Jack Buck Farms have been farming in Moulton Parish, Lincolnshire, for nearly 150 years.
Since Robin Buck took over the business from his father Jack, he has been the driving force in growing and developing the business, along with his brother David. Today they farm 1,500 acres of vegetable and flower crops, with celeriac being a particular speciality.
Growing methods
Jack Buck Farms started growing celeriac in 1992 and these 27 years of experience mean they have very specialised knowledge of how to grow this notoriously difficult crop. They have even developed their own celeriac brand called ‘The Ugly One’.
Celeriac seeds are planted using the farm’s nine row planting machines, and are grown under glass. Over the summer the crop is constantly monitored for size and quality, as well as for pests and diseases, such as carrot root fly. Jack Buck Farms also rotate their crops in line with field conditions in order to maximise yield and potential quality.
The main crop must be harvested in a narrow window between maturity and hard frosts. The top is cut off with a machine and the celeriac is then lifted out of the ground with a harvesting machine before being brought to the yard in trailers to be stored in bulk, or immediately washed and packed.
Environmental responsibility
Jack Buck Farms are continually working to improve their practices in order to ensure they are farming in a sustainable, responsible and sympathetic way, without jeopardising productivity.
They are members of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and over the past 18 years have planted 6,000m of hedging and 5 acres of trees in order to support their local ecosystem. Jack Buck Farms are also enthusiastic about saving resources and as a result have installed photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and are saving and reusing the water from their building roofs.
The farm is also in the environmental Entry Level Scheme which means 41 acres of their land are actively managed for the benefit of wildlife, flora and fauna.