Tomorrows Wool

布拉德福德农场是位于什罗普郡/斯塔福德郡边界的布拉德福德庄园的手头农业业务，种植5000英亩可组合作物、土豆、生菜、野花种子和绵羊，作为可持续混合农业系统的一部分。我们建议探索开发一种基于羊毛的园艺行业新杂草抑制产品的可行性。羊毛是一种低价值产品，在扣除剪毛成本后，充其量也只能勉强实现收支平衡。通过开发新产品来提高其价值，将有助于提高养羊业的盈利能力。商业园艺部门正在努力应对一系列挑战，包括减少化学除草选择，即将禁止在商业运营中使用泥炭，越来越多地挑战季节性极端的生长条件。现有的非化学除草选择很少，种植者严重依赖人工除草。替代材料面临一系列可持续发展的挑战，我们相信羊毛提供了一个可持续和可行的替代方案。这种新型的羊毛杂草抑制剂将在商业观赏(玫瑰)和食用(蓝莓)园艺作物上进行试验。我们相信羊毛可以提供一种可持续的、英国生产的、可行的杂草控制，使英国各地的种植者和绵羊农民受益。这个想法源于与食用和观赏园艺种植者的讨论，寻求可持续的解决方案；以及寻求增加羊毛附加值的绵羊生产者。

Bradford Farming is the in-hand farming business of Bradford Estates, located in the Shropshire/Staffordshire borders, farming 5,000 acres producing combineable crops, potatoes, lettuce, wildflower seed, and sheep as part of a sustainable mixed farming system.We propose to explore the feasibility of developing a new weed suppressant product for the horticulture sector, based on wool. Wool is a low value product which barely breaks even at best after shearing costs. Enhancing its value through developing a new product will support improved profitability of sheep farming. The commercial horticulture sector is grappling a number of challenges including reduced chemical weed control options, an upcoming ban on peat in commercial operations, increasingly challenging growing conditions with seasonal extremes.Few non-chemical weed control options exist, and growers rely heavily on manual weeding. Alternative materials have a range of sustainability challenges, and we believe wool offers a sustainable and viable alternative. The novel wool weed suppressant will be trialled in commercial ornamental (roses) and edible (blueberries) horticultural crops.We believe wool could provide a sustainable, UK-produced, viable weed control, benefiting growers and sheep farmers UK-wide. The idea has arisen from discussion with edible and ornamental horticulture growers, seeking sustainable solutions; and sheep producers seeking to add value to wool.