Molyneux Kale Company
MOLYNEUX KALE COMPANY
IN SEASON ALL YEAR
Chris Molyneux farms the rich, dark soils of south-west Lancashire, where his family has farmed since the Norman Conquest. Generations of experience have helped make Chris an expert in growing kale – he even admits to an obsession with the stuff!
Their care and knowledge enable them to produce the only all-year round kale in the UK, from green kale and chard, to Italian Cavolo Nero and chicory. As soon as the kale has been cut from the plant, they cool it to retain the moisture content and prevent wilting, drying out or losing its colour or vitamin content.
Having farmed the fertile south-west Lancashire plain for more than five generations, they know a thing or two about sustainable growing. “I am looking to produce a sustainable soil that is going to last me into the future, so hat I have good cropping going forward” says Chris.
They understand the importance of producing kale in a way that protects the environment whilst offering high-quality produce. LEAF marque certified; they strive for the highest level of sustainability. Their crop rotation means there is year-round cover on the fields across the farm, providing an important food source and habitat for farmland wildlife as well as utilising nitrogen fixing crops which consistently build soil fertility and longevity of soil health. This is not a new quest for the farm, their regenerative mindset to building soil health has long been a focus on the farm and continues to form a key part of their plans within the future.
Their big point of difference is that they keep their own varieties, which means selecting the best plants growing to seed and using the seed for the next crop. The farm also runs stewardship schemes and monitors wildlife, planting wild bird seed plots and using herbal leys to build soil health and protect the soil during the winter.
Choosing to not use tramlines on the fields, protecting the field from nutrient leeching into our protected waterways and providing an area for green cover which are an important resource for invertebrates. The farm supports numerous breeding birds which are marked as red list species which are at threat in the UK, these include Lapwings, Skylark and Corn Bunting as well as Hares.
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