PMR direct takes shredded green waste from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Civic Amenity and Recycling Centres, composts it to BSI PAS 100 standard and then uses it on two organic arable farms as an organic fertilizer. Both of our farms are registered organic holdings and produce cereals as well as beef and sheep. They cover a total combined area of 210 hectares and grow over 200 acres of organic wheat and barley per year. Some of the grain and straw produced on these farms is used as a feed to supplement the diets of the stock farmed there; the rest is sold to local organic dairy farmers. 

 

Because they are selling most of their nutrients off the farm as food or grain/seed source, they need to replace them as naturally as possible. The use inorganic fertilizer is not permitted on organic farms, so the lost nutrient has to be replaced by an organic source. Manure produced by the stock is applied to the land to help return nutrients. This can often not be enough to sustain healthy crop yields and other sources of nutrients are required.

 

Green waste compost helps to retain moisture in the soil, provides crucial, slow release nutrients to crops and leads to long term yield increases. Importantly, using compost made from recycled resourses is sustainable and can increase soil organic matter and water holding capacity. The long term use of compost in agriculture leads to a reduction in the use of inorganic fertilisers, which helps to reduce the use of fossil fuels used in the manufacturing of inorganic fertiliser and therefore reduces carbon emissions.