Beeswax Dyson Farming has been granted permission to construct a 6ha glasshouse with associated infrastructure at its farm at Carrington near Boston in Lincolnshire.
The company says the move is ‘a big step toward achieving our ambition for a high output, lower input farming model with technology and data at the core.’
More than 600 tonnes of strawberries and other soft fruit will be grown utilising heat generated by the existing anaerobic digester, which already provides electricity for nearly 8,000 homes.
Digestate from the digester will be used to provide optimum nutrition for the glasshouse crops and reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers, while an LED lighting system will allow crops to be grown throughout the year.
The site will encompass a processing facility which has been flexibly designed to allow the processing and packaging of other products in the future. The company says the new facility will create around 60 full time jobs covering a range of roles including management, technicians, logistics, and processing.
Much of the initial project fund will be spent with contractors from the region, and greenhouse specialist CambridgeHOK have been appointed as Principle Designer and will oversee the installation and commissioning of the glasshouse facility.
Photo credit: Beeswax Dyson