Sainfoin, a sustainable crop?

As more farmers move toward more eco-friendly, regenerative and sustainable farming practices, the 'forgotten forage' that is sainfoin, is starting to see a resurgence. Here are just a few reasons why...

Perfect for pollinators... Having an extended flowering period, typically around 60 days, it's a valuable resource for bees, butterflies and invertebrates. It is also believed to produce more honey than any other legume. 

Long leys... Sanfoin leys typically last for four years or more. This allows for the plant to develop deeper roots, fixing more nitrogen and improving soil structure. These deeper roots take up more nutrients, enabling the plant to produce vitamins and condensed tannins - which in turn are passed to the horse.

Not just for horses... Sheep and cattle also do well on a diet of sainfoin. With our Simple System sainfoin, sheep graze 'the aftermath' which is the growth later in the season that is not harvested. Not only is this good for feeding the sheep, it means the growth in the spring is fresh for our horses, it's more environmentally friendly than using sprays and it supports sustainable farming.