No need for Carbon Off Setting at The Big Bear Cider Mill

With COP26 and the health of our planet on everybody’s’ minds, we all need to find ways to help reduce our carbon footprint and encourage biodiversity. The problems can seem insurmountable, but there are loads of things that we can all do to help.

Plant a tree if you have space, an insect loving shrub if you have a garden, or sow wildflower seeds along a roadside.

By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, trees and plants help to combat climate change, help to improve soils, prevent flooding and offer animals and birds a home.

Here at the Big Bear Cider Mill in Stisted, we are keen to improve biodiversity and help reduce carbon in the atmosphere.  What started as a hobby planting ten apple trees has escalated to further 3500 trees and a flourishing craft cider business.

In 2010 Mark and Kathryn were given ten cider apple tree saplings.  These were planted in a three acre field opposite their property.  This small start lead to us creating a full orchard with four hundred and fifty apple trees of twenty two varieties, and thirteen hundred native hedging plants to surround the site.

An old gravel pit was bought and turned into a second orchard with a further three thousand trees planted. The soil was improved by the addition of tonnes of organic matter and went from having no worms, to having a thriving worm population.

We are working with Essex Wildlife Trust to protect and improve the habitats of animals and birds in their orchards.

Mark says “It is the right thing to do, both morally and for the future of our business. However small an insect or animal may be, they all add to the biodiversity of the land.  Rather than using pesticides, see how birds can naturally keep your garden pest free.  Many pesticides for use in the garden are non-specific meaning they work on the insects you want to kill, but could also kill everything that comes into contact with the pesticide-treated plant. That means those all-important pollinators like bees and butterflies are at risk as well. Pollinators help plants bloom and fruit, so it is really important to preserve pollinator populations.”

Our Big Bear apple trees are grown without using pesticides and bees naturally pollinate the orchard: we deal with any unwanted insects using natural, traditional methods.  Birds and ladybirds love aphids!

Kathryn adds “We feel strongly that sustainability, particularly nature conservation, protecting wildlife and encouraging biodiversity, is one of the biggest issues our generation faces.

We all need to do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint. If you drink alcohol and want to drink sustainably, then apple cider is for you. Our Essex Cider is lovingly made in the barn in the orchard. Juice from the apples is fermented, blended, canned and packaged on site. And no air miles involved! Wonderful sparkling cider made in Essex”

For more information about Essex Wildlife Trust Essex Wildlife Trust | Essex Wildlife Trust (essexwt.org.uk)