Oils
Rapeseed Oil
Chili Oil
Dressings
Classic Vinaigrette
Balsamic Dressing
Honey & Mustard
Chili & CuminWe’re thrilled to announce a major milestone for Mellow Yellow Kitchen – we’ve reached over 16,000 followers on our Instagram page this month!
Our instagram journey began with the desire to share the incredible versatility of our healthy Mellow Yellow oils and dressings through mouth-watering, seasonal recipes using British produce. What started as a modest platform has now blossomed into a thriving community of over 16,000 food enthusiasts and chefs, and we couldn’t be more grateful as a business.
Our Instagram page has become a hub for culinary inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook experimenting with flavours, we’re here to elevate your cooking experience with our quality products.
We’ve witnessed the magic that happens when our premium oils and dressings meet your kitchen creations. The shared joy of experimenting with flavours, exploring new recipes and savouring the results, has formed a bond that goes beyond a mere follower count.
As we hit 16,000 followers, we want to express our deepest gratitude. We’re committed to continuing our culinary journey together, sharing more recipes, tips, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the heart of Farrington Oils and Mellow Yellow’ Kitchen.
Follow us here!
Cultivating Sustainability: The Power of Partnership with LEAF
In an era where climate change and environmental degradation pose significant challenges, the agricultural sector has a pivotal role to play in fostering sustainability. One organisation at the forefront of this movement is LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming). With a passionate commitment to promoting sustainable farming practices, LEAF has been driving positive change for over 30 years.
This blog post delves into LEAF’s mission, their initiatives, and the transformative impact they create by partnering with agricultural stakeholders worldwide.
Our work with LEAF:
As a LEAF Demonstration farm and LEAF Marque producer, we are very proud of the work the LEAF team do to encourage other farmers to take a more sustainable approach to their farms.
In 2021, we were awarded a Queen’s Award for our industry leading approach to sustainability: from our commitment to carbon and plastic neutrality, to our LEAF Marque standards, to Duncan’s work monitoring and increasing the carbon stored in our soils.
Understanding LEAF’s Mission:
LEAF’s core mission revolves around connecting farmers and consumers to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable food production. Established in 1991 in the United Kingdom, LEAF has grown into an international organisation, spreading its ethos of sustainable farming far and wide. Their approach combines practical, science-based solutions with community engagement, fostering a holistic approach to agricultural sustainability.
Integrated Farm Management (IFM):
At the heart of LEAF’s philosophy lies Integrated Farm Management (IFM). It encourages farmers to adopt best practices that enhance biodiversity, minimise chemical usage, and improve energy efficiency. IFM is made up of nine sections:
1. Organisation and Planning
2. Soil Management and Fertility
3. Crop Health and Protection
4. Pollution Control and By-product Management
5. Animal Husbandry
6. Energy Efficiency
7. Water Management
8. Landscape and Nature Conservation
9. Engaging Society
By embracing IFM, farmers can optimise their land’s potential while safeguarding the natural resources that sustain us all.
The LEAF Marque:
One of LEAF’s most recognised initiatives is the LEAF Marque, a certification scheme that identifies sustainably produced food to consumers. By displaying the LEAF Marque logo on our Mellow Yellow products, it assures consumers that they come from farms practicing environmentally responsible methods. This strengthens trust between consumers and farmers, driving demand for sustainable products and incentivising farmers to adopt more sustainable practices.
Farm Demonstration Network:
People have always been at the heart of LEAF’s vision of a world that is farming, eating and living sustainably. Building knowledge and understanding of sustainable farming helps highlight the connections between all living things – soil, plants, animals and people.
As a LEAF Demonstration Farm and LEAF Open Farm Sunday host farmer, we welcome people from all walks of life to experience farming first hand. Bringing people closer to farming and how their food is produced, encourages individuals to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives.
LEAF’s dedication to promoting sustainable farming practices has made a substantial impact on the agricultural sector and beyond. By providing farmers with the tools to embrace Integrated Farm Management, offering the LEAF Marque certification to assure consumers and fostering collaborations through their vast network, LEAF has become a driving force for positive change in 27 countries with over 900 LEAF Marque certified businesses worldwide, including over 40% of UK grown fruit and vegetables grown on LEAF Marque farms.
Working alongside LEAF, agricultural stakeholders worldwide are adopting sustainable practices, enhancing biodiversity and conserving vital natural resources. As we collectively address the challenges of climate change, LEAF’s commitment to cultivating sustainability serves as an inspiring model for organisations, farmers, and consumers alike. Together, with organisations like LEAF leading the way, we can build a more sustainable future for generations to come.
At Farrington Oils, we believe in making a positive impact on the world around us. This year, we are proud to announce our chosen charity, Toilet Twinning, as part of our commitment to improving sanitation and transforming lives. Toilet Twinning is an inspiring organisation dedicated to addressing the global sanitation crisis by providing access to clean and safe toilets for those in need. In this blog post, we will delve into the vital work of Toilet Twinning, the impact it has on communities, and how you can get involved to help make a difference.
We have proudly twinned all 3 toilets available at Farrington Oils HQ with the following…
Uganda, Rubaya, Kabale District
Kenya, Bamba
Ethiopia, Begedamo Geteme, Doyogena
Why Toilet Twinning?
The underlying principle of Toilet Twinning is to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis and engage individuals and communities in taking practical steps towards addressing it. Through their website, people can “twin” their toilets by making a donation, which goes directly towards funding the building and maintenance of latrines in areas where they are desperately needed. Toilet Twinning funds global water and sanitation programmes run by Tearfund.
One of the remarkable aspects of Toilet Twinning is the personal connection it creates between donors and the communities they are supporting. After twinning their toilet, individuals receive a certificate that displays the GPS coordinates of the latrine block they are supporting, along with a photograph and information about the location. This tangible connection helps donors understand the impact of their contribution and the transformative effect it can have on people’s lives.
Tearfund’s partners work alongside communities, bringing people together in workshops and action groups focused on issues that concern them – such as farming. You can view their most recent report here.
The Impact of Toilet Twinning:
The work of Toilet Twinning extends beyond just providing toilets. They also emphasise the importance of proper hygiene practices and provide education and training to communities on sanitation and health-related issues. By taking a holistic approach, the organisation aims to improve overall health, reduce the spread of diseases, and empower communities to break free from the cycle of poverty and illness.
Toilet Twinning mission aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, specifically Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all. By supporting the organisation’s efforts, individuals and organisations contribute to global efforts to achieve this crucial goal, making a tangible and lasting difference in the lives of vulnerable communities.
How You Can Make a Difference:
We encourage everyone to join us in supporting Toilet Twinning.
Every pound counts and goes directly towards building toilets, providing hygiene education, and supporting ongoing projects. Your generosity can transform lives and communities.
Toilet Twinning is a unique and innovative initiative that combines awareness-raising, fundraising, and community engagement to address the global sanitation crisis. By twinning toilets, individuals and organisations play a vital role in improving hygiene conditions, promoting health, and empowering communities in need. Through their work, they exemplify the power of collective action and individual contributions in creating a world where everyone has access to safe and dignified sanitation facilities.
Our Support
At Farrington Oils we are excited to support Toilet Twinning and contribute to their mission of improving sanitation worldwide. Together, we can help break the cycle of poverty, improve health outcomes, and empower communities to thrive. Let’s unite and make a difference by providing clean and safe toilets to those in need. Join us in supporting Toilet Twinning and be a part of this transformative journey. Together, we can create a world where everyone has access to basic sanitation and the opportunity to lead a healthier, more dignified life.
Images sourced from toilettwinning.org
Together we can go far.
Occasionally in life we meet people that inspire us, they help shape the way we think, evolve our attitudes and influence our approach to how we live our lives. It could be an enthusiastic teacher at school inspiring one to see the beauty in trigonometry or getting that little bit extra out of you on the sports field; an elder family relation full of wisdom and the fun in sharing their knowledge with the younger generation; a work colleague happy to spend time mentoring you in your professional progression. One such person who has certainly influenced and inspired me over the years was Caroline Drummond MBE, Chief Executive of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) for over thirty years.
I first joined LEAF on leaving university in 1993, full of excitement to join the industry I was proud to grow up in, but at the same time I was aware that agriculture was often in the press for the wrong reasons, mostly unfairly, but occasionally I could see how farmers and the farming industry perhaps deserved some of the criticism for poor practices. I felt we could do better.
Sustainable, environmentally conscious food production
LEAFwas young, keen, full of passion and energy too, led by Caroline who I came to know very well and enjoyed working with over the years; she became a good friend as well as a great mentor. LEAF was the brainchild of Norfolk farmer and journalist, David Richardson and a small group of industry figures from a diverse range of organisations. They could see that farming would benefit from a system to help farmers produce healthy food in a more sustainable, environmentally conscious way and, importantly, to go out and tell the general public, our customers what great work we were doing. Caroline was the first employee of LEAF, leading the organisation since its inception in 1991 until her passing in May 2022. She had a great skill for making contacts far and wide, her contacts book was second to none. She has been instrumental in ‘Linking’ people from different sectors together for the collective good. Researchers, farmers, policy makers, NGOs, politicians, retailers, nutritionists, teachers and consumers. Caroline had a great skill bringing us all together, empowering us to find common ground, leading to shared solutions.
Demonstrating our environmental credentials through LEAF
As a farmer, I learnt how to farm better through the annual LEAF Sustainable Farming Review, I learnt how to interact with the general public better through the Speak Out communications initiative, before proudly becoming a LEAF Demonstration Farm in 2003. When I launched Farrington’s Mellow Yellow®, the LEAF Marque offered me a powerful tool to help me demonstrate the sustainable credentials of our products with a credibility that retailers trust, and customers are looking for in the food choices they make. Behind all these initiatives, Caroline’s driving force, passion and positive attitude to make things happen was ever present. Caroline remarked to me once: “LEAF gave me wings,” but in reality I believe it was Caroline who gave me and so many others belief in our abilities and the confidence to fly high.
Doing things better. Continually improving.
Thirty one years after LEAF started, the perception and trust of agriculture and farmers to the wider public has improved beyond all recognition from when I first joined. Farmers are doing things better and we should be proud of our achievements. LEAF farmers are growing their crops in a more sustainable manner through regenerative farming methods; raising livestock with animal welfare standards recognised globally as the benchmark for others to aim for; creating more diverse biodiversity and wildlife habitats around our farms; welcoming the general public onto our farms so they can engage with how their food is produced through LEAF Open Farm Sunday. It is because of LEAF and Caroline’s zeal to do things better, that we know farming and taking care of the environment is not only possible, it’s the only way to farm in the long term.
Caroline loved her quotes, two of which I would like to share here. “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far go together.” Working with others and especially those we don’t always share the same views with, means we can all go far. Secondly, “When all is said and done, there is often more said than done.” Caroline was the complete antithesis of this, she achieved so much to be proud of and started something very special. It is now time for all of us to continue her great legacy.
A lasting legacy
In memory of Caroline, LEAF have launched the The Sustainability Innovation Award, to inspire others to continue her journey, maintain the momentum she has generated and advance more sustainable farming solutions.
Through a dedicated Memorial Trust, the award will be made annually to an individual or organisation working to deliver innovative climate positive actions, build resilience in our food production systems or in some way, supports the health, diversity and enrichment of food, farms, the environment, and society.
At Farrington’s Mellow Yellow and for me personally, we think this is an excellent cause in memory of someone I was so proud to know and work with; Caroline was my environmental conscience for more than 25 years. LEAF’s Sustainability Innovation Award, set up in her memory will ensure her legacy continues through travel and discovery, research or engagement. It will help drive the pursuit of new and innovative environmental solutions that our planet and society so desperately needs.
We are very proud to support the award and all its endeavours.
If you would like to contribute to the Caroline Drummond Memorial Trust Fund, please contact LEAF.
– Duncan Farrington
We have always firmly believed that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Our team works incredibly hard to produce our Mellow Yellow products to the highest quality, working with expensive equipment and requiring many skills to get the job done. Because of this, we have always paid above the minimum wage and now we are very proud to announce that we have now been certified as a Living Wage Employer!
What is a Living Wage Employer?
In the UK, the National Minimum Wage applies to all those under 23 years of age, and then the National Living Wage applies to all those above 23 years of age. However, this National Living Wage does not take into account the actual, real-world cost of living. So that is where the Living Wage Foundation steps in and each year they calculate the real Living Wage, based on rent, bills, etc.
It applies to all workers over 18, recognising that young people have the same living costs as everyone else. There is also a higher rate for London which takes into account the higher living costs in the capital.
The real Living Wage is independently calculated based on a public consultation method called Minimum Income Standard (MIS). MIS identifies what people need to be able to afford as a minimum. This is fed into a calculation of what someone needs to earn as a full-time salary, which is then converted to an hourly rate.
Why pay the Living Wage?
We firmly believe that all employees deserve a wage which meets everyday needs – like the weekly shop, the electricity bill or a surprise trip to the dentist.
The past year’s pandemic has affected us all, but the poorest have been hit hardest. Two thirds of those earning below the Living Wage saw their pay fall last year, with devastating effects. More than a quarter of those earning below the real Living Wage were forced to regularly skip meals, while nearly half saw a negative impact on their levels of anxiety. Despite the pandemic shining a spotlight on the importance of low paid workers, over 5.5 million continue to earn less than the Living Wage, that’s 20.3% of all workers in the UK not earning a real Living Wage.
93% of university graduates want to work for a Living Wage Employer
93% of the Living Wage network say it has benefitted their business
90% of consumers agree that pay should reflect living costs
85% of Living Wage Employers said it has enhanced their reputation as an employer
We are so proud to be a Living Wage Employer, showing our commitment to our employees and our belief that you should be able to earn a wage you can live on.
Who else pays the Living Wage?
The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by over 8,000 UK businesses, from major UK corporations to small and medium businesses like us!
You can find Living Wage Employers near you with this map: https://www.livingwage.org.uk/living-wage-map
Learn more about the real Living Wage here: https://www.livingwage.org.uk/
This year has been hard for everyone in many different ways, so as a business we have tried to help out charities, giving back wherever we can. All of these charities are doing fantastic work and we are so proud to be able to support them and the incredible work they do, so read on to learn more about them…
Faraway Children’s Charity
The Faraway Children’s Charity are a local, Northamptonshire based charity who help disadvantaged young children in need to survive, thrive and smile. They distribute resources such as toiletries, clothes, shoes, toys, games, books, Christmas presents, Easter eggs and food, as well as planning festive celebrations such as Christmas parties to provide fun and smiles.
Duncan & Eli have been supporters of the Faraway Children’s Charity for many years and as a business we usually donate Christmas gifts to the charity to distribute to local children that may otherwise not receive a gift during the festive period. This year we were also able to fund a number of Christmas parties put on by the Faraway Children’s Charity, helping to give the children something really exciting to look forward to.
Find out more about the Faraway Children’s Charity here: http://www.farawaychildrenscharity.com/index.html
Food4Heroes
When panic buying during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic left many key workers unable to purchase even basic foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, many pubs, restaurants and food outlets who had closed their doors to customers wanted to show support for the NHS by providing cooked meals that staff could enjoy on a rare break, after their shift or take home. This outpouring of support led to the creation of Food4Heroes. The not-for-profit organisation brought together furloughed staff from caterers, pubs and restaurants to cook nutritious meals for NHS staff.
In Northamptonshire, chef Danny Tompkins joined Food4Heroes and was quickly cooking 250 meals a day for local NHS staff from Althorp House where the Earl & Countess Spencer gave him permission to use their kitchen for all the cooking. We were very pleased to be able to donate Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil to Danny for all his cooking and over a period of 40 days, Danny cooked a huge 10,000 meals for Northampton General Hospital staff.
Danny is still cooking for Food4Heroes using oil donated by us, now providing food banks across Northamptonshire with 550 meals every week!
For more information on Food4Heroes, visit: https://food4heroes.org.uk/
FareShare – Fighting hunger, tackling food waste.
FareShare is a national charity that redistributes surplus food to almost 11,000 charities around the country that can turn it into meals. The food they redistribute goes to school breakfast clubs, older people’s lunch clubs, homeless shelters and community cafes. Every week, they provide enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people.
Over the last 12 months, we have donated over 200 kgs of Farrington’s Mellow Yellow products. This was product that was too close to its best before date to send to shops, but still with plenty of life left for use. We hate the idea of food waste and so being able to send our surplus stock to FareShare has been fantastic as we know it is going to those in need and will be helping to fight hunger whilst also reducing food waste.
For more information on FareShare, visit their website here: https://fareshare.org.uk/
Mind – for better mental health
Mind is a mental health charity in England and Wales. Mind offers information, advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem and lobbies government and local authorities on their behalf. Through helplines, community support, education and advice, Mind helps millions of people every year access the support they need to help them through any and all mental health problems.
In December we donated to Mind, helping to fund some of their work. Duncan was very keen to donate to a charity that supported those struggling with their mental health especially this year when the support given from organisations such as Mind have been absolutely critical.
For more information on Mind, visit: https://www.mind.org.uk/
Give Help Share
Give Help Share is a charity that was set up in 2020 by two teachers, Amanda & Jacqueline, to distribute food packages to families in need via schools and children’s centres in London and increasingly further afield. They are now supplying more than 2000 families every month. Amanda & Jacqueline wanted to put health and nature at the heart of their food packages so everything is healthy, nutritious and vegan. We have donated bottles of Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil as well as Mellow Yellow Chilli & Cumin Dressing to Give Help Share this year, which we really hope were enjoyed by the recipients.
For more information on Give Help Share, visit https://www.givehelpshare.com/home
Nominate A Friend
Back in May, we most of our office was working from home, which allowed our production team and core office staff to remain on the farm producing food for you, safely. Everyone was finding it difficult to be isolated from our friends and families but we found that food and cooking bought us together, from afar. So we set up a giveaway of 20 Mellow Yellow gift sets. We asked our followers on social media to nominate a friend, family member or neighbour that they missed sharing a meal with to receive one of these gift sets.
We were overwhelmed by the incredible nominations we received. Hundreds of heartfelt messages about key workers, missed family members and friends and those going out of their way to support others. We randomly selected 20 winners and sent a Mellow Yellow gift set to their nominee.
We absolutely loved being able to bring a little happiness to people’s day and found it incredibly inspiring to read all the nominations. We wrote a blog post with more detail which you can read here: https://www.farrington-oils.co.uk/heartfelt-isolation-nominations/
The environment is at the heart of everything we do here at Farrington’s Mellow Yellow and so it’s especially exciting when other companies focused on sustainability want to work with us! Fill Refill Co got in touch with us a while ago as they were looking for a local, eco-friendly, oil to use in a new soap product they were planning. After lots of work in their lab in Finedon (a stone’s throw from our farm), they have produced something really special!
This month Fill Refill Co have launched their Northamptonshire cleaning soap which is made from our Mellow Yellow sustainably produced British cold pressed rapeseed oil. Given that we’re neighbours, both operating out of family-run businesses in Northamptonshire, and both sharing the same sustainability and eco-credentials, it made perfect sense to collaborate. We’ve caught up with Phil from Fill Refill Co to hear all about the new product…
“We wanted to make something from the most local ingredient we could find. Our factory in Northamptonshire is surrounded by golden rapeseed fields. We thought it would be cool to see if we could make a soap from it. We’d wanted to have a go at making Castile soap for a while, knowing that we used it at home and my wife wouldn’t use anything else to clean her make up brushes.
A while back we’d thought about shipping bulk olive oil from Cyprus (where my grandfather is from) or Crete (because their olive oil is pretty special) but rapeseed was growing all around us, so it just made sense and the proximity significantly reduces carbon footprint. Vicky & Alex did lots of work at the bench and we all took home a whole load of samples… we soon got to realise that it was making a really good alkaline cleaning soap, plus it had a lovely golden colour.
When we first went to visit Farrington’s we could see they were just as passionate as us about reducing plastic waste and we were so impressed with their site. They have a really nice set-up with a no-waste, carbon neutral production site, and all their crops are grown to LEAF Marque standards, a system designed to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable farming.
They quickly understood exactly what we were trying to do, so it was easy to get it rolling. Even better, we were able to get the rapeseed oil from them in a closed loop with bulk returnable packaging.”
Introducing Fill Refill Co’s Northamptonshire Cleaning Soap!
What is it?
An alkaline cleaning soap – pH 10!
What is it good for?
This stuff is versatile, it took us almost a year to perfect, but we don’t know of another rapeseed oil liquid soap out there that works like this. We think it’s good for making your own cleaning products, or for soft water laundry, degreasing, cleaning make-up brushes or paint brushes. It’ll help remove labels from jars, use as a soak for dirty delicates, or check out our recipe below for making the ultimate natural oven cleaner – just add salt, bicarb or the amazing Fill Scrub Powder.
Where does it come from?
Made from Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, grown just down the road from our factory, supplied in a closed loop, we turn it into bulk, plastic-free Northamptonshire liquid cleaning soap. We’re still finding out more things you can do with it!
What does closed loop mean?
Fill Refill Co are all about looking at ways to reduce and reuse. Whilst recycling might sometimes be the only option, we’re all about closing the loop wherever we can. Closed-loop supply simply put means circular, there is no waste, we just keep refilling, returning, refilling, returning – Fill, Clean, Repeat.
Like Farrington’s, the environment – and our impact on it – is at the heart of what we do. That and our passion for creating straightforward eco laundry and household cleaning products, that look cool, work great and reduce packaging waste.
Fill is for everyone who’s interested in a better way to clean. We make everything ourselves, in our factory, with real chemists combining biodegradable ingredients to create simple, modern and effective eco cleaning & laundry products. No dyes. No harsh chemicals. No plastic bottles. Less waste.
What to use your Northamptonshire Cleaning Soap for…
Cleaning Soap + Salt = Thick oven cleaner
Cleaning Soap + Bicarb = Slightly abrasive alkaline cleaning for cutting greasy deposits
Cleaning Soap + Scrub Powder (Clary Sage) = Removes burnt on dirt and debris
Find more cleaning recipes at https://www.falconenamelware.com/blogs/journal-entries/eco-cleaning-recipes-for-your-falcon
Cleaning recipes for Falcon Enamelware featuring the Northamptonshire Cleaning Soap
Check out the Northamptonshire Liquid Cleaning Soap from Fill Refill Co here and find your local stockist here.
Here at Farrington Oils, we were incredibly proud to become the world’s first company to be certified as both carbon and plastic neutral earlier this year. As a small company, we were over the moon to have achieved a world-first! Especially as this ground-breaking achievement acknowledged our environmental credentials, something we all are very passionate about. As a business, Farrington Oils is now carbon and plastic neutral, so as employees we all felt that we could and should be measuring our personal carbon & plastic footprints and working to reduce our environmental impact.
Here we have a look at various members of the Farrington’s teams personal carbon and plastic footprints and hear how they have been working to reduce their environmental impact…
Rachel, Sales
Carbon: 5.04tonnes
Plastic: 69.59kg
I like to think I am a fairly careful person and try to avoid waste where I can, I like to cook from scratch, keep an eye on the heating and hot water and switch off lights that aren’t being used. With so much information in the media and with Duncan talking more about it at work, I have realised there is a lot that me and my family can do, small changes will add up to make a significant difference.
I’m a big tea drinker and at home fill the kettle and then work my way through the water in the kettle during the day, I was shocked when I realised how wasteful I was being with this and now only heat the water I need each time. I am gradually changing my family meals, we are already quite healthy but I want to move to a more sustainable diet, so we are eating more meat free meals, buying British meat from the local butcher whenever we can, and eating more fish from a sustainable source.
My plastic footprint was a big surprise – I eat a lot of fruit, salad and vegetables from the supermarket which are packed in plastic. I’ve found a link on my local council’s website to the company they use for our recycling and very detailed information on what can and can’t be recycled so I’m going to use this to improve the amount of packaging I recycle and to help make decisions when buying items based on their packaging. My local school has a recycling collection point for toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and crisp packets too which I have started to use.
I’ve learnt recently that plastic bags can be reused until they wear out and use 3 time less energy than paper bags and 113 times less energy than cotton bags to make, they were invented for reuse but as a society we have decided to treat them like single use items rather than seeing the value in them, so I am also trying to focus more on the ‘reuse’ part of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’.
Emily, Sales
Carbon: 8.21tonnes
Plastic: 64.28kg
I was really surprised that both my carbon and plastic footprint were so high. I no longer use single use plastic drinks and use refillable cups and water bottles. I buy food in larger packs, batch cook and freeze to reduce waste. I could go to a butcher that supplies meat in brown wrapping paper, but my local butcher uses plastic bags, which aren’t recyclable. I think producers, shops and supermarkets need to continue to work on giving consumers more sustainable options. I also ensure that all my electric appliances are A grade and all my light bulbs are low energy.
Becs, Technical
Carbon: 9.23tonnes
Plastic: 58.63kg
I have a lifelong interest in sport and health and in recent years the natural progression from this has been to extend into a consideration for the environment and sustainability through an appreciation for energy expenditure and time spent enjoying the outdoors on my feet or bike. Though I have also recently come to realise that I have a genetic trait to see the value in all things and materials based on an unwanted tendency to hoard!
Sustainability was a factor in my decision to become vegetarian 10 years ago and also attracted me to working at Farrington Oils. At times my other interests such as seeing more of the world conflict with sustainability – international travel is definitely the largest of my footprints. I will make a conscious effort look at options to reduce this / offset in the future. On a smaller scale I am lucky that I enjoy cycling will continue to commute to work by bike (a 25 mile round trip) when I can – aiming for an average of twice per week over the year.
My next effort will be to reduce my consumption of convenience drinks whether hot or cold. With good planning I should be able to reduce this, though I will struggle to not see a convenience drink as a treat and will need to be creative to find ways to achieve this sustainably.
Gina, Marketing
Carbon: 5.91tonnes
Plastic: 44.73kg
My house is the highest part of my carbon footprint. Being a very old house with a fairly old boiler, it probably isn’t the most energy efficient. But I have had a smart meter and smart thermostat installed so I can keep a track of energy usage and ensure the heating is not on when it isn’t needed.
I’ve been trying to reduce the plastic footprint of my food shops by making much more from scratch. During the colder months, I make soup each week for my lunches (storing it in reusable containers), I’ve been making my own sourdough bread (with flour bought from a refill shop near to my house) and generally trying to make as much from scratch as I possibly can so I only need to buy fresh ingredients which helps reduce packaging (especially when buying loose fruit and veg). I have also swapped my shampoo in plastic bottles for plastic-free, vegan shampoo bars from Lush.
I now take a reusable water bottle and reusable coffee cup out with me so I never need to buy drinks in disposable packaging. Once you get into the habit of doing things like this, it’s actually super easy, plus, many coffee shops offer discounts when you use your own cup!
Living sustainably is important to all members of our team, we even have Steve and Kevin lift sharing every day to halve the carbon footprint of their commute and Jo drives an electric vehicle to work a few days a week and has purchased an electric bike to cycle to work in the warmer months. Of course, Duncan’s commute is the most environmentally friendly, as he walks 5 minutes from his front door to the office, truly net-zero!
As we all work to continue to reduce our carbon and plastic footprints, plus produce our award-winning carbon & plastic neutral cold pressed rapeseed oil and dressings, we hope to see more companies taking these steps to look after our environment! If you would like to work out your own environmental impact, the carbon footprint calculator is here and the plastic footprint calculator is here. Let us know your sustainable tips by getting in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or email.
Soil health is a big part of sustainable farming and I have been measuring this on one of my fields since 2002. Among the great soil nutrition and health improvements seen in this field due to my sustainable farming practices, I have farmed in a way that has increased soil organic matter (SOM) which has a direct impact on reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. Between 2002 and 2020 I have seen my SOM increase from 3.8% to 6.7% which is a significant amount when talking about soil!
What is Soil Organic Matter?
Soil organic matter is the organic part of soils consisting of plant and animal detritus at various stages of decomposition. Think of dead leaves off trees, straw left behind after crops have been harvested, decaying soil microbes and insects, or old plant roots in the soil.
The organic matter is made up of cells and molecules containing lots of carbon and it can be lost from soils over the years through natural processes, which is sped up if soils are moved intensively, mixing with oxygen in the atmosphere and released as carbon dioxide (CO2). Commonly this occurs when a field is ploughed.
We no longer plough our fields and have worked hard on our sustainable farming methods to keep the carbon in the soil. In the right conditions SOM can be increased over the years, as plants grow, taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to create plant material through the natural process of photosynthesis. The process of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and storing in the soil is called carbon sequestration and the soil becomes a carbon sink as it reduces the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Soils have the ability to be fantastic carbon sinks when looked after. In fact, coal and mineral oils that are mined from the ground (fossil fuels) are carbon that has been stored from hundreds of millions of years ago, formed from decayed plants and animals that once grew and roamed the earth.
How does this relate to our farm?
On my field called ‘Below the Black Barn’ the increase in soil organic matter has removed CO2 from the atmosphere, locking it in the ground which is great for reducing global warming as well as making the soil more nutritious for the plants to grow in. The figures are very impressive. We know that for every 0.1% increase in SOM, around 8.9 tonnes of CO2 are sequestered on every hectare of land.
But what does this actually mean?
If my field has increased the total SOM by 2.9% over 18 years, it has absorbed around 258 tonnes of CO2 per hectare (ha), or 14.34 tonnes per ha per year on average. One hectare is around the same size as one and a quarter football pitches.
To put this into context, driving a 1.5lt petrol Mini (our Mellow Yellow Mini) car produces 117g of CO2 per Km. So, for every hectare of our field we are absorbing enough CO2 to off-set nearly 122,554km of motoring, which is equivalent to over 10 years driving for the average motorist!
Let’s look at the whole farm…
This is just off one hectare, but Below the Black Barn Field has a cropped area of around 20ha and our whole farm cropped area is around 272ha. Therefore, from the way we farm our soils, we are sequestering an impressive 3900 tonnes of CO2 per year, off-setting enough CO2 to fly one person 500 times around the world in economy class! (or take 2,778 cars off the road) each year.
The story does not end with the cropped area
We have a medium sized family farm, which not only includes the cropped area, but all the other bits we do around the edges of our fields as part of our LEAF farming and sustainable farming practises. These include areas of woodland and hedges, a grass meadow, areas of native wild-flowers and grass margins. Over the years we have planted well over 8,000 metres of new hedges and over 8,000 native trees on the farm to add to the existing trees and hedges. All these conservation areas can be calculated to sequester a further 240 tonnes of CO2 per year, as well as being areas for wildlife to thrive and prosper.
In summary on our medium sized family farm in Northamptonshire, following our LEAF and sustainable farming principles of a common-sense approach to sustainable agriculture and soil management, we are absorbing over 4,100 tonnes of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to an awful lot of car journeys or air miles. If all farmers around the world were to farm in a similar manner, there is the potential to offset all the global carbon emissions created by global transport, which is about 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted. Or another way of looking at it, by increasing soil organic matter content from 1.7% to 5.2% on agricultural land globally, would take 1 trillion tons (0.9 trillion tonnes) of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, bringing it down to pre-industrial levels.
The good news is that we are not the only people practicing some fantastic sustainable farming techniques growing quality crops, livestock and wildlife habitats on our farm. As well as pressing rapeseed grown on our farm, we buy seed off four other LEAF Marque farmers who are just as passionate as we are in the way they farm. So, between us we are all doing our bit to preserve and protect the planet for future generations.
Further reading, in no particular order:
Montgomery. D.A, 2017. Growing a Revolution, Bringing our soil back to life. (Available from Amazon here.)
www.indigoag.com/the-terraton-challenge
www.co2.myclimate.org/en/flight_calculators/new
www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/organic-carbon
The rapeseed crop has been grown in Britain for a number of centuries, in fact, it was first introduced to the UK by the Romans. Rapeseed is a brassica and is related to such plants as the cabbage, mustard and turnip for example. Rapeseed became a popular crop in the UK from the 1970’s, as farmers were encouraged to grow it due to increasing demand for a refined British rapeseed oil by food manufacturers, as an alternative to other imported refined oils. The oil also became popular in Canada and the USA and became known as canola oil.
Rapeseed continued to be used purely as a refined oil until 2005, when Duncan Farrington became the UK’s first seed-to-bottle producer of cold pressed rapeseed oil. After studying the oil as part of his degree, he was fascinated by the health and culinary benefits when it was cold pressed. So, in 2005 he set up a small press on his family farm and started cold pressing the rapeseed grown in his fields. The oil was a huge success and British cold pressed rapeseed oil is now a store cupboard staple for many households up and down the country.
Benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil
– Half the saturated fat of olive oil and ten times less than coconut oil
– Healthy balance of Omega 3, 6 and 9
– 10 times more Omega 3 than olive oil
– A rich source of vitamin E
– Contains plant sterols and phenols
– High smoke point of 230°C
– Subtle, nutty flavour with buttery notes
Producing British Rapeseed Oil
We are so proud to produce British rapeseed oil. As we grow, press and bottle our Mellow Yellow oil on our farm in Northamptonshire, it is truly British. Normally planted in August, a rapeseed crop is incredibly difficult to establish as it needs perfect conditions for it to survive the first couple months as it emerges through the soil. To ensure success the crop requires a combination of good soil nutrition and structure; moisture in the soil (but not too much); warm soils, ideally over 9°C; no pests, especially Cabbage Flea Beetles and Slugs, both of which find newly emerged tender leaves incredibly delicious and can decimate a crop in a matter of days. Later in the winter months, pigeons also enjoy eating the leaves which we try to stop with bird-scarers.
If the farmer’s skill, along with a bit of mother nature’s help get the crop through to the spring, then rapeseed starts looking after itself as the days lengthen and the weather warms. From late February onwards it starts waking up and literally grows before your eyes, going from a small cabbage like plant to something over a metre tall in a matter of weeks. By April the crop starts flowering, giving the countryside the recognisable yellow fields. The flowers are pollinated by native bumble bees, to produce the tiny black seeds ready to harvest some eleven months after the crop was first planted.
As well as the weather affecting the growth of the rapeseed crop, weather conditions at harvest time also affects the quality of the finished oil. Ideally the seeds need to be harvested in cool dry conditions, as moist warm conditions will spoil the crop and encourage the growth of moulds. Once harvested, the seed is stored with the moisture and temperature carefully controlled to ensure the seed is keep in the best possible condition, ready to be cold pressed to make a deliciously healthy, quality British rapeseed oil.
Where to buy British Rapeseed Oil
Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil is available nationally from Booths, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and many independent farm shops and delis. In order to find your local stockist, visit our Where to Buy page and just enter your postcode.
