Frogmary Green Farm has become the latest farm to join LEAF’s nationwide network of LEAF Demonstration Farms. It joins over 40 other farms across the country set up to showcase the very best of sustainable farming practices.

Based on the edge of South Petherton in Somerset, Frogmary Green Farm is a 500 acre poultry and arable farm, run by Nick and Claire Bragg. The farm also grows potatoes for supermarkets, maize and grass for fodder. Frogmary Green Farm joined LEAF in 2008 and became LEAF Marque certified in 2013.

Speaking at the launch Nick explained, “LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management (IFM) approach is all about striving to achieve balance across the whole farm. We’re working hard in lots of practical ways to conserve and enhance the natural environment by planting trees, creating wetland areas and cutting our carbon footprint.”

Nick and Claire were the first to install a biomass woodchip boiler for heating chicken houses, utilising locally sourced timber and as part of their ongoing commitment to environmental enhancement, they have planted some 4 kilometres of hedgerows and over 500 trees since 2002.

Pollen and nectar margins to provide extra habitat for bumblebees and other insects have also been established. This has resulted in a huge variety of wildlife making its home at Frogmary Green Farm including cuckoo, linnet, song thrush, swift and whitethroat.

Launching the farm today as a LEAF Demonstration Farm, Lord Cameron of Dillington, congratulated everyone involved at Frogmary Green Farm for their outstanding commitment to the environment and their pursuit of more sustainable methods of food production.

Nick spoke of his pride in becoming a LEAF Demonstration Farm, “It’s thanks to the hard work and commitment of all our team that we have achieved this recognition. All of us care deeply about our precious environment and want to do all we can to enhance it whilst producing food to the highest welfare and environmental standards. We are also passionate about bringing people onto the farm, to share what we are doing and help to break down some of the barriers that exist between producers and consumers.”

As a LEAF Demonstration Farm, Frogmary Green Farm will act as a ‘living classroom’ demonstrating and promoting the principles of Integrated Farm Management to opinion formers, educationalists, politicians, consumers and conservation groups as well as to community groups and local schools.

For more information about LEAF’s network of Demonstration Farms, please visit www.leafuk.org . For more information about Frogmary Green Farm, please visit www.frogmarygreenfarm.co.uk