Environment
Sustainability
At Copas Farms Estate we acknowledge that, with a rapidly growing world population and finite space and resources on the earth, the pressure on the natural environment is ever increasing. As the dominant species on the earth, humans need to learn to work together to live in a sustainable way so that the natural environment is passed on in a better state for future generations.
We recognise that landowners and farmers, as custodians of the countryside, have a key role to play in managing the natural environment and operating in a sustainable way. Copas Farms Estate is a multi-generational business that has sustainability as a core value.
Over the past couple of years, we have reviewed all aspects of our operation to see how we might enhance our sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint on the earth. Some of our investments and actions are outlined below:
Carbon Capture and Soil Carbon Sequestration
For over two decades Copas Farms Estate has been using a minimum cultivation system which does not involve ploughing. This has improved our soil’s structure and increased the amount of soil sequestration of atmospheric carbon locked up in the soil. During this period we have also applied up to 13,329 tons of organic matter per annum that has been added to the soil in the form of compost (2,092T), farmyard manure (5,173T), digestate (4,279T) and Thames Biosolids (1,785T). This locks in more carbon and improves soil fertility for future generations.
Woodland and Hedgerow Management
Copas Farms Estate has 178 acres of woodland and over 104km of hedgerows and woodland edges. This equates to roughly the distance from the centre of Maidenhead to the centre of Cheltenham. We regularly review these assets for maintenance and regeneration requirements. Last year we planted over 1km of hedgerows and planted 1,750 trees to help create additional wildlife habitats for the future and to increase biodiversity.
Solar Panels
On a number of our buildings we have installed solar panels to generate electricity for use on the Estate. Any surplus capacity is sold back to the grid to give us a diversified income stream. This will help support the shift to green renewable energy. Currently we have 507kw of solar panel capacity that generate 541,000kWh of electricity per annum. This is enough power to run 51 homes per year.
Biomass Heating
We have two biomass heating systems on our Estate. The 199kWh biomass boiler at Beenham Grange is currently supplying heat and hot water to 25 residential homes and 3 commercial premises. At Hedsor the second 199kw biomass boiler, supplies 3 residential properties and a commercial office. The biomass boilers are powered by woodchips and, where possible, these are supplied from our woodlands as part of our ongoing woodland management process giving a local renewable source of energy.
Wildlife conservation
Encouraging wildlife onto our Estate has always been an important consideration for the family. In the course of our farming activities we are ever conscious of the needs of wildlife on our land and wherever possible we look to improve the landscape to provide a haven for wildlife.
Two areas of land in Cookham and Medmenham have been left to go wild and undisturbed so that they can establish as nature reserves and hopefully attract some of the shyer wildlife. In Cookham it is hoped that we can attract back the water voles that inhabited some of the ditches some twenty years ago. At Medmenham we are looking to enhance the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to encourage the endangered Loddon Lily.