Meet the Sandy community: Craig Livingstone, Head of Farming at Lockerley Estate
We meet Craig Livingstone, Head of Farming at Lockerley Estate and Preston Farms, to hear about his experience of using Sandy across 1800ha of diverse farming business. To find out about how Sandy can help you take control and capture the full value of your natural capital, request a demo below.
Championing regenerative agriculture
Craig Livingstone manages 1800ha of diverse farming business of which 1,000 ha of land on the Lockerley Estate. Arable makes up the majority of the enterprise but livestock and woodland are also integrated into the system.
Craig sees the arable system at Lockerley Estate firmly sitting in the regenerative farming bracket and places soil health and biodiversity at the heart of the business.
Craig shares his experience of working with our smart natural capital navigator, Sandy.
Farm facts
1,800 ha regenerative farms based in Hampshire
Seven staff working across the estate (four arable and three woodland and higher tier)
Soil type: 11 different types on-farm (from the lightest chalk to the heaviest clay)
Cultivation technique: Zero-till
LEAF demonstration farm, Beacon for Regen Ag and Leaf Marque assured
Alongside the wider arable business, Lockerley Estate is growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers which are sold in the on-site shop, The Veg Shed and supplying our regeneratively produced flour to local bakeries
What is your crop rotation?
“We have a diverse cropping rotation, with some permanent and rotational grassland and then rotational crops of wheat, barley, oats, peas and beans split between spring and winter.
“Higher tier rotational options along with miscanthus, vines, solar, ecological veg production and woodland complete land use options.
“We use cover crops to ensure that the soil is always covered, harvesting sunlight and feeding soil biology and in some mixes, we have 10 different species of cover crops growing.”
What motivated you to switch to a regenerative farming system?
“Coming from a background in agronomy, I couldn’t initially understand how any system was going to work when every solution seemed to be either out of a can or a bag, or through deeper cultivation.
“However, when I came to Lockerley Estate seven years ago, we started experimenting and built a regenerative farming system by extending and increasing the rotation, introducing grazing livestock, growing cover crops and eliminating cultivations/minimising soil disturbance.
“Since implementing this system, Lockerley Estate has seen a 46% reduction in annual pesticide spend, 60% reduction in nitrogen fertiliser use, as well as a 1.1% increase in soil organic matter – we haven’t looked back!”
“We’ve seen a 1.1% increase in soil organic matter since moving to a regenerative farming system which is a huge achievement.”
Craig Livingstone
Head of Farming, Lockerley Estate and Preston Farms
Why did you choose Sandy?
“When I came across Sandy from Trinity AgTech, I immediately liked what they were doing. I liked the level of analytics and detail, and it was clear that they have the right people.
“Not only that, the rigour in the way Trinity AgTech were asking me questions about the farm is what gave me the confidence that they understand what it was we’re trying to achieve here at Lockerley.”
What are you hoping to achieve through using Sandy?
“Farmers should be rewarded for the work they are doing on-farm to produce food at the same time as improving biodiversity, soil health and multiple other outcomes.
“I get obvious income streams off one crop of wheat, so if I plant an AB15 or an AB1 strip that I can’t sell in the traditional sense, then I want to be paid for the additional benefits and stack these incomes (carbon, biodiversity, nutrient capture, flood mitigation etc.) because if not, then the incentive to change isn’t as strong.
“By using Sandy, we can use reliable analytics and evidence our practice to showcase what it is that we’re doing on farm and hope to trade confidently on the back of it.”