Chichester glasshouse duo Tangmere Airfield Nurseries and Eric Wall have been launched as LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) demonstration farms in recognition of their commitment to sustainable farming.
They are the first LEAF glasshouse businesses to become LEAF demonstration farms and join a group of 40 other farms in the UK showcasing the best of sustainable farming practices.
LEAF demonstration farms act as ‘living classrooms’, demonstrating the sustainable farming principles of Integrated Farm Management (IFM) - a whole farm business approach aimed at delivering more sustainable farming -to other farmers, the supply chain, conservation groups and members of the public.
Tangmere Airfield Nurseries is one of Europe’s largest sweet pepper producers, with more than 100 acres of state-of-the-art glasshouse facilities in the UK and Spain.
The business produces over 60 million sweet peppers every year, and supplies major UK retailers as well as the wholesale market, and has been LEAF Marque certified since 2003. The LEAF Marque is a leading assurance scheme recognising sustainably farmed products.
Some examples of the ways Tangmere Airfield Nurseries implements IFM include conserving energy and water through an on-site electricity generation plant, water recirculation and thermal screens. They also reduce waste as, at the end of the season, the used pepper plants are either composted or used as animal feed.
Eric Wall is a family-run business and one of the largest tomato nurseries in the UK. It has been LEAF Marque certified since 2004 and has implemented a number of innovative approaches to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through more energy efficient boilers, upgrading heating pipes, insulating heating storage tanks and using thermal screens.
The business also has an innovative sustainable water management system in place that includes rain water collection and an on-site reservoir. Water use on the site is monitored and benchmarked for maximum efficiency.
Both businesses already play an important role in their local community and have held community site visits and participated in LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday event.
The official launch of both sites took place on Wednesday (13 May). Eric Wall was launched by Mary Bosley, of the Horticulture Innovation Partnership), and gardening broadcaster, Pippa Greenwood, launched Tangmere Airfield Nurseries.
LEAF chief executive Caroline Drummond said: “Our LEAF demonstration farms are at the very forefront of sustainable farming. We are delighted to welcome Eric Wall and Tangmere Airfield Nurseries as LEAF’s first demonstration farms in the glasshouse sector.
'They are first-class examples of how the principles of IFM can be implemented under glass on a large scale. Both sites will play a critical role in inspiring others in the food and farming industry as well as help raise awareness among the public about how their food is grown to high standards of environmental care.”
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