The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2015 - Issue 41 | Page 42

Arable

Speciality market garden showcases
best of British agricultural innovation
»»A farm with more than a
century of agricultural heritage
is hosting a month-long
celebration of British farming
expertise near Nottingham.
In August and September,
Hammond Produce is
welcoming local residents
and businesses to a market
garden featuring dozens of
rare varieties of vegetables and
herbs where they will be able
to sample the produce of the
garden straight from the plot at
its 700-acre farm, located just
four miles from the city centre.
The 15-acre market garden
plot has been planted with over
50 speciality varieties of root
vegetables, herbs and salad,
including shaped beetroots, red
kale and three different shades
of cauliflower.
By cultivating these unusual
varieties, some of which are not
currently available in the UK,
Hammond Produce hopes its
innovative agricultural practice
will demonstrate what British
farming is capable of in the 21st
century.

CUTTING EDGE APPROACH
Guests can also sample the
produce. After being harvested
in front of visitors, the crop is
expertly prepared on-site using
recipes which demonstrate the
culinary potential of these rare
specialities.
Jon Hammond, fourthgeneration farmer and
director of Hammond
Produce, said: “This unique
market garden helps cement
our position as innovative and
cutting-edge farmers and food
producers - we recognise that
consumers are increasingly
demanding more unusual and
speciality varieties of fresh
produce and are changing
how we work and the types of
crop we’re growing to match
this trend.”
It’s a highly successful
business model: Hammonds
farms more than 3,500
acres in partnership across
Nottinghamshire and
Lincolnshire, handling 60,000
tonnes of fresh produce each
year.

42 Aug/Sep 2015 www.farmers-mart.co.uk

The business turns over £15
million per year and supplies
major grocery retailers, food
manufacturers and both
public and private sector food
services. The rare and unusual
varieties currently growing
in the market garden could
soon be found on supermarket
shelves and school dinner
plates nationwide.
CARING FOR THE FUTURE
The farm, established in
1999, combines the cultivation
of mainstream and emerging
crops with the conservation
of wildlife and the natural
environment. Hammond
Produce is classed as higher
level stewardship by Natural
England and is accredited
with the LEAF Marque (Linking
Environment and Farming),
which recognises sustainable
farming and food production
and an accredited member of
Organic Farmers & Growers; it
is also BRC certified and has
been awarded the Red Tractor
for Assured Food Standards.

These accreditations illustrate
how it has successfully
integrated farm management
and managing intensive
crop production with the
preservation of precious soil,
water, wildlife, flora and fauna.
Jon Hammond, added: “By
planting areas of grassland and
wild flowers, leaving uncropped
strips of land at the side of
our fields, creating new and
managing existing hedgerows,
woodland and wetlands, we’re
providing habitats for wildlife
both now and in the future.”