West Hill Farm doesn't use any artificial fertilisers. Plants, like grasses and cereals, need various elements, primarily nitrogen, to grow. Extensive, independent research around the world has demonstrated that
legumes (clover, lucerne, beans, peas and lupins) using atmospheric nitrogen, can replenish the soil with
plenty of nitrogen.

There are real problems with ammonium nitrate based 'artificial' fertilisers. They need a lot of fossil fuel energy in their manufacture, about 1.8 tons of natural gas to make 1 ton of fertiliser. As they dissolve to become plant food they transform to nitric acid which kills all soil organisms and makes the soil inhospitable to vital creatures like earthworms, essential to maintaining good soil structure. Applications of artificial nitrogen are inherently wasteful as only a small proportion of that which is applied by modern farmers is used by the plant, the rest is washed through the soil into streams and rivers causing long-term, damaging pollution.

West Hill farm is careful to make the fullest use of farmyard manures. Straw waste is composted to make the nutrients available to the plants. All waste is securely stored and spread onto the fields only when and where
it is appropriate. There is no risk of run-off.