Fielden Whisky and a Regenerative Approach to Farming

Good in the glass, great for the planet!

We were super excited to get our first delivery of Fielden English Rye Whisky recently. Tasty Rye whisky? Check. Kick-ass bottle with a meaningful but snazzy label? Check.

But there is something else that is noticeably in focus among several English whisky producers: a field-to-glass, planet-friendly approach.

There are, of course, a host of different factors that combine together in the process of making a whisky. Raw materials include, among other things, grain, water, wood (in the form of barrels) and lots of energy. Sourcing all these responsibly, with due regard for the welfare of people and the planet is something that many newer distilleries, in particular, have front and centre. Rightly so. Indeed, many new English whisky distilleries have been built from the ground up with sustainability in mind.

Fielden has a track record of taking a regenerative and sustainable approach to growing the grain that goes into their whiskies.

Heritage grains

A choice of genetically diverse populations of heritage grains means they can be grown without agrichemicals  because they are more resilient in the field and adapt to climate change. The use of alternative strains, instead of ones that already exist in abundance, also supports biodiversity and still produces top quality grain. Homogeny is not our friend! Fielden Rye is composed of rye, malted rye, wheat and malted barley.

Clover under-crop

Fielden's heritage grains grow in a bed of white clover. This acts as a natural fertiliser supplying the grain with what it needs to stay healthy without using any chemicals. This clover under-layer not only feeds the soil but it also supports insects, bees and wildlife. Additionally, Fielden don't clear the fields after harvest - the straw is left to break down naturally. This adds organic matter and slowly releases nutrients to feed the soil and the next crop.

No chemicals

It’s no secret that modern cereal varieties can produce high yields when grown with massive injections of fertilisers and other agrichemicals. However, this widely-adopted approach to farming has left food systems dangerously exposed to pests, diseases, climate change and the destruction of once healthy soil.

Adopting new (or perhaps old!) approaches to farming that do not rely on the heavy use of chemicals clearly requires a different mindset and a willingness to prioritise soil health. Given that the vast proportion of arable land in the UK is given over to cereal production, one can see why this needs to be a priority.

Growing for flavour, and with the environment's wellbeing in mind, instead of for commercial yield alone is something we should all want to see more of - it's great to see Fielden giving it such focus.