Sustainable Farming – JM Stratton

Sustainable Farming

Arable Combinable crops are the core of our farming business. We have a rotation of wheat, barley, oats, peas, forage and grain maize and oilseed rape. In 2012 our managing partner had a “moment of clarity” that put the business on a path of improving soil health and concentrating on farming sustainably.

In the 2000's we started contract farming for two of our neighbours, these agreements have worked well for us and the land owners. We work hard to maintain the same level of attention to detail across all of the land which we farm.

Direct Drilling

Any disturbance of the soil risks damaging the soil structure, emitting carbon consuming diesel and time. To mitigate this and look after our soils we utilise an approach known as direct drilling, this means we can drill into the stubble of the previous crop. When conditions require it, we do some cultivations, but never go deep and only use it as a last resort, we are usually able to use just a stubble rake. We also make significant use of cover crops, which means there is continuous ground cover over winter, this greatly benefits soil health and reduces erosion when ground would usually be left bare. This is particularly important as alongside sequestering carbon many of the cover crops have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, which can then be utilised by the following crop.

Sustainable Farming

Controlled Traffic

Driving farm machinery on soil damages the soil structure and causes compaction. To minimise this, we have permanent tramlines and limit traffic in the field to these tramlines where possible. This has meant we have an area travelled in the region of 14%, other systems can be several times this figure.

Sustainable Farming

Digestate

We utilise the PAS110 digestate fertiliser which is a biproduct of the anaerobic digestion process. Digestate provides nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulphur and trace elements for our crops as well as organic matter which improves the soil. We test the product daily when we are spreading in order to apply the right quantities to our crops. Digestate has replaced most of the synthetic fertilisers we would otherwise have used. We have now been spreading across all of our crops for 7 growing seasons, and we have seen considerable benefits to yields, soils and costs. Most of the products is spread through an umbilical system, thereby minimising field and road damage (see gallery) though we are now using a self-propelled tanker to reach more inaccessible fields. If you are local to our Codford base and interested in using our digestate on your farm please get in touch via the contact us page

Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming incentive pilot

We have joined the pilot for DEFRA’s new sustainable farming incentive (SFI), this allows us to have input on the shape of the future agriculture support schemes but also to learn and develop our own sustainable farming methods. If you would like to talk to us about our experience of the SFI pilot get in touch through the contact us page

Sustainable Farming

Our Produce

All our crops are grown for specific markets, with most of our wheat going to local mills for both human consumption and animal feed, the rapeseed goes to ADM in Erith, and our malting barley either goes to Molson Coors in Burton on Trent or for export through Southampton to northern Europe. Our oats go to Morning Foods in Crewe, Europe’s premier oat miller.
All cereals are sold through Salisbury Cereals, a small locally based co-op which trades around 35,000t of grain each year.

www.salisburycereals.co.uk

Sustainable Farming

Straw Chopping

Chopping and spreading straw rather than baling and selling it allows us to add the carbon, organic matter, and nutrients back into the soil. The straw is broken down by worms and soil bacteria.

Sustainable Farming

JM Stratton & Co

We run a farming estate in Wiltshire made up of a diverse mix of arable farming, renewable energy, and property. We strive to be innovative and forward looking and manage our estate with a focus on sustainability and circularity.

In 1914, Jack Stratton, younger son of a prominent Wiltshire farming family, came to East Farm in Codford as a tenant. By 1930 Jack had bought East Farm, neighbouring Clump Farm and had started to lease Manor Farm Stockton. Today J M Stratton & Co lead by the 3rd generation at Codford, still farm East Farm as well as Manor Farm Stockton, bought in the 1950s, and Ballington Manor Farm bought in 2017.

We have a holistic approach to business and enjoy farming sustainably and working with our tenants and contract farming clients to ensure a vibrant and resilient future.

Instagram Gallery

jmstratton.co

Yay, 2k! (Not that we’re counting 🤣)

Moving fields this evening, slick@operation to min

Planting oilseed rape with our Topdown/Biodrill co

@wylyevalleyfarmers hosted a downland flower walk

Harvesting wheat. Crops are just ripe, around 10 d

@a_and_r_fraser spreading a light dose of digestat

Oilseed rape harvesting @thwhiteagriculture @huntf

One of our solar fields enjoying the sunny weather

***Business Spotlight*** Sarah has been dressmakin

The recent weather has given us some spectacular s

Maize has grown around 10 inches in five days, now

Harvesting wild flower seed this afternoon for @br

***Business Spotlight*** Originally from Zimbabwe,

A couple of drone movies of harvesting yesterday @

Inter row hoeing resistant blackgrass in maize at

New weighbridge being installed today, just in tim

#harvest22 is a go! Into Electrum #maltingbarley

*****Business spotlight****** Andrew Rogers starte

Downland flowers. This was planted by us 14 years

Downland recreation. This south facing bank was do

Load More… Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

Here you’ll find all the details you need to get in touch with us. Please contact us on 01985 850230, or on one of the emails below

Company Contacts

Name	Position	Email
Josh Stratton	Managing Partner	josh@jmstratton.co.uk
Hazel Mayer	Office Manager	hazel@jmstratton.co.uk
Carolyn Collis	Property Manager	carolyn@jmstratton.co.uk
Kate Shean	Management Accountant	kate@jmstratton.co.uk
Tom Frampton	Operations Manager	tomf@jmstratton.co.uk
Ed Shuldham	Business Development Manager	ed@jmstratton.co.uk
Chester House	Business and Arable Assistant	chester@jmstratton.co.uk

JM Stratton & Co Ltd

East Farm, Codford, Warminster BA12 0PG
01985 850 230
www.jmstratton.co.uk

Registered Company No 11809189