The Molyneux family have farmed on the fertile south-west Lancashire plain for more than five generations, so we know a thing or two about sustainable growing.
This means we understand the importance of producing our kale in a way that protects the environment whilst offering you the assurance of a quality product.
Our aim is to work with nature to grow the best crops. We are not organic but carefully choose what modern interventions we apply to achieve the best quality with minimal impact. We believe this approach is the right one – take the best of the modern world without forgetting the lessons learnt in the past.
Our year round cropping means that there is always cover on our fields, and this helps support a wide range of birds, which struggle to survive in some modern farming systems.
We also are working hard to build the soil we farm not just for the next generation, but because it is good for the current crops. To do this we rotate our cropping with other farmers who grow Leeks and other vegetables. We also rest the fields in rotation, growing grass and clover every few years to build the soil structure and naturally capture Nitrogen and other nutrients for subsequent crops. 
Not only that but between crops we grow what are called Green Manures – crops that are designed to hold the nutrients in the soil and prevent them from washing away whilst the land is not ready to be sown with Kale.
Building the soil is a key part of our plans for the business in the future, and we are continuously looking to develop new techniques.
We also maintain our registration with Leaf Marque, Assured Food Produce Standards which independently audit our actions so customers can be confident that our statements are more than just words. Leaf Marque is a globally-recognised standard for:
“Producing good food with care and to high environmental standards.” (LEAF 2016).
These Standards require us to means we must manage our farm against the following a number of criteria, and we are annually inspected against each one.
• Organisation and Planning
• Soil Management and Fertility
• Crop Health and Protection
• Pollution Control and By-Product Management
• Animal Husbandry
• Energy Efficiency
• Water Management
• Landscape and Nature Conservation
• Community Engagement
We are Leaf Marque and Red Tractor Fresh Produce Scheme members.
Links
Molyneux Kale Company 