At Apsley Farms, we’re always looking for ways to farm more sustainably while improving the health of our land for future generations.
One of the most important tools helping us achieve that is digestate – the nutrient-rich material produced as part of our renewable energy generation process.
The crops grown on our farm, and supplied by neighbouring farms, are used to generate renewable energy through anaerobic digestion. Once the energy has been produced, the remaining digestate is returned to farmland, allowing valuable nutrients and organic matter to be recycled back into the soil.
While digestate provides essential nutrients for crop growth, some of the most significant benefits are beneath the surface.
Over recent years, we have combined digestate applications with a reduced cultivation approach, moving away from traditional ploughing and embracing min-tillage systems.
Protecting the world beneath our feet
By disturbing the soil less, we help preserve its natural structure and protect the complex network of organisms that live within it.
Earthworms, fungi, bacteria and countless other microorganisms all play an important role in building healthy soils. Digestate provides them with a valuable source of organic matter, helping to support this underground ecosystem.
The results have been encouraging. Improved soil structure allows water to infiltrate more easily during periods of heavy rainfall, while also helping soils retain moisture during drier conditions. Stronger soil aggregation improves root development, reduces compaction, and makes fields more resilient to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Wider farm environment benefits
Healthy soils also create benefits beyond crop production. As soil biology improves, so too does the wider farm environment. Across Apsley Farms, we have seen increasing signs of wildlife thriving alongside our farming activities. Birds, insects and pollinators all depend on healthy habitats, and productive soils form the foundation of those habitats.
By reducing cultivation intensity, maintaining organic matter levels, and returning nutrients to the land through digestate, we are helping to create conditions that support greater biodiversity across the farm. From the earthworms beneath our feet to farmland birds overhead, every part of the ecosystem benefits from healthier soils.
Our digestate is produced from break crops, meaning it is free from plastics and waste. The digestion process destroys viable weed seeds, providing a clean, high-quality product that we can use with confidence.
During anaerobic digestion, digestate is separated into solid and liquid forms, and how we use each one varies. This year, we have used liquid digestate on our own farmland, while our solid digestate is sold as mulch.
We do use some solid digestate ourselves when it is available; for example, this spring we spread some on a supplier farm from a stock pile held over from last autumn.
Both forms are approved for organic systems under Soil Association certification, and both are central to our long-term commitment to regenerative farming.
For us, digestate is far more than a by-product. It is a valuable resource that helps improve soil health, support wildlife, build resilience and ensure that our farming system remains productive and sustainable for years to come.