Compost
Compost and Compost Teas
At Laverstoke we are experimenting with making and applying our own composts and compost teas. This is by using the latest scientific findings to promote diverse bacteria, fungi and other soil life as well as matching them to plant's needs.
We will be spreading compost four times a year on 2000 acres and will be spraying compost teas four times a year as well as investigating the use of biodynamic preparations.
Our on-farm laboratory tests and evaluates the composts, compost teas and preparations.
Biodynamic Conversion
Five hundred acres of the farm is certified organic and the entire 2,500 acres are currently undergoing conversion to become biodynamic.
We are partly registered with the Soil Association. We are now registering with Demeter to become biodynamic on the whole of the farm. This is organic farming plus. It is a much more holistic way of farming, a complete system which is what we are doing anyway. It was developed by a German agricultural expert in 1920 and is practised all over the world.
In essence:
Healthy soil = healthy grass = healthy animals = healthy meat and milk = healthy people
and conversely:
Unhealthy soil = unhealthy grass = unhealthy animals = unhealthy meat and milk = unhealthy people.
Much of our research has included literature dating back to the beginning of the last century combined with some of the latest scientific research, mostly from the USA, Holland, Germany and South Africa.
We believe we are improving health through the food we eat by not treating with medicines and other chemicals all the time. This applies to soil, grasses and animals. We consider that this also carries through to people. However, because there is such a ready availability of medicines and cure-alls, this philosophy has been largely forgotten both in farming and in the way people live their lives today.
We produce our own food for our animals. In doing so we adopt the same principle as producing food for people.
Click on the link for our live Compost Cam .