Behind the scenes quarry tour for Staffordshire Farmers
A behind the scenes quarry company tour has given a group of Staffordshire farmers an insight into the manufacture of high-quality agricultural liming products.
The 21 farmers (and others involved in agriculture) - all members of the of the Mid Staffordshire NFU - visited the operations of Longcliffe Quarries Ltd. The company extracts limestone from its two quarries near Matlock to manufacture over 100 products for industries ranging from glass and adhesives to animal feed and agricultural lime production.
The visit provided an opportunity for the group to see how Longcliffe’s products are made, from blasting, crushing and processing through to quality testing.
The farmers also saw the progress of a milestone investment project for the company – the construction of a multi-million-pound granulation plant. This plant, on track for completion at the end of this year, will produce a granulated lime product which will support farmers in their drive to improve soil quality and sustainability across all types of farms.
Ed Stubbs, one of four partners of the Mid Staffs NFU said: “The Mid Staffs NFU would like to extend its sincere thanks to Longcliffe Quarries for hosting such a fantastic and informative visit, giving members a valuable opportunity to learn more about the company’s operations and its important contribution to the local economy, farming and the environment. It was interesting to hear how the quarry spends considerable time thinking about its impact on the local landscape, which is clearly working as having driven past the site many times I had literally no appreciation of its true scale until we drove through it. A highlight for the group was the chance to witness a blast in one of the quarries. I would finally like to thank the team at Longcliffe Quarries for their close attention to keeping everyone safe whilst on site.”
Longcliffe’s Area Sales Manager John Nichols, who hosted the visit, added: “Since Longcliffe started almost 100 years ago, the farming community has been an important partner for our business. With agriculture being one of the many vital industries we supply, it was valuable to spend time sharing knowledge, answering questions and strengthening links with this group. It was also a real pleasure to be able to show them first-hand the exciting progress of our new granulation plant which will soon be ready to produce a new sustainable product for livestock and arable farms.”