This week Jersey business Promessa Organic became the fifth soil laboratory in the world – and the only one in Europe – to be accredited by one of the industry’s leading authorities on soil science.
And the company’s chief executive, Glyn Mitchell, said the Island now has the chance to ‘lead the way’ in nitrate-free agriculture, a move he says could put Jersey on the map and save farmers and other related businesses ‘tens of thousands of pounds a year’.
The accreditation has been granted by Soil Foodweb Inc., which is run by one of the world’s leading authorities on soil science, Dr Elaine Ingham. It means that if Promessa can hire a trained member of staff they can begin to teach growers from around the world how to make natural composts that are free from synthetic nitrates.
Mr Mitchell is trained to make the composts but is unable to teach the technique as it requires a five-year qualification.
‘This is huge for Jersey. It is massive. Dr Ingham receives thousands of hits a day from people who for political, environmental or cost-related reasons want to come off chemicals. These people have to get trained somewhere. We are only the fifth recognised lab in the world, behind two in America and one in Australia and one in New Zealand. So that means we have access to the whole of Europe and beyond,’ he said.
‘The way it would work is that people would do an online course and then they would come to Jersey to do a seven- or eight-day practical course.’
And Mr Mitchell said that the benefits of agriculture without synthetic fertilisers had already been proved.
Businesses such as the Grand Jersey and Cooper & Co have been supplying him with leftover fruit and vegetables, which he then uses to create small compost heaps. These are mixed with tanks of water to a create a compost ‘tea’ that can be used to fertilise the land naturally. One of the organisations to have benefited is the Royal Jersey Golf Club, who say that they have ‘not applied a single fungicide’ this year – a first for the club since 2001.
Helier Smith, chief operating officer for Jersey Water, welcomed any move to reduce the use of nitrates that can flow into the Island’s water supplies.
He said that the company was working with the Environment Department and farmers to reduce the levels of nitrates used on the Island’s fields. ‘We work to ensure nitrate levels stay below safe drinking levels, but on some occasions that does not happen,’ he said.
Mr Mitchell, who is so confident of the health benefits of using a compost tea instead of synthetic fertilisers that he drinks the muddy mixture, said that ridding the soil of synthetic nitrates was a ‘no-brainer’.
‘It will improve drinking water and the Island’s health. Nitrates in drinking water is a real problem for the health of pregnant women and children, and we can help,’ he said.
‘I think that when farmers hear what we have to say, they will be on board.’
