Top 10 Best Farming Companies in Arun

Farming in Arun: Fertile Ground Between the Downs and the Sea

The Arun district occupies a genuinely privileged position for agriculture. To the north the South Downs provide grazing and mixed farmland; to the south the coastal plain offers deep, free draining soils and one of the highest levels of sunshine in the United Kingdom. That combination has made the area a national centre for protected cropping, with extensive glasshouse production sitting alongside traditional arable rotations, soft fruit, field vegetables and livestock enterprises.

Farming here is a serious commercial industry rather than a rural backdrop. It supplies national retailers, supports a wide network of packhouses, hauliers and agronomy services, and provides employment throughout the year. It also operates under real pressure, balancing water availability, soil health, labour supply, energy costs and increasingly demanding sustainability requirements.

The Top 10 Farming Companies in Arun

1. Arun Valley Farming Company

A large mixed enterprise operating across the river valley, Arun Valley Farming Company combines combinable crops with grassland and environmental stewardship land. It is recognised locally for careful soil management, including cover cropping and reduced cultivation, and for balancing commercial cropping with habitat creation along watercourses.

2. Coastal Plain Glasshouse Growers

Representing the district's signature sector, this business produces salad crops under glass across a substantial protected area. Climate control, integrated pest management using beneficial insects, and precision irrigation with water recycling define its operation. Consistent quality and year round supply capability make it an important partner for national customers.

3. Littlehampton Salad Producers

Littlehampton has long been associated with intensive salad and vegetable production. This grower specialises in tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, using combined heat and power alongside modern screening and lighting strategies to extend the season. Labour welfare and training programmes are a notable feature of its management approach.

4. Angmering Estate Farms

Operating downland and lower slope ground, Angmering Estate Farms runs an arable rotation alongside sheep grazing and woodland management. Its differentiator is long horizon land stewardship, with hedgerow restoration, chalk grassland conservation and public access provision integrated into the farming business rather than treated separately.

5. Rustington Soft Fruit Growers

Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries grown under polytunnels form the core of this enterprise. Table top growing systems, substrate management and careful variety selection allow an extended picking window, while on site cold chain facilities protect quality between harvest and dispatch.

6. South Downs Livestock Farming

Focused on beef and sheep production on downland pasture, this business emphasises grass fed systems, rotational grazing and native breed suitability to the terrain. Grazing plays a direct conservation role on chalk grassland, and the company works closely with environmental schemes to maintain those habitats.

7. Ford Road Arable Farms

A specialist combinable crops operation growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape and pulses, Ford Road Arable Farms invests heavily in precision agriculture. Variable rate nutrition, controlled traffic farming and detailed yield mapping have delivered measurable improvements in input efficiency across its blocks.

8. Bognor Regis Nursery Production

Ornamental and container plant production is an important part of Arun's horticulture. This nursery grows bedding, herbaceous perennials, shrubs and seasonal lines for garden retail and landscaping. Peat reduction, water capture and biological pest control have progressed considerably in recent seasons.

9. Arundel Organic Farming Company

Certified organic across its holding, this business produces vegetables, cereals and grazing livestock without synthetic inputs, relying on rotation, composting and mechanical weed control. Direct sales through box schemes and farm shops give it a strong local customer relationship and useful insulation from commodity price swings.

10. Wick Family Farms

A multi generational family business, Wick Family Farms combines field vegetables with contract growing and some diversified income from storage and haulage. Its reputation rests on reliability and flexibility, taking on crops and services that larger operators find awkward to accommodate.

Trends Shaping Agriculture in the District

Water is the defining constraint on the coastal plain. Growers have responded with closed loop irrigation, rainwater harvesting from glasshouse roofs, drip systems and substrate management that dramatically reduces consumption per unit of output. Energy is the second pressure point, and protected cropping businesses have invested in combined heat and power, thermal screens, improved insulation and increasingly in heat pumps and renewable generation.

Regenerative practice has moved into the mainstream of arable farming. Reduced tillage, cover crops, diverse rotations, organic matter building and integrated livestock are being adopted for agronomic as much as environmental reasons, with soil resilience proving valuable in both wet and dry seasons.

Technology adoption is accelerating. Satellite and drone imagery, soil moisture sensing, automated climate control and early stage robotics for weeding and harvest assistance are all present in the district. Labour availability remains a live issue, particularly for seasonal picking, which sustains interest in mechanisation and in improving working conditions to aid retention.

Working With Farming Businesses in Arun

For buyers, the district offers genuine advantages: proximity to major markets, high quality protected cropping capability and growers experienced in meeting retailer specifications. Successful relationships depend on realistic forward planning, since crops must be planted months before delivery, and on recognising that quality consistency requires investment that must be reflected in price.

For those seeking employment or supply relationships, the sector is broader than it appears. Agronomy, engineering, packhouse operations, logistics, environmental management and data analysis all form part of modern farming enterprises here.

Conclusion

Farming in Arun is a sophisticated, technically advanced industry built on exceptional natural advantages and decades of accumulated expertise. The ten businesses profiled illustrate its range, from large scale glasshouse salad production and precision arable systems to organic mixed farming and downland livestock. As water, energy and soil health continue to dominate the agenda, the district's growers are likely to remain among the most innovative in the country.