Organic Unit
Farm activities and results
Clover based swards are key to the success of organic farms as no artificial fertiliser can be used.
- Clover produces most of the nitrogen on the farm for grazing, cutting and cropping.
- Targeted use of home-produced organic manures and slurries provides other nutrients including phosphate and potash.
- Occasional importation and composting of organic poultry manure provides additional nutrients, but may be used for arable crops.
The basis of fodder provision on the Greenmount Organic Unit is:
- Grass/white clover swards for grazing and cutting
- Red clover-based swards mainly for cutting, usually also containing some white clover
| Field | Sward composition and history | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Road | Winter triticale 2008 - 9 Red Clover based reseed autumn 2010 |
| 2 | Shed Road * | Grass/white clover Clover to be stitched into gaps |
| 3 | Cottage $ | Sward with Cocksfoot, Fescues & Timothy |
| 4 | Shed Meadow * $ | Grass/white clover sward Includes clover monitoring plots |
| 5 | O'Neill's Middle | Triticale 2007/8 followed by red clover based sward sown autumn 2008 |
| 6 | Cottage Meadow * | Little clover, but relies on dung from grazing |
| 7 | O'Neill's Meadow | 2 paddocks stitched with both white and red clover mixture |
| 8 | Low * $ | Stitched with very large leaved white clover mixture in 2007 |
| 9 | Well * $ | Currently grass/clover |
| 10 | March * $ | Grass /white clover |
| 11 | Oldstone Middle | 2009 - Oats/peas in part of field. Remainder is a productive red/white clover sward 2010 - Oat/pea area left as stubble for reseeding spring 2010. Old clover sward ploughed up for winter triticale and oats/peas |
| 12 | Oldstone Far | Most of field reseeded 2007 Remainder reseeded spring 2009 |
* received 2 t/acre lime 2009
$ slurry seeded with white clover
$ slurry seeded with white clover
