Environmental Stewardship Placement

Strategic placement of environmental features at a landscape level can help maximise benefits for pollinating insects. Sheltered sunny spots are preferred for insects and in these locations the intense noise from there beating wings is a magical humming experience.  

Within our potato farming, tramlines and irrigation headlands are not planted for operational reasons. Instead of allowing the land to stay bare, these areas are sown with intense annual flowers making a highway and perfect foraging ground for bees. Simultaneously allowing free movement of beneficiaries within the growing crop helping to control pests and diseases, while benefitting soil health for the following growing crops.  

Woodland Management 

To increase the flora diversity, we implement cyclical mowing of the rides every two years, and an annual mowing plan to encourage and increase prolonged flora diversity. Woodlands are managed under continuous cover forestry with some areas of coppice to increase flora species through the woodland. 

Across the estate cover crops are a key factor to the extensive crop rotation and investment in soil health, although primarily used for soil health, this method protects and increases the soil flora and fauna but provides much needed late pollen and nectar for pollinating insects.  

The grass and wildflowers margins that are against the edges of the fields provide foraging and shelter habitat for various species, allowing movement through the landscape along these species’ rich corridors. Blocks of pollen, nectar and wild bird cover features are evenly spread through the landscape to enhance the pollen and nectar provisions with the margins. Voluntary features link these corridors providing increased pollen and nectar that can be enhanced by altering drilling dates.  

The use of advanced technology means the team monitor each stage of development, from seedling to fruit, tending to micro needs and the crop as a whole. Innovation is at the heart of Dyson Farming and the team at the glasshouse are constantly exploring how technology can be harnessed to achieve the optimal growing environment. 

The giant glasshouse is 424m long holding 832 rows of strawberries, this latest crop consists of 700,000 strawberry plants which will produce approximately 750t of strawberries for British consumers. 

Harnessing the power of renewable energy

• The glasshouse uses heat and power from the neighbouring Anaerobic Digestor plant which contributes to the overall circular farming model.

• Digestate and a small amount of strawberry waste (strawberry plants and coir), are applied to nearby fields as an organic fertiliser to improve soils and crop yields. In the future, we are expecting to also use CO2 from our AD plant.

• Rainwater is harvested from the glasshouse roof and stored in a lagoon, which is then used to irrigate the plants.

• Crop growth is optimised by the mechanics of the hanging gutters which hold the plants. By enabling them to ‘swing’ from side to side, this allows 15% extra crop to be grown in the same area.

Every strawberry is carefully picked by hand by our experienced team of 70 glasshouse workers who will pick up to 14t a day. We ensure quality control, before weighing, packing, labelling and storing the fruit ready for transit in our on-site cold store.  

Dyson Farming strawberries are available to buy in M&S stores nationwide from April.