Following the inaugural crop grown at Linton, near Maidstone, Kent in 2020, which was cropped by Clock House Farm in 2021, 2022 represents the second fiscal year where the soft fruit yield harvested at Clock House has been supplied from home-grown plant stock. Berries were picked throughout the summer of 2022 from plants grown in 2021, using sequential planting of cold stored plants, helping Clock House to produce an even profile of reliable production through the year.

In line with Clock House Farm’s original plans, the 30-hectare outdoor propagation area has also grown trees for the company’s new state-of-the-art river heated production site at Gooselands. The business has planted over 100 native trees to further enhance the natural habit in the 8ha biodiversity improvement area which runs adjacent to the polyhouses at Gooselands. Linton Growing also aims to supply other businesses with containerised trees to provide quickly established, economical visual impact reduction for polytunnels, as well as offering a route to achieving improved biodiversity.

By putting in place its own plant growing operation which offers a direct route to procuring plants grown in accordance with Clock House Farm’s stringent quality control and sustainable farming protocols, the farm has successfully reduced its reliance on buying in finished plants from the continent. The Linton Growing initiative therefore not only enables Clock House to reduce its dependence on overseas growers and provide an in-house site for trialling new varieties offering the best genetics, it also signifies a significant contribution towards lowering the farm’s carbon footprint by minimising food miles and subsequently reducing delivery costs. These are benefits that Clock House is keen to share with other growers, who are encouraged to consider Linton Growing as a potential supplier of premium plant stock.

Oli Pascall, managing director of Clock House Farm and Linton Growing comments, “We’re delighted with the results of our second growing season at Linton and urge other growers to contemplate partnering with Linton to achieve similar results. Accessing the best quality plant stock is obviously integral to our continued success so reducing the reliance on any third parties and being able to launch our own growing operation represents a major development for the business. Clock House is now able to control every aspect of the seedling to supermarket journey, a factor that is becoming increasingly relevant to our customers (and therefore other growers) who are keen to access fruit with a proven genuine provenance. By applying our in-house technical growing expertise we can not only ensure every aspect of the production process, affording added reassurance to our customers, we are also playing a part in climate control by cutting carbon emissions associated with transportation. Having propagation on site is pivotal to protecting our reputation for the delivery of the best quality fruit in terms of flavour, size, shelf life and disease resistance – in addition to supporting our mission to act responsibly to protect the environment.”

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The Maidstone-based soft fruit grower takes its responsibility as custodians of the natural landscape very seriously and is a shining example of best practice in terms of sustainability with a number of pioneering projects in place, including the £10 million investment in low carbon river source heating at its Yalding location. The initiative represents the most significant investment in green energy for soft fruit in the UK – and one of the largest in Europe.

One of the first schools to visit was Invicta Grammar School with pupils from its geography ‘eco society’ taking the two-hour guided tour. They will be followed by groups of pupils from primary through to secondary schools in the surrounding area who have all signed up for the tour.

The company, which is headquartered in Coxheath, Maidstone – with additional farms at Tonbridge, Hunton and Kenardington, Teston and Linton, has developed to become a recognised leader in the supply of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, (as well as apples, and plums), with a reputation for the delivery of exceptional quality fruit with an excellent track record in adopting the latest growing techniques which observe the highest standard of responsible environmental stewardship.

All the berries are grown in high tech poly greenhouses (instead of traditional standard tunnels) provided with a consistent supply of heat from the Medway. The innovative heating process involves extraction of river water (heated by the sun) which is passed through a heat exchanger and then discharged straight back into the river having removed a couple of degrees of heat from the water. A second loop then transfers this heat to the plant room’s heat pumps to achieve a temperature of 45 degrees, which circulated out to the greenhouses. Not only does this ground-breaking system represent a greener, more sustainable approach to energy consumption, it also enables the farm to extend its growing season, providing an opportunity for consumers to purchase British fruit for longer, rather than relying on imported fruit with excessive food miles.

To further underpin Clock House’s commitment to the environment, the sustainably sympathetic agricultural activity is offset by a land sparing system where the farm has allocated a separate 8-hectare river meadow below the greenhouses to provide a large natural wilderness. 

Clock House Farm has also created additional innovative projects designed to protect the planet including: the use of robotics to deliver UV-C light treatment to reduce mildew; minimising CO2 emissions; carefully monitored water management; rewilding meadows; safeguarding hectares of woodland for wildlife to thrive, and much more.

Oli Pascall, managing director of Clock House Farm said, “We are delighted to invite schools to join us on the tours which are proving extremely popular. Children of all ages need opportunities such as this to develop their knowledge, them respect the natural environment and hopefully create a lifelong interest in saving the planet. It’s great for the children to see the fantastic soft fruit grown here in the Garden of England – and to witness how our farm is working to reduce its carbon footprint and also protect the British farming sector. Of course, we are equally keen to encourage the next generation to consider the wide range of technical and grower career options open to them within farming and to attract young people with a fresh perspective to join Kent’s thriving horticulture industry.”

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Clock House Farm announces the rollout of a £10m renewable energy heated soft fruit growing system designed to produce fruit outside of the UK growing season whilst improving the company’s environmental footprint. The initiative involves investing in technology that can source the heat required from the nearby River Medway – which represents an untapped source of renewable heat.

The scheme, believed to be the biggest known river source heat pump system in the country and the most significant investment in green energy for soft fruit in the UK (and one of the largest in Europe) has taken three years to bring to fruition, delivering energy to a 6.5ha production site for raspberry (150 tonnes) and blackberry (300 tonnes). The second half of the site is scheduled for completion by 2024, enabling a further 200 tonnes of strawberries to be added to the out of season offering.

Fruit is grown in high tech poly greenhouses rather than standard tunnels and benefits from a consistent supply of heat from the Medway, which is more consistent than other heating methods.

The process involves extraction of river water (heated by the sun) which passes through a heat exchanger and is then discharged straight back into the river having removed a couple of degrees of heat from the water. A second loop then transfers this heat to the plant room’s six heat pumps to achieve a temperature of 45 degrees, after which it is then circulated out to the greenhouses.

The heat pumps total output is 10.6 megawatts which is equivalent to the same amount of energy produced by 106 automobile engines. To put this into context, one megawatt hour (the use of one megawatt or 1000 kilowatts, for a whole hour) would power around 2000 homes (source ofgem.gov.uk).

To further underpin Clock House’s commitment to the environment, the sustainably sympathetic agricultural activity is further offset by a land sparing system, ie the farm has allocated a separate 8 hectare river meadow below the greenhouses to provide a large natural wilderness.

Commenting on the project, managing director Oli Pascall said, “Clock House Farm takes its responsibility as stewards of the natural landscape very seriously so sustainability and seeking out innovative environmentally responsible initiatives within the business will always be top of the agenda. As growers extending the season is imperative to our – and other British growers’ – success by offering the potential for sales to be spread across a longer time frame and therefore ensure less reliance on imported soft fruit. Of course, ultimately this also helps to reduce the carbon footprint. We will continue to seek out clean energy solutions and remain respectful of the fact that traditional energy supplies no longer represent a infinite resource. This is particularly apposite in light of the current situation regarding the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine and the resulting impact of sanctions that have now been imposed.”

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The 30-hectare site represents a bespoke outdoor propagation area, focusing on strawberry, raspberry and blackberry production, positioning Linton Growing as one of the UK’s top 10 growing sites.

The decision to create a vertically integrated operation which offers a direct route to procuring plants that have been grown in accordance with Clock House Farm’s stringent quality control and sustainable farming protocols is indicative of the farm’s commitment to expanding its customer base, with zero risk of compromising the high calibre fruit offering commensurate with the Clock House Farm brand. Previously the farm bought in mainly finished plants with approximately 50% being purchased in the UK and 50% the majority coming from overseas.

Clock House Farm has strategic partnerships in place to secure regular access to new varieties offering the best genetics – the propagation site provides an opportunity to maximise the full potential of the varieties selected, to supply plants capable of delivering the optimum results in terms of flavour, size, shelf life and disease resistance.

Linton Growing is headed up by Senior Propagation Manager Andrew Barclay who is supported by two supervisors, two irrigation staff, 30 seasonal labourers and the expertise and support of the Clock House Farm management team.

Commenting on the decision to set up Linton Growing, Clock House Farm managing director Oli Pascall says, “In the last few years we have focused our efforts on creating a strong foundation to enable the further growth and development of our business. Accessing the best quality plant stock is obviously integral to the farm’s continued success and we are keen to safeguard this aspect of our operations and to not be reliant on any third parties. We also recognise the growing importance of being able to reassure our customers of the provenance story behind the fruit that we supply. Having full control of every aspect of the seedling to supermarket journey is a key strand of Clock House Farm’s business strategy; providing us with the opportunity to apply our technical growing expertise and innovative, sustainable farming practices to ensure that Clock House Farm’s hallmark commitment to quality permeates every aspect of the production process, affording added reassurance to our customers.”

In addition to growing soft fruit plants, Linton Growing plans to diversify its containerised production to include shrubs and native trees, some of which will be planted across the business’ eight farm sites in line with Clock House’s firm pledge to encourage biodiversity to help effectively manage and maintain the natural ecosystem.

Linton Growing is forging strategic partnerships with other grower businesses in the UK, to enable them access to the same advantages that Clock House Farm is now able to benefit from.

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This represents the first year that the farm has been named Supreme Champion following its top score of 99 points in the Braeburn class. As well as winning the enviable accolade, Clock House Farm is now also afforded the opportunity to present a tray of its award-winning fruit to the Lord Mayor by the Fruiterers’ Company, in addition to fruit being presented to the Queen and the Prime Minister.

As well as seizing the overall Best Fruit in Show prize, Clock House Farm also notched up wins in the Braeburn class and was just pipped to the post coming in second in the Jazz apple category. In the soft fruits sector, the farm won the Blackberries class and was awarded second place for its Strawberry Everbearers exhibit.

Commenting on the results, Oli Pascall, managing director of Clock House Farm said, “this is a fantastic result for us, which is even more poignant given the challenging conditions of the last year. Our mantra has always been simple, to create the perfect, environmentally responsible growing conditions to ensure we deliver exceptional quality fruit with a superior, unsurpassed taste performance. We are delighted to have been nominated Supreme Champion – a win that would not have been possible without all the hard work and unwavering dedication of the whole team at Clock House Farm.”

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The rebrand has focused on evolving the original logo and developing a compelling strapline for the business – ‘Growing a better tomorrow’ which is consistent with Clock House Farm’s proficiency in the production of fruit that is grown efficiently and sustainably. The eye-catching corporate identity is being applied to various collateral, including farm signage, farm vehicles, branded workwear, and various marketing communication initiatives. In addition, the website has also undergone a complete revamp from both a design and content perspective.

Commenting on the move, managing director Oli Pascall said, “We have a focused objective to grow the business over the next five years and the rebrand was required to deliver a current, compelling identity that is commensurate with our ambition to achieve clear standout and stronger recognition within the category. In particular, we are keen to raise awareness of our established expertise as innovative, progressive growers with an excellent track record in adopting the latest growing techniques which observe the highest standard of responsible environmental stewardship. The revised positioning of the farm has been favourably received internally, with the team recognising that this represents a solid investment to secure a strong future for Clock House Farm.”

Clock House Farm is a key grower in the Berry Gardens portfolio and is responsible for a significant – and increasing share – of the grower group produce. Robert Pascall, Chairman of Clock House Farm is also Vice Chairman of Berry Gardens.

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There is a sense, however, that some use the term too loosely, without enough concrete actions and data to back up their lofty rhetoric. This certainly isn’t an accusation that can be levelled at Clock House Farm, one of the largest and most ambitious soft-fruit growers in the Berry Gardens cooperative.

The producer – whose farms across Kent grow strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, as well as lower volumes of apples and plums – has been focused on boosting biodiversity for a number of years now. It is only more recently that it has stepped up efforts to bring down its carbon emissions and carefully manage its water usage as well. And these three elements – biodiversity, carbon reduction and water management – are the core pillars of the company’s environmental strategy.

In each area the producer is taking an extensive list of measures to up its game and quantify progress. Carbon reduction is all about achieving net-zero emissions across the business – an ambition that managing director Oli Pascall insists is “very attainable” before the government target of 2050. Clock House Farm has undertaken its first baseline study for carbon output across the business and is focusing on setting what Pascall calls “well managed, attainable targets” for total annual carbon reduction, as well as a reduction in emissions per kilo of fruit produced.

With this goal in mind, the grower has started construction of a state-of-the-art 10-hectare greenhouse that is set to begin production of raspberries and blackberries in 2022, and strawberries by 2023. The new production facility will be heated by possibly the biggest river-source heat pump built in the UK to date, as well as featuring thermal screens for shading the crop from sunburn and optimising energy efficiency. The greenhouse, which will help Berry Gardens replace strawberry imports with domestically produced fruit, is expected to save around 3,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year compared to a gas-heated greenhouse.

Other easy wins in carbon reduction include a planned switch to a green energy provider, and further down the line the company will explore opportunities in carbon offsetting by planting new woodland areas – although Pascall warns of the need to be “very realistic” about the environmental benefits of offsetting.

“At times I think the real value of carbon capture from new woodland is exaggerated – it very much depends on how it is managed,” he says. “It’s very easy to make bold claims that you will never deliver on, but for us it’s about making achievable goals rather than headline statements. That said, any new woodland planting greatly complements our biodiversity goals.”

When it comes to enhancing biodiversity, Clock House Farm has taken on the principle of ‘spared and shared’ areas, Pascall explains. ‘Sparing’ biodiversity involves replanting woodland, widening hedgerows and making space for large areas of a nature reserve, while ‘sharing’ is about managing cropping areas to have either the least impact possible or an actively beneficial effect on the environment.

To this effect, the business has been investing in robotics to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides; using IPM methods such as insect exclusion netting to reduce the use of spray applications; planting 1-2km of hedges around its fields every year; mowing less to preserve habitats; and planting wildflower margins around fruiting areas to increase the number of wild pollinators in crops. Pascall stresses the importance of ensuring that the bees the producer introduces to its orchards don’t out-compete any wild pollinator activity.

In water management the Clock House MD is wary of the difficulties faced by fruit producers in the South East due to the huge population pressures on water resources.

“Our approach is to make sure that in periods of low flow in the rivers we extract from, we don’t need to extract for that low-flow period,” he says. To achieve this, the company has set out to build one reservoir a year for the next five years, and it has already constructed the first of these, with permission for the second.

Forward-thinking investments are also being made in irrigation, with a view to saving water and boosting yields. Clock House Farm has used computer-controlled radiation sum systems for over a decade now but going forward, it is investing in in-field moisture sensors across all its fields. These trigger irrigation precisely when and where it is needed by the plants, thereby reducing inputs of water and nutrients, and helping to increase output per cubic metre of water.

Pascall emphasises that there is no one solution to the environmental challenges we face. “You can focus on one area too much and have a detrimental effect on another, so thinking holistically is the best approach,” he says. “As farmers we are in a position of great responsibility but also one where we can make a big difference. We have to deliver improvements as well as communicating this with our customers. Sustainability is not a choice; it is a must.”

Revolutionary robotics

Robotics is another major focus for Clock House Farm, and the producer’s involvement in the much-vaunted Robot Highways project promises sustainability benefits by reducing environmental impacts as well as addressing labour shortages. Funded by Innovate UK to the tune of £2.5 million, the initiative is the largest-known demonstration of robotics and autonomous technologies in the world – a major experiment in so-called ‘fleet robotics’ whereby a number of robots operate side by side on the same farm.

Solar-powered robots designed and manufactured by Norwegian firm Saga Robotics are being used to pick, weed and mow, among other tasks on the farm, thereby reducing tractor movements. Pascall says he is especially excited about some of the technologies the robots are using to substantially reduce fungicide use.

The project is forecast to reduce fruit waste by 20 per cent and fungicide use by 90 per cent, as well as enabling a major decrease in the use of fossil fuels across on-farm logistical operations.

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