LEAF
 

Frogmary Green Farm

High animal welfare and environmental standards run through everything that is done on farm and they are keen to share these values through organised farm tours and visits.

Home / Frogmary Green Farm


Farmer: Nick and Claire Bragg

Address: Frogmary Green Farm, West Street, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5DJ

Website: www.frogmarygreenfarm.co.uk

Twitter: @FrogmaryGreen

Member since 2008 and LEAF Demonstration Farm since 2014

The Farm

Frogmary Green Farm is an arable farm in the heart of the Somerset countryside with sandy clay loam soils. Nick and Claire Bragg have run the Frogmary Green Farm since 1992 and rent out chicken houses to another farmer. In addition, Frogmary Green Farm was the first farming business to install a biomass woodchip boiler for the chicken house heating system using timber from the local woodland, providing a source of renewable energy. Solar PV panels have also been installed and Frogmary is now 100% reliant on renewable energy.

Nick and Claire farm 320 ha of arable crops, growing grass, cereals, maize and fodder beet. These crops feed an on-site AD plant the biogas produced is fed directly into the national grid, and the digestate used back on the farm.

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Activities

Nick and Claire have worked hard both on their own farm and neighbouring farms to tackle soil erosion and run-off problems. Changes have included planting an earlier variety of maize, incorporating rotational crops including two/three year grass leys, using min till where appropriate, establishing larger field margins and corners and using filter fences in high risk areas. Soil organic matter content is also slowly increasing through the use of cover crops.

Since 2002, 5km of hedgerows and 1800 trees have been planted, Wetland areas have also been created with two ponds and wildlife areas and the farm is under HLS and ELS. In addition, pollen and nectar margins have been planted to provide extra habitat for bumblebee and insects, resulting in huge diversity of wildlife making its home at Frogmary Green Farm including cuckoo, linnet, song thrush, skylark, swift and whitethroat.


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Frogmary Green Farm is also a Agri-EPI Satellite Farm.

Their latest diversification venture, in conjunction with Somerset Public Health, is a Field to Fork project at the farm in the form of the S.H.E.D (Schools Health and Educational Den). This provides a purpose-built classroom where children and young people can learn about the food they eat in a farm setting and get involved in growing, cooking and eating home grown produce.

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Particular interests/farming topics:
High environmental standards run through everything that is done on farm and have worked hard to tackle soil erosion and run-off problems.

Visits

Nick and Claire are passionate about promoting agriculture and have a purpose built viewing gallery in their chicken house to enable visitors to see the realities of poultry farming. They have established close links with a number of local schools and are keen to welcome any organised group on to the farm. They get a real buzz from showing people around!

About LEAF Demonstration Farms

LEAF Demonstration Farms are commercial farms, which show the beneficial practices of Integrated Farm Management (IFM) to a broad range of audiences, through organised visits. They communicate an understanding of IFM in order to encourage uptake by farmers, support from the industry and political awareness of sustainable food and farming.

Members only resources

Sustainable Soil Management at Frogmary Green Farm

Energy Farm in Focus: Frogmary Green Farm

Visit this farm

Click here to arrange a visit to this LEAF Demonstration Farm.