Soil Stewardship

At the heart of single origin flour is a commitment to build soil health rather than exploit or exhaust it, cultivating abundance for generations to come.

Conventional agriculture treats soil as merely a medium to hold plants upright while feeding them synthetic nutrients to deliver the maximum yield in a given season. Our approach recognises the vital role soil plays in the quality, flavour and future of our crops and communities. Below, we share our soil stewardship.

Ecosystem Designers

Our farmers are ecosystem designers. Every handful of soil is alive with microbes, fungi, and organic matter, millions of unseen allies that help us grow nutrient-rich grains. Healthy soil holds moisture better, reduces erosion, and naturally balances nutrients. It makes for stronger crops with less need for synthetic inputs.

This approach offers benefits that extend far beyond individual harvests. When we design our soil ecosystems thoughtfully, we guard against weather volatility and store carbon too, helping fight the climate crisis in the most grounded way possible.

Terroir

The French concept of "terroir", the idea that environmental factors affect a crop's phenotype, applies as much to single origin grain as it does to wine. The unique combination of soil composition, climate, topography, and farming practices in a specific location creates distinctive characteristics in the single origin grain that can be detected in the single origin flour and, ultimately, in the flavour of the food we enjoy. Understanding this connection between place and single origin grain transforms how we approach farming itself.

Soil Minerals and Nutrient Density

The mineral content of soil directly influences nutrition and flavour. Minerals aren't just good for human health, they're what give single origin flours their unique character and superior baking performance. Each variety of grain takes up minerals and nutrients differently which in turn impacts the functionality of the protein and carbohydrates. In understanding this we can enhance both the flavour and performance of our flour in a natural way.

Microbial Communities

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of soil health is its microbial life. A single teaspoon of healthy soil contains billions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that form partnerships with wheat plants. These microscopic allies break down organic matter into nutrients plants can actually use, protect roots from disease, and extend the plant's reach for water through underground fungal networks. They even contribute to the development of complex flavour compounds that make single origin flours taste distinctly different from one farm to another.

Crop Rotation

Monoculture, growing the same crop year after year, depletes soil and creates perfect conditions for pest buildup. Thoughtful crop rotations disrupt pest and disease cycles, balance nutrient use and replenishment, improve soil structure through varying root architectures and create habitat for beneficial insects and soil organisms. Our farmers typically run a barley, chickpea, wheat rotation, followed by sorghum, then an 18-month rest before cycling back.

Straw

Maintaining straw cover on fields is critical for soil health. When straw is removed, bare soil faces direct sun exposure, increased temperatures, moisture loss, wind erosion, and water runoff. Every year each of our farmers focus on building straw loading and organic matter in their soils. The different crops in our rotation contribute straw that breaks down at varying rates, creating diverse nutrients and soil conditions for subsequent crops. This mulch layer maintains soil moisture, moderates temperature, prevents erosion, and provides the protected environment where beneficial microorganisms and earthworms can thrive.

Carbon Farming

For a long time our farmers have been actively seeking out and implementing ways to draw down on atmospheric carbon. We are continuing to increase our understanding in this area so these activities can be effectively measured and increased to assist us all to better manage climate change.

Water

We're reimagining water management through natural innovation. Soil acts as a natural water storage system, with each of our farmers building soil organic matter that functions like a sponge. Strategic crop rotations create root systems that shape natural water storage and flow through soil and across landscapes. Specific soil microbes help plants access water during dry periods, whilst smart irrigation paired with soil monitoring allows us to water based on actual conditions rather than schedules. This approach maximises the use of this precious resource whilst supporting the natural systems that sustain healthy grain production.

Innovation

Technology helps us better understand soil systems in ways that were impossible just a few years ago. Our farmers are using drones, robots, infrared cameras to better understand the needs of each square metre of their farms. Our farmers are also conducting the first commercial trials of innovations like pelletised compost from chicken manure, naturally replacing minerals and nutrients in the soil.

Climate Volatility

As we experience increasingly unpredictable weather patterns we are taking steps to create weather resilient systems. Well-managed soils with living covers and strong fungal networks stay cooler during heat waves and absorb extreme rainfall without flooding. Deep-rooted systems with mycorrhizal partnerships can access water that monoculture crops can't reach during droughts, while strong soil aggregation prevents valuable topsoil from blowing away during windstorms. This resilience comes from years of patient work. This often means forgoing short-term gains as we build systems that will perform when conventional approaches fail