Launch of flour produced by regenerative farmers
The four farmer founders of The Green Farm Collective (TGFC) have teamed up with Eurostar Commodities to develop a line of flours produced using regenerative farming practices.
A farmer from York and three others who farm uses regenerative principles have launch a new flour called RISE RE:GEN.
Angus Gowthorpe from Approach Farm at Escrick, York together with Jake Freestone from Gloucestershire, Tim Parton from near Stafford and Michael Kavanagh from Shropshire have joined forces “to encourage the food industry to value sustainable farming both financially and ethically.”
Although there is no universal standard for regenerative farming, it is generally regarded as an approach to agriculture that prioritises soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience, aiming to improve the environment while increasing agricultural productivity and profitability
The farmers behind The Green Farm Collective (TGFC) formed the regenerative farming community four years ago to support other growers in their regenerative practices, promising to create new and lucrative end markets for its members.
The partners in the launch, Eurostar Commodities, is a family-run importer and supplier of ingredients to manufacturers, wholesalers, foodservice, retailers, and consumers across the UK, Ireland, northern Europe, the Middle East, and Iceland. The launch of the RISE range fits a growing interest from their customers for environmentally conscious ingredients.
“The market for regeneratively farmed flours is growing because consumer demand is growing, so it is a proud moment for our business to partner on such an important range,” says Diane Crabtree, Sales Manager at Eurostar.
The flour is sold in 16kg paper sacks as Strong or All Purpose Flour and sold to wholesalers currently although retail arrangements are planned.
As yet, a standard for Regenerative Farming hasn’t yet been created, however, TGFC recognised the importance ensuring verification of both the farmer and their practices.
Farmer Jake Freestone said: “We have teamed up with Food Integrity Assurance, an audit body, to establish under our own set of standards, including carbon and environmental baselining, diversity in crop rotations, farmland biodiversity policies, a nutrient management plan and minimal soil disturbance practices. We also have a partnership with Trinity Agtech’s Sandy software to record and report on members’ farming interventions to give full transparency to our farming methods.”
Beyond the standards and the new flour range, Jake says that TGFC is having an important impact, “our farmer members from around the UK and Europe are at different stages of their regenerative journeys and our community is one that shares and supports to give advice. Collectively we are creating a credible, traceable and fully audited set of practices which gives confidence to partners like Eurostar as well as their all-important customer base.”
The Green Farm Collective won the 2023 BBC Food and Farming Awards Farming for the Future category with Farming Today and The Archers.
Wdyt? Would you like to see more products from regenerative farms? The comments are open below.
Want to learn more about regenerative farming? Make it Wild is hosting a screening of “Six Inches of Soil” – The inspiring story of British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food – to heal the soil, benefit our health and provide for local communities on Friday 4th April, tickets here.
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