FOOD + DRINK
FROM FARM TO TABLE CONT .
PARK FARM BUTCHERS LONGLAND FARM
Clock House Farm
Clock House Farm ( www . clockhousefarm . co . uk ) is a Kentish family fruit growers . Farming approximately 330 hectares to the south of Coxheath in Kent with a further 30 hectares near Tonbridge and a glasshouse site at Kenardington near Ashford which houses their blackberries , Clock House Farm and grower Oli Pascal have proudly partnered with Marks and Spencer as part of their ‘ Fresh Market Update ’ campaign .
The campaign highlights the lengths M & S Select Farmers , such as Oli go to , to deliver exceptional quality food . Promoting seasonal eating , RSPCA assured farms and responsibly sourced seafood , ‘ Fresh Market Update ’ is also shining the spotlight on how M & S work with select farmers and producers who share their commitment to environmental standards . This initiative , titled ‘ Farming with Nature ’ encompasses Oli and his vision .
As part of the programme , M & S are testing and adapting tools and technologies and sharing the learnings with M & S Select Farms like Clock House Farm and the wider industry . Novel biodiversity monitoring techniques and researching methods such as pollinator-friendly farming , reduced reliance on pesticides , conserving water resources , protecting and enhancing habitats and species , and promoting healthy soil all being example studies .
Consistent with M & S ’ ‘ Farming with Nature ’ programme , Clock House Farm is constantly trialling new varieties and growing methods to improve the quality of the fruit grown , increasing its appeal to both customers and consumers alike . All their soft fruit is now grown under tunnels in order to extend the growing season and protect the delicate fruit from wind and rain , the protected growing environment helping them to use more environmentally friendly methods to control the vast number of pests and diseases that harm soft fruit .
Park Farm Butchers
Andrew Clarke and his son William farm some 300 acres of typical Wealden farmland in the Parish of Hawkhurst , set in the gloriously picturesque Weald of Kent . A low intensity pasture farm rearing cattle and sheep for a discerning butchery outlet in the village of Hawkhurst , it has always been Park Farm ’ s ( www . parkfarmbutchers . co . uk ) ethos to farm in a way that supports and enhances their surrounding countryside whilst producing fully traceable , quality beef and lamb . The farm ’ s methods lie firmly in tradition , providing grazing and winter feed for the livestock as well as supporting areas of wildflower meadows , natural habitat , woodland and ponds .
Putting sustainability at the heart of their business , the farm participates in the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme ; an ongoing conservation and education programme and offers school visits and open days so that people can witness their unique farming practices first-hand . Rearing Sussex cattle and Romney sheep that are indigenous to the area on traditional pastures , Park Farm ’ s methods are environmentally sensitive , with low food miles , whilst working in harmony with the countryside .
Running a suckler herd of around 40 Sussex cows with their calves and older stock together with a flock of 150 Romney ewes , all grazed on grass pastures during the summer months and hay made from grass silage providing the mainstay of their winter feed , the farm is able to supply its butchers
with free range beef and lamb . With most of their livestock born and reared there , Park Farm qualifies for Farm Assurance under the ‘ Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb Scheme ’.
But it doesn ’ t stop here for Park Farm . As participants of the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme , they also leave wide unploughed margins around arable fields , manage areas of grassland to produce spectacular wild flower meadows , and have hedgerows and pockets of woodland all managed to encourage and support wild flora and fauna .
Longland Farm
Located in the beautiful village of Elham , near Canterbury , the welfare of Giles and Kate Campbell ’ s lovingly reared poultry is at the heart of everything they do at Longland Farm ( www . longlandfarm . co . uk ). They not only have their own breeding flocks and hatchery ( where they hatch all the birds that they produce on site ), they choose slow-growing heritage breeds which are fed on the best locally grown and milled food . All of the birds are high welfare and have plentiful access to high quality food , water and luscious grass . Free to roam their meadows by day , the birds are then kept safe and secure at night , offering a happy , stress-free life . All of the birds here are processed on site too , not only eliminating stress and promoting the best standards of care , but also cutting food miles and lowering the farm ’ s carbon footprint , with the eco-focus continuing through plastic-free packaging .
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