We are aware of the pressures placed upon the environment by intensive farming methods and understand it is our responsibility as farmers of the land, to provide the care and protection it requires.

With this in mind we aim to balance our activities with key conservation areas and try, whenever possible to minimise our disruptive impact upon the local ecology. Around the farm we have ancient hedgerows that are only trimmed periodically, which make excellent habitats and travel corridors for many species of animals and birds. We also have installed beetle banks and provide ponds, streams, uncultivated land and permanent pasture which all add to the rich biodiversity on offer at the farm.

We also have a policy of using beneficial insects to protect our crops to reduce the requirement for chemical pesticides. We host many scientific trials to help further the battle against reliance upon chemicals and pesticides – and only spray for specific and targeted reasons, not adopting a routine spray program where crops are treated before any problems arise.

The local bee population often isn’t large enough to pollinate the many millions of individual flowers, so we have beekeepers who introduce new colonies and hives of honey bees to help out when they are most required. We also purchase smaller colonies of bumblebees which we hang inside the tunnels to give a direct source of pollination.

Bradley Farms recycles all materials possible, not only does this greatly benefit the environment, but it also reduces costs. All of our substrate systems use coir rather than peat. This not only reduces the pressure on endangered peat bogs but also promotes the use of coir as a recycled material (it is made from coconut husk.