We currently grow 18 hectares of short rotation coppice (willow) to fuel our biomass boiler, which heats all the farm and venue buildings at Lodge Farm. These willow trees will be in the ground for 25-30 years, and will be harvested every 3-5 years.
During that time, they will absorb more carbon dioxide than they will emit when burnt - and if you would like to find out more about how this carbon offset is quantified (and support future planting) you can do so via the not-profit organisation MyCarbonPlan.
Willow is not only a high carbon capture crop, but it also provides a fantastic habitat for many different species which we are keen to encourage on our farm - and so we are eager to expand our planting, and alongside project partners Cambridge Eco and Willow Energy, we recently secured government-backed ADOPT funding to explore alternative end uses for the crop.
From late 2025 to mid-2027, we will be trialling producing different compost mixes on our farm using willow (as a high carbon substrate) combined with high nitrogen organic matter (either digestate or grass ley cuttings) to explore whether we can provide a non-peat, non-coir willlow-based compost for use in the commercial horticulture sector.
We'll be posting updates throughout the project on this page, and you can also follow our day to day progress via Instagram @lodgefarmessex.
