Earlier this week, Recycling Minister Robbie Moore announced up to £295 million in funding to introduce weekly food waste collections by 31st March 2026. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced funding aimed at strengthening the management of food waste across the UK. This funding initiative will include the provision of…
With ever expanding developments in agriculture, staying up to date with the latest knowledge is key to providing the best results. FGS Organics is committed to optimising soil health via FACTS. The Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme (FACTS) is widely recognised as a credible and respected industry standard. It delves into the core principles…
As part of Heathcote Holdings, FGS Organics benefits from having a close working relationship with other companies within the group. In a recent vineyard creation project, ground preparation and civils services were required which alongside our sister company, FGS Pilcher, we are able to provide fully in house. This collaboration led to 7.5 acres of…
We’re thrilled to announce our proud sponsorship of the Cranbrook Rugby Club’s 2023 kit! As ardent supporters of community sports, we are excited to be part of the Cranbrook Rugby journey this season. This partnership is more than just a logo on their shorts; it’s a commitment to the spirit of sportsmanship, teamwork, and the…
Waste management is becoming an increasing concern to individuals and businesses globally. As we strive for sustainability and environmental responsibility, finding ways to manage and repurpose organic waste is at the forefront of these efforts. One innovative solution which is gaining traction in the agricultural sector is the process of anaerobic digestion and its valuable…
FGS Organics recently undertook a large project at Vine Farm, Northbourne. The team began the project by planting a field with a winter cover crop consisting of rye, vetch and oil radish. This strategic utilisation of cover crops, known for their ability to enrich soil composition, enhance nutrient levels, and improve soil structure, laying the…
This summer, FGS Organics has been working in collaboration with Ovenden Allworks and Thanet District Council united in their joint efforts to clear the beaches of seaweed. All harvested seaweed was transported and stockpiled at a local farm, with the approval of the Environment Agency, before being spread to land. This joint approach enables the…
Last month we attended the Groundswell 2023 Agriculture Festival in Hertfordshire. We exhibited with our show trailer and brought along samples of our Digestate Fibre, Gypsum and Paper Crumb. Our representatives had many conversations with interested parties regarding our products and how they can improve soil health. The event was well attended with plenty of…
A team of researchers from Northern Ireland (NI) is investigating the potential of manures to contribute to the reduction of carbon footprints and related emissions, going beyond their current status as mere waste products. The work, undertaken by the Agri-Food and Bioscience Institute (Afbi), forms part of the NI government’s plans to reach net zero.…
Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB) has become a significant concern for farmers and growers in recent years. These tiny, destructive pests have wreaked havoc on cruciferous crops, particularly oilseed rape (OSR), leading to substantial economic losses and reduced yields. In this blog, we will explore a selection of proven strategies to battle CSFB and learn…
FGS Organics and our sister companies in the Heathcote Holdings group are pleased to announce that during our summer fundraising BBQ we were able to raise almost £3000 for the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance. This amount of money will provide enough aviation fuel for nine missions, equivalent to a whole day’s worth of…
FGS Organics, Countrystyle Recycling Ltd and VeriGreen, three businesses part of the Heathcote Holdings group of companies, provide a complete, closed-loop solution for food waste. Our sister companies, Countrystyle & Verigreen collect food waste from customers around the UK and deliver it to our Aerobic Digestion (AD) plant based in Kent. Here, food waste is…
As of the 26th of January 2023, the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced some updated information to the Environmental Land Management Scheme (also known as ELMs). DEFRA are expanding their schemes to pay farmers and land managers to provide environmental goods and services alongside food production; and providing one-off grants…
With the consumer’s increasing awareness of the need for environmentally sustainable practices to conserve natural resources, there is also an interest in green concepts and respect for the ecosystem. Farming and agricultural methods have a significant impact on the food chain and cultivating a healthy soil is crucial for climate change resilience and the preservation…
Commercial digestate which is most commonly used on arable crops can also be utilised on grass leys for multi-cut silage, hay, haylage and grazing ground. FGS Organics have invested in specialist and bespoke machinery and equipment that allows digestate fertiliser to be applied to grass effectively and efficiently. We purchased the Vredo 12m double disc…
Here is an interesting article from Farmers Weekly about nutrient management for soils. The article highlights that 9 out of 10 soil samples show sulphur deficiency. At FGS Organics we supply and apply products to improve soil health, testing soil prior to organic fertiliser application to ensure correct nutrient levels. Both our digestate biofertiliser and…
It’s great to see Arla campaigning for the energy potential of manure and slurry. Britain is currently only making the most out of a quarter of the organic waste produced in this country each year. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has the potential to produce sustainable biomethane at scale with the resultant digestate by-product being used as…
Applications are now open for DEFRA’s Slurry Infrastructure Grant. The purpose of the grant is to help dairy, beef and pig farmers in England invest in future-proofed slurry infrastructure and nutrient management systems. Investing in good slurry management is an important step that farmers can take to protect the environment and reduce pollution risks. The…
We have been very busy during the Autumn period applying digestate for Oilseed rape growers. For one of our Kent customers, we applied 30kg of crop available Nitrogen through digestate via of one of our self-propelled Vredo spreaders equipped with 24 meter trailing shoe to a KWS Campus OSR variety which was drilled post application…
Crop growth following digestate application. Using our self-propelled 24m Vredo with a trailing shoe we applied digestate from a local AD plant into a seed bed prior to spring barley being drilled in late March. You can see from the photos how well the crop has grown and developed throughout the season. No other fertiliser…
We applied on farm digestate to a dairy farmer’s first cut grass silage earlier this year via our 24m self-propelled Vredo. This crop received its full requirements of NPK plus magnesium and sulphur from one application from the digestate. Not only is the digestate a cost-effective alternative to bagged fertiliser it has improved the soil…
We often talk about the benefits of digestate but did you know there are also a number of benefits of AD plants which is where the digestate is produced? What is an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and how does it work? An anaerobic digestion plant is essentially a concrete cow. Feedstock is required for the…
EIRA (Enabling Innovation: Research to Application), an innovation and research organisation, has produced an interesting case study about the use of paper crumble for soil enhancement and carbon storage. There is strong evidence to suggest that arable soil in the UK has been losing carbon for 40 years (Environment Agency 2019). This, in turn, has…
Using technology to ensure traceability and fully auditable records for farmers. We use our bespoke IT system to record spreading and haulage tonnages digitally online which reports back in real-time to head office. Each spreader operator has a tablet to access daily jobs where they can view field maps, permits, risk assessments and other documents…
Thank you to everyone who supported our #CancerResearch cake sale yesterday. Many of our staff baked some delicious treats. Thanks to those who baked and for those who donated to this great charity. We managed to raise a total of £206.38.
Can I apply paper crumble to my land? Yes! Applying paper crumble to land is an excellent method of increasing organic matter back into your soil whilst delivering a range of vital crop nutrients. Paper crumble can be used to enrich soil, giving arable farmland a boost of nutrients and organic matter. Paper crumble is…
Digestate vs no Digestate! Here is an excellent example showing the improvement digestate can make when applied to a growing crop. Digestate vs No Digestate? You can see the grass on the right is healthier and further along than the grass on the left which hasn’t received any digestate biofertiliser – due to that part…
World Soil Day. This day has been dedicated by the UN to raise awareness of soil health and to create positive change. For many years we have been advocates of soil health, it’s at the very core of our business: this is what we do. We apply naturally produced nutrient rich biofertiliser to the land…
Circular Economy/Closed loop solution to food waste. FGS Organics, Countrystyle Recycling Ltd and VeriGreen, three businesses part of the Heathcote Holdings group of companies, provide a complete, closed-loop alternative for food waste. Countrystyle and VeriGreen collect food waste from their customers and take it to a local Kent based AD plant. Here the food waste is transformed to…
The photographs below show a Digestate time-lapse over a 4 week period. As can be seen in the Digestate time-lapse photos below, when matched with soil and crop requirements digestate can improve crop yield as well as build soil health. Digestate otherwise know as Biofertiliser, is a nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser which can be used…
This week is Recycle Week and we are proud to help do our bit in the recycling process. With our customers in the food waste and paper recycling industries we apply their bi-products to land. The Biofertiliser is from the process of producing green energy from food waste that would have historically been disposed of…
We attended the Weald of Kent Ploughing Match at the weekend and what a great day it was. It was a great event with plenty of visitors to the stand. We exhibited alongside our sister companies FGS Agri and FGS Pilcher. It’s great to see a lot of visitors to our stand. It’s been a…
We exhibited at the Lets Recycle Live event at Stoneleigh Park this week. It was a great opportunity to exhibit alongside our sister companies Envar, Countrystyle Recycling and Verigreen under the Heathcote Holdings group. It was well attended with many visitors to the stand enquiring about our company as well as the Heathcote Holdings group…
We are attended the Farming for Clean Air event at Cambridge University’s’ Park Farm yesterday. The event had the latest machinery on display as well as working demonstrations of application methods. It was a great day to network with likeminded people and discuss the Government’s Clean Air Strategy and how the industry will have to…
We attended the Agri-South show at Faversham showground yesterday. It was a great event with plenty of visitors to the stand. We exhibited alongside our sister companies FGS Agri and FGS Pilcher. It was great to be out exhibiting at a show again after the long break from being able to.
Today is Earth Day The theme this year is Restore Our Earth. Our sustainable solutions in agriculture mean that farmers can have less reliance on artificial fertilisers. The organic digestate and paper products that we apply to land are great for the soil health and provide crops with the nutrients they need as well as helping…
While most people do not know or appreciate the importance of soil health, we literally live and breathe it! FGS Organics have been advocates for soil health for decades. With a farming heritage, we understand the importance of nutrient rich soil for improved crop growth and specialise in the supply and application of natural fertiliser…
Most documentaries about climate change leave you feeling completely powerless and with no hope. So we were pleased to see that new Netflix documentary Kiss The Ground shows how soil health can be our biggest tool in the fight against climate change and how the earth beneath our feet can ultimately save the planet. FGS…
The FGS Team were busy snapping away at work hoping to win our photo competition. We had some fantastic entries from the staff. Here are some of the best photos from our recent staff photo competition. Thanks to all that entered, it is always great to see our operators and machines in action. Congratulations to…
Farmers Weekly have put together an interesting article about the benefits of adding organic matter to agricultural land. Its interesting to read about why its becoming increasingly important for farmers to invest in organics fertiliser such as the products and services we offer. Click the link to read it: https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/land-preparation/soils/tips-on-making-arable-soils-more-resilient-to-extreme-weather
In spite of the Coronavirus crisis, we are working hard to ensure that we continue to run business ‘as usual.’ Of course, social distancing, increased hygiene levels and remote working have come into this but our offering to customers remains the same. We are here to service both your farm and the soil and are…
We are pleased to announce that FGS Organics, working with UKAS accredited certification body NQA, has successfully integrated its Quality and Environmental Management Systems and achieved UKAS accreditation to the internationally recognised standards ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 14001:2015 for Quality and Environmental Management. This achievement assures our clients and other interested parties that customer…
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) issued a report at the end of 2018. Within it, they address the areas of biofuels and energy crops. They pay particular attention energy crops such as the wood burned in power stations such as Drax in Yorkshire. Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the CCC stated that: “the UK…
According to a report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), tree planting in the UK must double by 2020. The report calls for radical changes to the use of land in this country. For example, turning farmland into forests and restoring peatland. It also suggests that zero food waste should be sent to landfill…
With no end in sight to the unusually hot weather we are experiencing in the UK, we have collated some helpful advice to help you stay safe while working outdoors in the 2018 heatwave. Top tips: Cover up exposed skin. Lightweight, light coloured and loose fitting clothing can help protect against heat. Apply a…
We are pleased to announce the arrival of our new Zunhammer twin axle 18,500 litre tanker equipped with a 12 metre trailing shoe boom used for the spreading of liquid digestate. The heavy duty, polyethylene tank is light weight, allowing a higher payload to be carried, whilst the 6,000 litre per minute lobe pump guarantees…
FGS Organics are delighted to announce that our sister company, FGS Agri, has renewed their two existing contracts with Thames Water. The new contracts will come into effect from November 1st this year covering Biosolid Spreading across the Southern Region of the Thames Water operating territory and the recycling of non-compliant biosolids. Non-compliant biosolids are…