Robert Mitchell Farms, located near Sevenoaks, is a specialist producer of Bramley apples supplying supermarkets and the processed food industry. In 2022, they applied for a sustainability grant from Growing Green to replace an old, inefficient cold store door, resulting in energy savings of £1,300 per year.

Sowing The Seeds of Sustainability

Farmers and growers are key to the UK's net-zero goals, but balancing environmental action with rising costs and busy days is tough. That's where Growing Green steps in. It's a sustainability grant and training programme for horticultural and plant-based food and drink businesses in Kent and Medway.

We offer practical training, help you assess your business needs, and provide match-funded grants up to £7,000 for projects that boost both sustainability and your bottom line. Robert Mitchell of Robert Mitchell Farms is a prime example; his first project was so successful, he's back for more! This article shares his story and experience with the programme and how your business can get involved too. 

Practical Solutions for Energy Saving Storage

Robert's first Growing Green project tackled a poorly insulated and badly fitting cold-store door. This old door meant the refrigeration plant had to run longer, with a significant energy cost, to keep his 40–50-year-old cold store usable. With Growing Green's support, he replaced it. The programme isn't just about the money; it gives you the know-how to spot similar issues and fix them for maximum business benefit.

Now, a simple door replacement has reduced the energy required to maintain the necessary cold store temperature for Bramley apples. The project saves Robert Mitchell Farms 4,500 kWh annually, reducing storage costs by an estimated £1,348 a year. This is innovation in action. Taking something old, inefficient, and expensive to run and developing a relatively low-cost solution towards improvement.

Robert shared, "I had some store doors that were a really bad fit – an energy efficiency disaster. Growing Green helped me replace one with the latest sliding door technology, easy seal and magic thermal efficiency. It's made a big difference. I figured it would pay me back in about six or seven years." 

Smart Technology and Strategic Savings

Growing Green also sparks new ideas, which is why Robert rejoined! His next project is simpler but offers quicker returns. "My idea for this round is a smart tariff timer," Robert explained. "I can run my cold stores on cheaper electricity at night. With smart sensors, running hours depend on the weather. If it's hot, we run 24/7. But in winter, we can cut hours right down when electricity is so cheap."

This shows the range of projects Growing Green supports. We just need your project to be match-funded – even your time spent training counts – and offer an innovative solution to an on-farm sustainability challenge. Our trainers are ready to help you develop these ideas and you can see a range of previous projects on our YouTube channel.

Learning And Networking at Showcase Days

Another big benefit of Growing Green is our Showcase Days. We visit local leaders in sustainability – including growers – giving our businesses a chance to learn directly from others. So far, these events have taken us to Frasers in Egerton, an eco-hospitality venue, Smurfit Westrock, the recycling centre and paper mill in Snodland, and Yotes Court Vineyard. They're a great opportunity for our businesses to network, share ideas, and even plan collaborations.

Robert particularly enjoyed the Showcase Day at Yotes Court Vineyard: "It’s always useful to see another grower's enterprise. There are many similarities between the vineyard and my apple orchard, and we're all aiming for the same thing: more sustainable practices and products that enhance the environment.”

”I’ve taken away several ideas, like his [Tony Purdie, Vineyard Manager] worm cast extract, for example, brilliant! I could do with some of that to increase organic matter in weed-killed areas around my apple trees. And I'm looking at his vine trimming machine; it might work for apples too. My main challenge now is picking the best ideas that will make the biggest difference."

Join The Growing Green Movement

Robert's projects show how Growing Green helps growers meet net-zero commitments. With our training, Showcase Days, and grant funding, you can boost your farm's sustainability and even long-term profits. Beyond Robert, many other growers have seen great results: 

• Adrian Scripps is one of the UK’s largest growers of apples, blackcurrants and grapes. Their Growing Green project aimed to harvest rainwater from a packhouse roof. The grant was put towards storage infrastructure with an estimated annual collection of 900,000 L. This improved the resilience of the farm to drought and saved a significant cost on mains water.
• E H Holdstock & Son is a mixed farming business, located near Canterbury. Their Growing Green grant supported the replacement of an overhead orchard irrigation system with trickle irrigation, saving 5.6 million litres of water and £1,980 worth of red diesel per year.
• J A Colthup & Partners is an apple growing business in the North Downs. Similarly to Robert, their Growing Green project aimed to improve the energy efficiency of their cold stores. The grant funded a rapid roll door to reduce energy leakage, significantly reducing the cold store’s energy requirements and fruit waste.
• JIB Cannon and Son is a fruit and cobnut grower near Hadlow. They hired a specialist storage consultant independently of the project and used their Growing Green grant to purchase the recommended equipment. This included an inverter and coupled condenser fans to reduce cold store electricity consumption, saving an estimated £6,300 per year.
• J Myatt & Co, a soft and stone fruit grower near Rochester, also invested in rainwater harvesting on the farm. Their Growing Green grant was spent on equipment to divert runoff from an existing pond into a new filtration and storage system. This saves an estimated £30,000-£40,000 per year on mains water and has positive effects on biodiversity in the pond.
• S.C. Berry (Brenley), another mixed farming business in Faversham, received a Growing Green grant to purchase a new subsoiler and fertiliser applicator. The equipment precisely applies fertiliser to fruit tree, hop, and vine roots, reducing fertiliser use and saving an estimated £4,000 and 9,518 CO2e per year.
• Victoria Farm is an apple growing business also near Hadlow. Their Growing Green project funded the addition of two solar storage batteries to capture energy that was previously being lost. This has reduced the farm’s reliance on mains electricity and saves an estimated 6,935 kWh and 1,338 CO2e per year.

Ready to learn more? Visit our website for eligibility and project ideas, or book a quick chat with Dr. Flora O’Brien, our project manager. We look forward to you joining our growing network, building a more sustainable and prosperous future for the growing sector.