A Norfolk farm business which has invested in its future sustainability is celebrating after being named national Potato Grower of the Year. Heygate Farms Swaffham won the title at the second-ever National Arable and Grasslands Awards ceremony in London, as Chris Hill reports for Eastern Daily Press.
Farms director William Gribbon said the accolade was a tribute to the efforts of his 12-strong team, the strength of the firm’s Norfolk Peer and Norfolk Keepers potato brands – and a “significant investment” in sustainability.
“I think the Norfolk Peer brand is one thing that sets us apart from other people, and what we have been doing on the sustainability side as well,” he said. “We built a million-gallon reservoir to take all the rainwater off our roofs, and we are using that for irrigation.
“We also put up a 4,000-tonne cold store to save on our energy costs and reduce our food miles. That in turn has got 160kW of solar panels on the roof, which saves us money as well.”
Source: Eastern Daily Press. Read the full story here
Photo: William Gribbon, farms director of award-winning Norfolk potato grower Heygate Farms Swaffham. Credit Ian Burt via Eastern Daily Press
Related: National Arable and Grassland Awards 2023 – Winners announced
