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 Page updated: Thursday, February 18, 2010

Members of

Environmental / Energy / Conservation / Community Aspects

We continue to develop new ideas and encourage daily environmental awareness.

The integrated crop management systems in place already are overseen by A D A S,

Natures Choice Gold mark / NFU Protocol and

the Checkmate "Produce Assured" scheme's plus we are also affiliated with The Game Conservancy Trust

which ensure that the customer gets the best produce we can supply, guaranteed.

Aims and Objectives

Our aim here is to encourage a greener fresher way of farming within the boundaries of the listed schemes.

The Game Conservancy Trust is a joint venture with our marketing group Berryworld

and we have enlisted the local Ornithologist - Roland Turner to help us monitor and give feedback on the growing numbers of birds and wildlife.  

Reducing the risk of disease and lowering the impact of spraying pesticides within the protected cropping promotes environmental enhancement.

Our already established irrigation lake, which we had built in 1991, is now a beautiful feature of our farm. The wildlife has increased and we are encouraging all aspects of the natural habitat.

This area is now a haven for fish and wild life including a family of swans.

Our hedge laying and general welfare of hedges is ongoing, every autumn we allocate time to restoring and

replanting hedgerows including those burnt out by vandals and car thieves we are encouraged and supported by the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, to which we are affiliated.

This scheme is a government funded Organisation which has a 10 year programme.

It allows 6m and 2m field boundaries to encourage wildlife back to its natural habitat and the further encouragement in lowland meadow, promoting wild flowers with limited stock grazing.

Energy Conservation

As a national food supplier we have always been vigilant on our waste policy and always looking to reducing our carbon footprint.

Polythene is used extensively on the farm for crop protection which is used responsibly and recycled after use after 3 years).

All cardboard is recycled along with glass, scrap metal ,oils to a local collector. Almost all lighting is low energy sodium bulbs so thus reducing our energy needs.

We are now retrieving and reusing our irrigation drip pipe for 2010, and finally we have been approved into an HLS agreement on the whole farm.

Almost 4.5 tonnes of Cardboard recycled in 2009, Polythene recycled is reduced so we are purchasing less.

The student labour are recycling all glass used, 2009 about 6 large bottle banks.

Irrigation drip tape we reused 20 acres worth. The HLS agreement will enhance the biodiversity of the farm.

A new “Punnet Heat Sealer” is on it’s way for the 2010 season from the company “Proseal” based in Cheshire, this will drastically reduce the use of plastic.

Other than metals all recycling incurs a cost, some materials are collected free of charge .

The retrieval Irrigation tape system has reduced our cost by £2000.

The HLS agreement is rewarded by an annual payment.