Green farming
For over 80 years, the long-term strategy of the family-owned Boxford (Suffolk) Farms has been to operate as a sustainable green business. Now a third-generation company and employing 250 staff, the farms produce over 6200 tonnes of apples, cherries, soft fruit, and maize from 200 hectares in the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Stour Valley.
The urgency of addressing climate change, reducing carbon emissions and fossil fuels cannot be underestimated. Since 1938 Boxford Farms has utilised available resources to grow top quality fruit and other crops whilst protecting the environment wherever possible by using sustainable practices. Bill and Devora Peake were founder members of the Soil Association in the 1950s, and the family’s ongoing strong core values and culture are shared by a fantastic team of staff which has created real drive for innovation and long-term sustainable and robust growth for future generations.
These innovations and practices were recognised nationally when Boxford Farms won the ‘UK Top Fruit Grower of the Year’ in 2015 (and highly commended 2018); and the ‘UK Soft Fruit Grower of the Year’ award in 2018. The Farms also won the BALE award for Best Green Enterprise in 2015.
Here are some of the green initiatives that are practiced on the farm…
- A 1.25 MW Anaerobic Digester plant on the farm utilises by-products from fruit-growing, fruit juice processing and other local resources to produce renewable, green electricity and heat sources for the farms, our sister company the Stoke by Nayland Resort and an on site fruit juice producer. This process lowers input costs, reduces carbon footprint and in turn benefits local communities and the environment. Additionally, heat by-product is used to dry woodchip for biomass boilers to heat our soft fruit glasshouses, and dried digestate from the AD plant provides rich organic fertiliser for our crops and orchards – creating a perfect circular economy
- Heat from the CHPs is used for 3 log dryers to dry wood from our own orchards, woodlands, and other local suppliers.
- Dried wood is chipped to fuel 6 x 199kW Woodchip Biomass Boilers for heating 5 glasshouses producing high-value, out-of-season strawberry and raspberry crops.
- CHP Heat warms permanent polytunnels growing vegetables and fruit for the SbN Resort. • Heat is used in 2 digestate dryers to produce Gro Fertiliser and Soil Improver for sale to gardeners and growers around the country.
- Heat from the CHPs is used for 3 log dryers to dry wood from our own orchards, woodlands, and other local suppliers.
- AD digestate in all forms, is used for fertiliser as mulch/soil treatment on BSF fruit crops, maizefields and golf courses for soil improvement and fertiliser reduction.
- The dried Digestate has Soil Association Organic Accreditation to sell to organic farmers and growers.
- Our use of organic digestate reduces chemical inputs, the irrigation volume requirements on the farm and golf courses, and creates improved natural habitats and biodiversity.
- On our farms and in our packhouse we have eliminated unused crop-residue and waste, as well as reduced pest and disease risks around our production sites.
- Millions of litres of rainwater are harvested from our greenhouses, polytunnels and farm buildings and recycled via our reservoirs to irrigate our orchards and golf courses.
- We use computer-controlled drip irrigation to minimise water use, and apply water-retaining mulches under our fruit trees.
- We are members of the Higher Level and Entry Level Stewardship schemes on our farms which commits us to 3 yearly hedge cutting, 6 metre field margins and providing bird seed, pollen and nectar mixes.
- We use beneficial insects to control pests which minimizes our use of chemical pesticides on crops.
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Boxford (suffolk) Farms Ltd, Keepers Lane, Leavenheath, Colchester CO6 4PZ
01206 264265 | info@buygro.co.uk
