Battlefield Farms Begins Sustainability Certification

Based on discussions regarding sustainability with both retail customers and other growers, Rapidan, Va.- based Battlefield Farms is beginning the MPS-ABC Certification program

“Both the big box stores and the supermarkets are looking to us for solutions of how to define sustainability in our industry. We believe the MPS program will help us understand how we are doing, and give us factual information which we can pass along to our customers,” said Battlefield Farms sales manager Dave Jones.

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The MPS-ABC sustainability certification focuses on the use of crop protection agents, fertilizers, energy, water and waste, on a periodic basis. Through the qualification a grower is compared to other growers of similar crops in similar environments. Battlefield Farms is number 34 on Greenhouse Grower’s 2010 Top 100 List.

“Over the years we have made many changes to improve the efficiency of our operations which we now believe are good steps for sustainability: water recycling, more efficient growing practices which use less energy and fewer pesticides are a few examples. As we speak we are firing up the ‘campfire’ on our new biomass boiler which will provide our primary source of energy for the greenhouses, eliminating fossil fuel energy except as a backup source of energy,” said general manager Anthony van Hoven. “[Reports] from the MPS program will provide comparisons and become a management tool for us.”

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