Sustainability
As farmers we are aware of our duty to care for the land, for the benefit of future generations, as previous generations have cared for it before us. It is incredibly important that we look after our local and wider environment and we take this responsibility seriously. We manage the farm sensitively to try to encourage wildlife and to ensure we reduce our impact on the wider, global environment.
What we're doing about it
As part of our efforts to create a more sustainable way of producing food, we use the 5 Capital's Framework to guide us. This means we have to consider not only the natural capital (earth, air, water, biodiversity etc) but also human, social, manufactured and financial capital.
To learn more about this approach visit: www.forumforthefuture.org/project/five-capitals/overview
Wildlife and ecology
We actively manage the farm to maintain and create wildlife habitat. The five on farm reservoirs and their surrounds are our own nature reserves and the farm is home to a variety of wildlife. Recent years has seen further tree and hedge planting including the threatened Black Poplar as part of a wetland habitat creation.
Some rare species thrive on our farm including rare birds and a healthy water vole population monitored in association with Essex Wildlife Trust.
We are Gold Members of the Essex Wildlife Trust Investors in Wildlife.
Water & Energy
Our fifth reservoir was finished in 2013, allowing us to catch a further 25 million litres of winter rainfall for irrigating our crops.