SRC & Ulster University - Long Meadow Cider
About the Case – Overview
Ulster University and Southern Regional College collaborated on a Connected competitive fund project with Long Meadow Cider & other food manufacturers - ReGen Foods: Innovating for a Sustainable Future.
This project seeks to provide practical solutions to assist businesses in adopting the regenerative principles using place-based solutions of (planet in terms of biodiversity, people in terms of communities and education, and profit /prosperity for all) which can contribute more widely to improving our food system. By focusing on regenerative agriculture and sustainable food production practices, the project aims to create scalable solutions that restore ecosystems, enhance food security, and offer nutritious and healthy, sustainable products for consumers. Alongside this, the project will consider new technologies and processes such as Artificial Intelligence, Data mining, plant-based production, hydroponics, etc to minimise the negative impacts of business on the food ecosystem.
The objectives of the project were to promote sustainable agriculture practices, develop regenerative food products, support the circular economy within the food system, increase farmer/producer participation and community engagement. The project also explored using a range of technology tools and techniques to monitor and optimise regenerative practices, such as smoking, BBQing, dehydration and hydroponics.
In achieving these objectives, the project will support the further development of a holistic, scalable and sustainable regenerative food system that benefits the environment, society and economy. Working across several producers and manufacturers in Northern Ireland the aim of this project to explore, develop, and implement regenerative food innovations that promote sustainability, biodiversity, and resilience in food systems.
Working with SRC & UU has been beneficial to our business to explore options for our apple waste, working collaboratively with these institutes has allowed us to move the process forward and hopefully create another product within the farm, this has been hugely beneficial to us as a small family run business.
Catherine McKeever, Manager Long Meadow Cider