Chris Negus

Chris Negus of Breckland Organics grows organic carrots in the south of Norfolk, which means he is one of the first in the UK to harvest his crop.

He comes from a vegetable farming family and grew up with the smell of carrots. He says: “My father, my uncle and my grandfather were all carrot growers and I have early memories of the smell, that distinctive smell when you go into a field and the carrots are being harvested – which comes from the tops of the carrots.”

A graduate in plant science from the University of Edinburgh, Chris says the family business converted to organic production in the 1990s to make money. But growing organically quickly developed into a passion and 11 years ago he set up his own business, growing only organic veg, including carrots, leeks and broccoli.

“There was a good opportunity there and the organic way of doing things appealed to me. It is completely different to what I had been doing, but I love the challenge of it, the ethos of it and the way we do things. Everyone doing it is really committed and we’re really passionate about it – it’s a system that I really like.”

Chris says rotation is essential to growing organic food and uses the land for different crops and livestock – or simply ‘rests’ it – from year to year. He grows carrots, leeks and broccoli, interchangeably planting grass, clover, spring barley and others to provide a healthy mix that brings nutrients and structure back into the soil.

“Planting grass and clover gives us the fertility building side of the organic system,” he says. “That’s how the organic cycle works and how we get a lot of the fertility back. It gives a rest year for the soil, building up nitrogen in the soil and adding organic matter to it.

“It’s a longer cycle. The grass and clover growing period means we’re not selling any crops from that field during those one to three years, so it is an investment in the rest of the rotation. We don’t have crops on every field every year.”

Chris says that growing carrots on different fields can lend them distinct eating characteristics. “Different fields can taste differently, but whatever the differences they always taste good. With organic carrots, if you’ve planted the right varieties on the right soils and treated them well; if everything’s been done properly, they are always going to taste great.”

Meet the growers…