heating system which warms the fields where the beans are. It’s the same principle as a water irrigation system would use except I’m using heat.  I am astounded by how successful this has all been. Or should I say bean.”

Under soil heating has been used by football clubs for years. Indeed it was Farmer X’s love for his team Everton, that gave him the idea of having fields which would be warm enough to produce crops all the year round.

Beans are one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops and are usually only grown in summer but this under soil heating being used on the farm in Sanday has solved that considerable problem and means this hardy variety can be grown all year round.

With all the worries around Brexit of food shortages and delays at ports it must surely be the way forward for the future of farming if crops like this can be grown.

It is rumoured that this new variety will be named as the ‘Brexit Bean’.

Reporter: Fergus Graemsay