Food, Farming & Fishing Winner 2010
WINNERS OF THE FOOD, FARMING & FISHING CATEGORY WERE:
CHURSTON SOIL, RECYCLING AND RECOVERY FARM
Richard Haddock showed the judges how he is taking in builders' waste – rock, rubble, sub and topsoil and is then separating the rubble from the soil. The stone is then crushed and goes back to the construction industry or is used for farm tracks. The sub and topsoil is then used to improve the land at his Farm. The soil here is minimal and has grown nothing but arable crops since the first world war. The aim is to grow vegetables for their farm shop in the next few years.
The second area the judges inspected was land which had had the top 5-8cms of topsoil stripped back to the limestone. A layer, up to 15cms deep, of cooked crab and lobster shells was added to increase land drainage. As this is a waste product, the shell is covered immediately with a layer of sub/top soil to a depth of up to 1 metre, replacing the original topsoil. This scheme is unique by using the waste from the local fish processing facility. It has been discovered during the course of these trials that the shells release a polymer called chitin which has been shown to have a beneficial effect on both plant health and nutrition. This in turn will reduce and even replace the current requirement for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
www.churstontraditionalfarmshop.org.uk
Finalists in the above category were:
Chunk of Devon
Dart's Farm
Highfield Farm