Sustainability Spotlight | Langage Farm
Set in rich grasslands and rolling Devon hills just outside Plymouth, Langage Farm make multi-award-winning creams, yogurts and ice creams using milk from their herd of Jersey cows.
With a firm focus on sustainability, the team concentrates their efforts on new initiatives and innovations, a commitment to ensure that sustainability runs throughout the business, and communicating this within and beyond the business in order to inspire others.
We asked Steve Davies about how sustainability works down on the farm.
What has Langage Farm done to make the business more environmentally friendly?
Langage Farm was the first carbon neutral dairy in the country with an anaerobic digester (AD). This generates electricity from food waste, which supplies the farm and dairy with its energy needs and produces green energy that goes back into the National Grid. So, it can supply homes with the power to boil a kettle for their cream tea!
Bio-fertiliser from the AD plant is used on the lush pastures where the farm’s stunning Jersey herd graze. The girls in turn produces the rich Jersey milk for many award-winning dairy products such as clotted cream, ice-cream and yoghurt.
The introduction of this ‘Bokashi’ process at the farm – fermenting organic manures under anaerobic conditions – helps to improve efficiency, reduce reliance on artificial fertiliser and, most importantly, enhance soil health.
Soil health is also being improved by the growing of fodder beet, not only to feed the herd, but to reduce the levels of potassium in the soil.
Other initiatives on the farm…
Biodiversity enhancement
Langage Farm has planted 100 trees; some pine, birch and oaks, as well as 300m of hedge rows to help reinstate some biodiversity.
Recycling
Glass has replaced plastic for yogurts produced for M&S and ALDI, and where plastic is used for packaging, it is 100% recyclable.
Self-supporting water supply
A significant amount of water is sourced from our own borehole.
Ethical sourcing
Use of Fair-Trade chocolate for dairy products using chocolate.
Solar energy
Installation of solar panels at the farm.
Wildlife management strategy
Including increasing the wildflower planting and the introduction of honeybees. The honey will be used in their yogurts.
How does Langage Farm communicate and share their initiatives to inspire others?
More than 2,000 children have visited Langage Farm and the team has helped develop curriculum projects with over 400 Devon schools in various subjects. Before the pandemic they invited local schools and colleges, international language schools and local community groups to tour the facilities and learn about the anaerobic digestion process and how they generate their own electricity.
Other work with local organisations and educational establishments includes a project with the Ocean Conservation Trust exploring the use of seaweed to reduce methane expulsion by farm animals, and Knowledge Transfer Partnership Projects with students from Plymouth University.
On the Langage Farm website and social media channels where we promote our environmental initiatives and to raise awareness and create conversations about important environmental issues.
Economic and social development
Over recent years we have taken on young people who were out of work, in support of DWP initiatives, providing valuable work experience and a footing on the employment ladder e.g. the Government Kickstart Scheme.
Future plans for environmental sustainability
A project to reduce use of chemicals, water and energy usage within our processes. As we reduce our water consumption we will reduce our reliance on mains water supply, with the aim of being self-sufficient in the next three years.
Investing into our delivery vans by replacing them with electric vehicles.
Further focus on recyclability – replacing plastic lids with foil alternatives.
Continuing the wildlife management strategy, including increasing the wild flower planting and the introduction of honey bees. The honey will be used in our yogurts.
Using our website and social media channels to promote 'Life on Langage Farm' including a focus on environmental initiatives through the seasons.
For more information on Langage Farm visit their website below.