Dyson – the technology brand typically associated with vacuum cleaners and hairdryers – has picked the first strawberries from its new 15-acre glasshouse, heralding an important advancement in sustainable farming in the UK and avoiding unnecessary food miles that come from imported fruits at this time of year.

The giant glasshouse – situated at Dyson’s farm Dyson Farming in Carrington, Lincolnshire – is 424m long with 832 rows of strawberries.

Powered with renewable electricity and surplus heat from Dyson Farming’s adjacent anaerobic digester, the giant glasshouse which houses around 700,000 strawberry plants is expected to produce 750 tonnes of strawberries each year for British consumers.

The glasshouse is lengthening the British strawberry season by growing quality strawberries at a time of year, early spring and late Autumn, when traditionally British strawberries are in very short supply. This will contribute to the UK becoming more self-sufficient in food reducing the air miles associated with imported fruit. 

Technology and innovation lie at the heart of modern farming, according to Dyson, enabling farmers to boost productivity, increase efficiency and use fewer chemicals. 

Over the last eight years Dyson Farming has focused on increasing the sustainability and efficiency of its farms. Data analytics, new crop rotations, cover cropping techniques, advanced drones and vision systems, targeted crop spraying, and green energy production are some of the ways Dyson Farming is incorporating technology into its farming systems.

Dyson Farming’s strawberries will go on sale at selected M&S stores.

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.