Waste Management
Licensed Waste Management Site and Recycling Centre Green waste and wood waste recycling
Organic Farming
On the 1500 acre farm we tend to the 240 strong dairy herd, producing organic milk for OMSCO...
Business Centre
Adequate free parking, ease of commute and best of all, an increase in quality of worklife....
Earth Cycle Products
Licensed Waste Management Site and Recycling Centre Green waste and wood waste recycling
Our organic farming activities extend to 1500 acres on the Chichester Plain and the South Downs.
At the centre is our 250 strong organic dairy herd producing organic milk for The Organic Milk Cooperative (OMSCO) (www.omsco.co.uk) who, amongst others, supply Yeo Valley organic yoghurts and desserts as well as fresh organic milk to Sainsbury's.
The remainder of the farm produces a range of organic arable crops including wheat, beans, peas, oats, spring barley and maize. Much of this is grown to maximise the amount of home grown feed for our cows, but we also sell feed and seed to other organic farms. Much of the wheat goes to make organic bread.
Organic farming is a way of farming that protects and encourages wildlife whilst looking after the health of the soil. Instead of relying on chemicals, we strive to work with nature to feed the soil and control pests.
We use crop rotations and clover to build fertility in the soil. The pluses of organic farming are numerous, though most people think of the absence of pesticide and/or antibiotic residues first. For us it is also about the environment as a whole. By not using pesticides we have seen a transformation of the flora and fauna on the farm.
No herbicide usage means that all our crops have varying levels of weeds and wild flowers in them. These act as a habitat for a wide range of insects, small mammals and ground living birds
"Organic farming is also about maximising animal welfare, concentrating on the principle of prevention rather than cure"
The insects are at the bottom of the food chain and therefore serve to support life all the way up. For example, we have seen a significant increase in the wild bird population.
We grow large areas of legumes such as clovers and vetches which, along with our own composted manures from our dairy herd, and Earth Cycle composts from our recycling enterprise, provide natural fertility and humus to the soil.
Organic farming is also about maximising animal welfare, concentrating on the principle of prevention rather than cure. Organic means free-range and all our animals are grazed on fresh grass throughout the spring/summer/autumn period and fed home grown forage through the winter. All our feeds are, of course, GM free.
Whilst antibiotic treatments are sometimes used (the health of the animal always comes first), their use is never routine, and herbal and homeopathic remedies are preferred.