Bill and his ancestors have farmed the land on the border of Sherwood Forest for more than a century.  The story can be traced back to 1900, when Bill’s grandfather Arnold first began growing on 12 acres of land.

The deep and sandy soil present in Nottinghamshire is ideal for growing long healthy root vegetables.  Crops are planted over a period of 6 months; from December through to late May.  Polythene sheets and straw help to protect the carrots from frost during the cold winter months.  Bill explains that when ready, crops are, “harvested daily to ensure they are bright, firm and full of colour”.

Bill is incredibly passionate about conservation, following in the footsteps of his own father who was a keen conservationist.  One major innovation has been the introduction of farm vehicles powered by pure plant oil (PPO).  This step has reduced their carbon output by 60% on converted vehicles.

Bill says, “We are keepers of the countryside and it is vital that we try to improve our environment while we still can. This is something very close to my heart and a huge part of my life, I feel very passionate about it. We have over 30 acres dedicated to wildlife. This includes pollen and nectar areas that encourage bees and small birds; maize, millet and sunflower plantations to provide winter feed for wild birds; and an abundance of flowering plants and grasses in the wild flower meadows.

“We have also been restoring, creating and cultivating hedgerows, field boundaries, woodland and wetland areas to provide valuable habitat and nesting areas for many endangered birds from Tree Sparrows to Linnets and Skylarks to Yellow Hammers.”