Sourcing with integrity
The Vitacress Chairman Malcolm Isaac, started the company in New Alresford in Hampshire with 1 acre of watercress beds over fifty years ago.
From these humble beginnings the farm at New Alresford now has 10ha of organic baby leaf production area with a further 15ha in conversion for 2008.
The farm is managed by South African, Andy Elworthy, who was brought up there on the family beef farm which his parents still farm. He came to the UK in 1997, originally for a two year holiday, but loved it so much he stayed.
This year Andy and his team are focussing their efforts on attaining Conservation Grade farming status. This scheme aims to increase bio-diversity 5-fold by introducing new and improving existing habitats for native species local to the area. 10% of the farm land has been set aside for a range of wildlife habitats such as wild flowers (for bees and other insects); wild bird food; tussocky grass (habitat for small mammals, ie barn owl food); natural regeneration (to encourage rare annual flowers etc) and hedges, woods and ponds etc. Although this initiative is designed to increase wildlife, we hope it will also attract insects etc out of our crops and into their new homes.
The farm is part of Operation Bumble bee and proud to support this important initiative alongside Sainsbury’s.
