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Get your free copy11 November 2013, 10:09 AM
- The miller won the Arable Innovator of the Year at the British Farming Awards 2013 as a result of its introduction of ancient grains into UK production, as well as pioneering farming practices
The founders have been dedicated to running their farm organically since the company was started in 1978, and have maintained a wide range of products thanks to its good farming practices such as environmental stewardship and frequent crop rotation.
Michael Marriage, founder of Doves Farm said, “I started growing ancient wheat varieties on the farm nearly 20 years ago with a crop of Spelt, the first in the UK. The sourcing and seed multiplication of the ancient wheats has been a real adventure into the past. It takes quite a few years to go from a few kilos of grain to a finished product suitable for the market. Due to ever increasing demand, we now have a special group of farmers who grow these crops on contract for us, thus providing new opportunities for farmers. These older types of wheat are becoming very popular as they have a fantastic depth of flavour and consumers appreciate that they are more easily digestible than modern wheat. Developing recipes for these flours has also been quite a challenge, but the flavour of the resulting breads and cakes are a revelation.”
