(Bromeswell, East Suffolk)
Produce:
Potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, green beans, beetroot, sweet corn, radish, salsify, sweet potato
Season:
May to September
The business was started by Henry Foskett and his wife Joanne, who purchased the 150-acre Low Farm at Bromeswell in East Suffolk in 1955. Trading as H&J Foskett, the couple supplied potatoes, carrots and cabbage to Covent Garden.
Their son James joined the business in 1979 and in 2005, James Foskett Farms was born. James began growing organic vegetables in 2009 following interest from customers, and these ranges now account for 40% of the business.
The most important organic crop is potatoes, and the light soils and mild climate of East Suffolk are ideal for early production. Varieties include Acoustic Bambino, Heidi, Annalise and Athlete and these are sold to UK supermarkets, wholesalers and through box schemes. Other organic vegetables are carrots, butternut squash, beetroot, sweet corn and radish. Early drills are covered with fleece to protect from frost.
The farm now covers some 3,500 acres, mostly in the Deben Valley, and employs 28 full time staff and up to 100 seasonal workers.
Protecting the environment is at the heart of the operation; solar panels power the cold stores and workshop and all the farm buildings are insulated to save energy. Up to 20 per cent of the farmland is uncropped and there are several ponds and irrigation reservoirs, as well as reed beds which support healthy populations of rare birds such as kingfisher, skylark, linnet and barn owl plus water vole, otter and four species of deer.