Growing in all fields
Agriculture lies at the heart of ATB’s heritage. From a small stock farm in Hunsdon, we are now custodians of over 3750 hectares through a number of close partnerships which we have nurtured throughout the years. We treat every hectare and every tonne as our own and strive to be at the forefront of British Agriculture by taking a sustainable approach and adopting new techniques and technologies where advantageous.
We have always taken an enterprising approach to every service we offer, making sure to invest in the latest equipment and machinery to meet the needs of our agricultural clients. Part of this is ensuring our tractors and implements are up-to-date and that all operate with GPS technology. We also utilise biomass mapping to track progress throughout the year, along with yield and profitability mapping. Our strategically placed weather stations throughout the county assist us with more informed decision making with regards to pesticide and fertiliser applications.
We pride ourselves on the efficiency of our operations, as we understand this is key to a healthy profit. Throughout our whole business, we see great value in insourcing. As part of this, we have an in-house team of mechanics, along with skilled operators who understand the importance of accuracy and output.
Our in-house FACTS and BASIS qualified Growing Crops Manager is able to give us regular, timely updates and advice on the situation in field, allowing us to act with minimal time lag.
Soil is our greatest asset on the farm. Soil health is therefore imperative for sustainability, which we incorporate into our practices, whether that be wide rotations, minimising cultivation where possible, or increasing organic matter content with the application of organics such as compost, digestate, sewage sludge or the addition of catch and cover crops into the rotation.
As part of our responsibility to be custodians of the English countryside, we have also implemented CCS (Countryside Stewardship) onto the farms we work on to assist the local environment.
This involves keeping fertile land involved in food production and using marginal land for environmental plots, such as for winter bird food and as a source of pollen and nectar.
We have recently established a relationship with the Hertfordshire Beekeepers Association with the view to provide habitats for bee colonies.
In a competitive market and with an ever-changing political landscape, the importance of sale strategy has never been more relevant.
Now occupying a number of farm sites across the county with access to an abundance of grain storage, we are able to sell at optimum time and maximising on potential profit.
We believe that trading directly with local millers and maltsters is the most sustainable route for our business and the consumer as well as reducing food miles. We have therefore been fostering relationships to optimise this approach.`
