Soil is one of the most valuable resources on our planet, and at JSR we’ve always believed that looking after soil is fundamental to successful farming. To grow quality crops and graze livestock, soil needs to be healthy, fertile and well cared for. Since JSR was founded in 1958, we have followed an integrated, mixed farming approach – simply put, we return organic manures to the land to help keep our soils rich in life, full of organic matter and less reliant on artificial fertilisers.

Pig slurry – known fondly here as ‘Liquid Gold’ and ‘Solid Gold’ – has played a big part in that. Back in the 1970s, we were the first to build an umbilical system to spread slurry across our fields, returning vital nitrogen to the soil and helping to boost crop yields.

Of course, farming has moved on a lot over the last 60 years – and so have we. Today, we use precision technology, including satellite mapping and soil scanning, to understand the unique make-up of each field. It means we can apply exactly what’s needed, where it’s needed, ensuring the most efficient crop production.

All of JSR’s land is within an environmental stewardship scheme, both official or voluntary. We have always believed in creating natural habitats for local wildlife which also call JSR Farms home. In the late 1970’s through to the early 1990’s we are proud to say that we were planting a mile of hedges each year for ten years, typically using up to thirteen species to encourage bio-diversity. Today, these hedges continue to thrive and provide shelter and sustenance to a wide variety of wildlife across the farms.

JSR was one of the first large scale farms to enter into the Sustainable Farming Incentive Pilot Scheme (SFI) with the aim of protecting and benefiting the environment whilst supporting food production. JSR have also been a member of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and are proud to be a demonstrator farm since its inception. Read more our Integrated Farm Management through LEAF here.