Closed Loop-Farming Principles

Here at eg. we like to keep our gate open but the loop closed! Closed-loop farming to be exact. But first, what is closed-loop farming…?

Similarly to household recycling and the process of reusing old materials to create new ones, closed-loop farming is the recycling of nutrients back into the soil from which new things grow!

So how do we do to that at the eg. farm? It’s all about our hens manure! Chicken manure is often referred to as “black gold”, it has so many incredible qualities and is commonly used as fertiliser for plants. 

What are the benefits of using chicken manure as a fertiliser? Chicken manure contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are all key nutrients in healthy soil. These 3 properties work together to support a plant during its entire life cycle! But wait, there’s more!

Chicken manure actually contains all 13 of the essential plant nutrients so it’s basically a one-stop-shop when it comes to the fertilisation! With its amazing ability to improve soil structure, aeration and drainage it is perfect for large scale crop and vegetable production. 

Our hens manure is the hero of our closed-loop cycle, being used to fertilise local fields where crops and vegetables are grown which are then harvested and sold to supermarkets across the country. And even more incredibly, it is used to fertilise maize fields where that maize is then harvested and turned into the food hens eat, and so the cycle continues!

Along with large scale fertilisation, our chicken manure is also used by several gardening households around the Rangitikei region. If you happen to be a local Rangitikei resident and you are reading this, feel free to message us and grab some eg. black gold for yourself!