A FRUIT farm has completed the installation of LED lighting to produce strawberries all year round.
Bradon Soft Fruit Farm is the third largest strawberry grower under glass in the UK by volume and has now installed a 3Ha LED lighting within one of their glasshouses.
A photo from the farm's glasshouse
The farm started its journey six years ago as growers of strawberries in Somerset.
The project used bespoke LED lights and renewable energy sources to mimic summer growing conditions from November to March.
As well as this, the water is reused and recycled, and any plant waste is spread to agricultural land.
The farm is currently waiting on installing black blinds to the roof. This work will be carried out over the next few months.
LED lights make it possible to produce strawberries throughout the year and increase the yield of the strawberry plants, enabling Bradon Farm to provide the British public with more locally-grown strawberries, even in the winter months when nearly all strawberries are imported.
The strawberries are stocked at M&S, Aldi, and Sainsbury’s and locally in the fruit and veg shop in South Petherton.
The year-round production will also mean Bradon Soft Fruit Farm will be able to extend its employee contracts from seasonal to permanent.
John Downes
John Downes, managing director, said: “We are delighted to be able to introduce this exciting new technology. The UK strawberry market has been growing consistently in the last few years so it’s great that we can now meet this demand in a sustainable way, while also being able to offer our team year-round employment.”
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