Since 1870 we’ve lived and breathed malting. With this passion and expertise, and by combining traditional and modern techniques, we create an impressive range of malted and non-malted products, including several unique and exclusive barley malts.
There is nothing more we love than talking to brewers and distillers so if you have any questions, or would like to arrange a call with a member of our team, please feel free to get in touch – we would love to hear from you!
Part of the ABC Grower Group
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Ben Jones is a member of our ABC Grower Group, farming 600 acres around Holt, Norfolk.
Since 2015, he has integrated regenerative farming practices into his arable system, with the primary goal of preventing bare stubble over winter.
Fodder radish is Ben’s cover crop of choice, as the light land benefits from the plant’s characteristics. The radish has a deep root, which helps to improve soil structure and quality, as well as improve moisture and drainage control. The fodder radish’s PCN resistance also prevents the disease’s impact on the crop. After the harvest of malting barley, fodder radish is drilled in the first week of September at 8kg/ha and left to grow over the winter. In February, sheep graze the crop over 3 weeks.
Incorporating livestock is another important regenerative farming practice, allowing manure to integrate through the field as a natural fertiliser, adding to the nutrient content and reducing reliance on high-carbon nitrogen fertiliser. Ben also plants legume mix as a cover crop, which he drills at 15kg/ha, under a 2-year stewardship scheme. This encourages further habitat diversity within the farming system. Flagon malting barley will supersede this and benefit from the soil’s improved structure and drainage.
Ben samples the soils to test soil organic matter every year, and he has noticed a significant improvement since integrating cover crops. 20 years ago, soil organic matter was as low as 1.5% in some areas, and measurements today are up to 3.5%. He has a keen interest in trialling more varieties of cover crops to understand the different benefits that other species can bring to the soil’s health and characteristics, as well as helping to increase biodiversity on his farm. He would also like to understand better the impact of seed drilling density on the cover crop quality.
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