Did You Know?
Did you know that carrots have a tiny carbon footprint? They were given a carbon rating by Farmers Weekly of just 45g of carbon per 1kg of carrots, compared to 80g for onions, 240g for potatoes and 15,000g for beef.
Tompsett Burgess Growers
Clem Tompsett
The “King of Carrots” Clem Tompsett of Tompsett Burgess Growers, has been farming carrots for over 50 years. His Cambridgeshire based company produces over 75,000 tonnes of carrots a year in Cambridgeshire as well as on land in Suffolk, Norfolk & Scotland. This land is managed by his farms director Ian Hall.
Clem has been farming since the early 1950′s and Willow Farm, where it all started, is made up of 980 acres of prime fen land, almost all of which falls into the parish of Isleham. Clem’s daughter Jackie works at the hub of the business and will eventually take over the reins from her father. In addition TBG has a loyal workforce who are almost considered an extension of the family.
Caring for the crops and seeing them develop from seed to harvest is very satisfying. Clem says: “A major part of being a farmer for me is the opportunity and responsibility to enhance the environment; we have an ongoing tree planting programme and have created areas of natural beauty including reservoirs which are a haven for wildlife”.
Clem’s work also involves fundraising and for his efforts he has been awarded an MBE for services to agriculture and the local community.
Tompsett Burgess Growers is Produce World’s (Isleham Fresh Produce) biggest grower and together over the past 11 years they have formed a strategic partnership supplying carrots and parsnips conventionally and organically all year round to UK retailers.