HOUGHTON HALL
HOUGHTON ORGANIC FARM • STARTED CONVERTING LAND IN • THE ENTIRE ESTATE IS NOW IN TO ORGANIC PRODUCTION 1998 ORGANIC PRODUCTION • TOTAL LAND 4,286 ACRES ORGANIC PIGS BQP • 10,500 FATTENING PIGS PER • TENANTED 414 ACRES ANNUM FROM 550 SOWS (125 • IN HAND 3,872 ACRES ACRES) ORGANIC CHICKENS TRADITIONAL • WOODLANDS 720 ACRES NORFOLK POULTRY • PARKS AND PASTURE 865 ACRES • 128,000 BIRDS PER ANNUM (54 ACRES) • ARABLE 2,287 ACRES ORGANIC VEGETABLES (450 ACRES)
HOUGHTON ORGANIC FARM OWN FARMING ENTERPRISE • 1000 ACRES ORGANIC CEREALS • 100 ACRES GREEN MANURE • 500 ACRES ORGANIC FORAGE LIVESTOCK 450 AUTUMN CALVINIG JERSEY HERD, MILK CONTRACT WITH ARLA FOR MCDONALDS. LONGHORN COWS 100 HEAD PLUS APPROX 400+ FOLLOWERS CATTLE FATTENED INSIDE DURING WINTER PRODUCING MANURE NORFOLK HORN SHEEP 60 EWES PLUS APPROX 500 COMMERCIAL EWES LAMBS FATTENED ON FARM AND SOLD TO CONVENTIONAL MARKET DEER PARK • 14 SPECIES OF DEER • APPROX 500 HEAD OF FALLOW DEER & 100 REDS
HOUGHTON ORGANIC FARM CONSERVATION BENEFITS INCLUDE • STARTED HLS SCHEME IN 2006 • INCREASED NUMBERS IN FARMLAND BIRDS AND ENGLISH • APPROX 800 ACRES OF PARK PARTRIDGE PASTURE • FOOD SOURCE FOR • 227 ACRES DIVDED INTO POLLINATING INSECTS WILDBIRD COVERS, FIELD • SOURCE OF BENEFICIAL INSECTS MARGINS AND POLINATOR BLOCKS FOR COMMERCIAL CROPS
RBOrganic Farm 100% Organic growing business formed in 2004 Based at Houghton Hall (Norfolk) Long term land agreement with available water (key resource) Additional land rented in Norfolk with water
What do we grow? Carrots 6000t, Potatoes 1500t , Onions 1000t, JV on Leeks New varieties – trials & commercial Hand weeding (100+ seasonal staff) 5 full-time staff and contractors for basic tasks
What are our Environmental Credentials? Minimum 7 year rotation Habitat creation Soil erosion Beneficial insect release Winter cover crops Irrigation management
Innovation Investment in on-farm automation. Precision Farming Variety development across range of crops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXSAlYhAwwI
RBOrganic Packhouse • With organics in its infancy the packing site at Yaxley was set up to wash, grade and pack organic root veg as a dedicated organic packhouse in 2000. • 2002 Produce World Ltd was formed as a holding company to pull together all the sister businesses Isleham, Yaxley and Sutton bridge under one umbrella. In 2011 Produce World Group was formed. • RBOrganic grower group (British Organic Carrot Growers Association) has been going for over 10 years. • 2019 Produce World splits in to two divisions BFP and RBO
• New Celox optical grader operational from early 2013 investment of £150k • Installed A Pendred misting unit in the organic cold store to improve bunched carrot quality • Reedbed water treatment system was installed on 2007 with a further extension 2014 from 6000 cubic mtrs to 12,000 cubic mtrs • Currently working on alternatives to plastic packaging • Heavily investing in automation in factory
Organic Roots - Committed Supply Base • 84 % Organic Carrots sold to retail and wholesale are from the UK • The British Organic Carrot Growers 16% Association grower group meet bi monthly to review working projects and knowledge transfer • RBOrganic Ltd is owned by Produce World and 30% of the total carrot crop requirement is grown by us. • We use the range of areas to give us diversity of soil types and temperatures which allows us to supply UK crop from late July to end of April. 84% • Import growers • Israel, The Netherlands, Italy and Spain • Understanding of requirements, working together for more than 10 years • Supported by the Yaxley team 12
Organic Roots - Production Areas TBG Suffolk TIO Breckland Organic Norfolk RBOrganic Farm Norfolk TC & N Taylor Shropshire AA Carrots Aberdeenshire Midcoul Farms Morayshire Allows management of indigenous pests (e.g. carrot fly). Seasonal support as disease focus varies across the country We use the range of areas to give us diversity of soil types and temperatures which allows us to supply UK crop from July to mid May. Yaxley 13
Recommend
More recommend
