Our organic farming activities extend to 1500 acres on the Chichester Plain and the South Downs.

At the centre is our 230 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 and fresh milk to Sainsburys.

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 and much of the wheat goes to make organic bread.

The plusses of organic food 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. 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 definite 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 compost from our own recycling business, provide natural fertility and humus to the soil.

Organic farming is also about maximising animal welfare, concentrating on the principal of prevention rather than cure. All animals are grazed on fresh grass throughout the spring/summer/autumn period and fed home grown forage through the winter. Under organic rules additional ‘concentrate’ feed is limited and all feeds are, of course, GM free. Whilst anti biotic treatments are sometimes used (the health of the animal always comes first) there use is never routine and herbal and homeopathic remedies are preferred.