Who We Are!
Limden Brook is us, Sam and Becky Newington (with help from 12 year old son James and quite a few other family members!).
We are located in East Sussex in the middle of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), grazing permanent pasture including some water meadows. On the home farm we run a mob grazing system with the aim of improving livestock and soil health and are in the process of implementing a similar grazing system on land rented from a neighbour who shares our passion for organic regenerative agriculture. We are also working closely with the High Weald AONB Unit as part of their work to promote regenerative agriculture and support High Weald farmers wanting to move from a conventional to a regenerative system.
On a recent visit by the Sussex Wildlife Trust to the water meadows and surrounding pastureland, 13 different types of dragon and damselflies were spotted and we have a multitude of other wildlife inhabitants and visitors including dormice, roe and fallow deer, nightingales and cuckoos as well as various birds of prey and invertebrates. The diverse range of flowers including early purple Orchids and bluebell woods alongside grasses, clovers and flowering trees provide a perfect habitat for a number of bee species.
We try to be mindful of how our farming practices impact our local and greater environment and aim to look after and improve our soil health through these practices.
There are more organisms in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the planet and we feel these little critters need our help too! We have recently tested the soil organic matter on farm to enable us to monitor the carbon storage in our soils. An increase in soil Carbon has the added bonus of increasing the amount of water which can be stored in our land.
We are lucky enough to be positioned in a highly wooded part of the country and are making steps towards incorporating Agroforestry practices within our grazing systems. With the involvement of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, we are currently planting even more trees to provide health benefits to the livestock as well as the wider environment.
We believe that by growing our livestock in a sustainable way, we not only have the ability to positively impact the land that we farm but also provide healthier produce to those who consume it.
We have Organic Certification with the Soil Association and Pasture For Life Certification