Cricklewood Farm & Corn Maze

Staying Green

 

At Cricklewood Farm we use agricultural practices that help us grow high quality produce while minimizing the impact on the environment. This includes:

 

	Using no-till practices in the fields. Fields are worked up less often leaving the residue from the year’s crops to compost into the ground. This helps to maintain the organic content of the soil and leads to less soil erosion. Machinery used to till the fields is used less, thus reducing emissions and consuming less fuel.
	We are also trying to implement a diverse cropping strategy using mixed cover and companion crops on fields. These cover crops act as a weed barrier and add compost to the soil. Over time erosion is eliminated, sprays are reduced, chemical fertilizer isn’t needed and soil health is improved.
	Cricklewood practices a controlled spray program. We monitor insect, disease and fungus levels in the orchard. Sprays are applied only when these levels reach a certain threshold. This reduces the number of sprays applied, reducing the impact to the environment. Less insect sprays also encourages higher beneficial insect levels.
	An Environmental Farm Plan is in place at Cricklewood Farm.
	Where possible we try to allow natural processes to replace chemicals. For example, apple windfalls are left on the ground to act as natural fertilizer.