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Why an NFFN farmer has chosen to start growing quinoa

England
Farm Practices
arable
climate change
Crops
Diversification
pesticide reduction
opportunities

The crop is a good choice for warm, dry areas and provides vital diversification.

On his 740-hectare arable farm in Essex, NFFN farmer David Lord has recently added quinoa to his rotation, alongside winter and spring wheat, spring oats and beans. As he prepares for his second harvest, David shares why quinoa works well for him and how it supports his long-term vision for Earls Hall Farm.

The basics - What is quinoa?

Quinoa is the seed of a plant, eaten in a similar way to cereal grains and sharing many of their nutritional qualities. It has been grown in its native South America for thousands of years, though it is only in recent decades that the rest of the world has really taken notice. Rich in minerals and vitamins, and a source of protein, fibre and healthy fats, quinoa has earned its reputation as a ‘superfood’.

How does David grow quinoa in Essex?

David is currently growing around 25 hectares of quinoa for British Quinoa - an increase from the 20 hectares he planted in his first year. He first connected with the company at the Groundswell regenerative agriculture festival, and after a series of conversations, decided to take the plunge and put some of his 750 hectares of farmland into quinoa production.

“We’re already working with Wildfarmed, so partnering with another similar company was something we were quite keen to do,” David said. “It’s growing quinoa for British consumption, and it fits well into our farming system as a break crop.”

Having selected a variety suited to his land, David sows quinoa between mid-April and mid-May. “It’s really important not to sow it too deep,” he says. “We use our Horizon DSX drill, which also allows us to apply fertiliser into the seed row for optimum nutrient efficiency and minimal environmental impact.”

After that, there’s little more to do until harvest, which comes later than most crops, from mid- to late-September. “It’s just a matter of being patient,” David says. “You finish harvesting all your other crops, and the quinoa still has a way to go before it’s ready."

What are the advantages of growing quinoa?

As a relatively new crop on British farms, quinoa is well suited to a nature-friendly farming system like David’s. “You can’t apply pesticides because there are none approved for it,” he explains. “It’s almost organic growing. It also doesn’t really suffer from pests or diseases.” David hopes this will bring lasting benefits for the farm’s soil health, thanks in part to the absence of chemicals.

He also believes his farm on the North East Essex coastline, which is relatively dry by English standards, is a good fit for quinoa. But with increasing climate volatility, there is another reason it makes sense to add it into the rotation. “The last two years we’ve had a relatively wet growing season and then a very dry one,” he says. “I think this is what we have to expect now - huge variations in weather patterns.

“As farmers, adapting to this in the future is going to be extremely challenging. Diversifying the crops you grow will be vital. Growing just one or two crops, which might fail, is going to be too risky. This is going to be equally important whether you’re an arable, livestock or mixed farmer.”

You can't apply pesticides to quinoa because there are none approved for it, it's almost organic growing.

David Lord

There’s also a financial benefit, David points out. “Commodity prices are currently so low that anything that doesn’t involve selling on the world market is a good thing. Quinoa is more of a niche crop at the moment, and it’s marketed to customers in a way that makes how we grow it important to them.”

What are the disadvantages of growing quinoa?

While growing quinoa can be fairly hands-off, harvesting and processing are much more demanding. “The moisture content has to be below 11% when it leaves the farm, but generally it comes off our fields at between 20-25%, so we have to run a lot of air through it quite quickly,” David explains. “There’s also a lot of greenery and weed seeds mixed in with the seed harvest, which need cleaning out.”

For many farmers, this means an investment in infrastructure. “We’re quite lucky because we bought a second-hand cleaner for some of our other crops, and it’s turned out to be a really useful investment. By cleaning the quinoa on farm you add value to the crop, because otherwise you’d have to pay someone else to do it.”

And while comparatively few chemicals are involved in growing quinoa, the crop does require some nitrogen. David applies more nitrogen to quinoa than he does to other artisan food crops, though still significantly less than to his winter milling wheat.

Should other farmers consider quinoa?

For now, quinoa is still eaten by relatively few people in Britain, which limits how many farmers are likely to grow it in the short term. However, quinoa-growing operations like David’s also reflect a number of trends consumers are increasingly favouring locally grown, sustainably farmed and highly nutritious foods. 

As the public learns more about dietary choices, the market should grow, opening opportunities for farmers to strengthen their resilience.

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