Thursday June 15th 2023: Did you know that on an intensive farm, up to 50% of the carbon footprint is embedded in the production of the chemicals that are needed to get anything from the overworked topsoil. Not so at Maple Farm, Kelsale, where traditional crop rotation and clever seed mixing has removed the need for artificial fertiliser completely.
After having to postpone the original date due to the Pandemic, it was great to finally get everyone together for the visit to Maple Farm near Saxmundham at last. On the 25th of May Charter members gathered at 5pm, to enjoy cakes and drinks before beginning the tour.
And what an amazing evening it was. Our thanks go out to Mike Mallett and the team for being such generous hosts. Spending the time to walk us around the stunning farm and show off the techniques that set it aside from mainstream intensive farms that seem to be falling in efficiency around us.
Using crop rotation where one crop takes nitrogen from the ground followed by three crops of plants that fix it back to maintain soil viabilty, so much time and effort is saved not fighting nature, but working with it.
We were also shown the tunnels where other plants are grown with little need for human intervention as all of the watering and maintaining controls are automatic. This also extends to the chicken sheds where solar power charges the batteries to work the ventilation and heating as well as opening and closing the doors to let the hens free range.
A different meaning to ‘battery hens’
The weather was perfect and everyone agreed what an excellent event it was. If Maple Farm ever want to repeat the offer of a tour it would be highly recommended.
Maple Farm has a NEW website which can be seen HERE
