We tread gently on the land

Our regenerative philosophy stretches far beyond our vineyard. This way of farming, focused on soil health, is employed across the Sainsbury family’s entire farming operation – the 2,300 hectares that form Lockerley and Preston. We believe we have a responsibility to the land and have long championed sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. In 2020, we became a founding member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain programme

The Sainsburys have been engaged in climate change action for years, with much of both Mark and Julian’s philanthropic work focused on sustainability. When they took over the family farm, they realised how shifting away from conventional farming could be a tool for change. Today, the methods employed across Lockerley and Preston have been brought across to the vineyard.

Soil health is at the heart of regenerative agriculture – wanting to restore and preserve soils. The approach increases organic matter, encourages biodiversity, avoids soil compaction and tilling, preventing erosion and building soil’s capacity to sequester carbon.

At Candover Brook, we’ve stopped tilling our soils and no longer use any compound fertilisers, instead spreading composts (much of which comes from our own site). We are constantly looking to reduce inputs, using as few chemicals as we can, employing pheromone traps, natural predators, seaweed or other biostimulants wherever possible. When we do spray, we use a special sprayer that captures and recycles any excess, reducing the amount and minimising run-off into our soils and waterways.

We sew cover crops in alternate rows, using wild carrots and radishes, legumes and wildflowers to replenish soil nutrients, support insect life and break up our soils. These cover crops also help us manage yields, providing competition for our vines. Tractors only pass through the non-cover-crop rows, which alternate every three years, to minimise soil compaction. A local flock of Hebridean sheep grazes in our vines over winter, managing sward height and fertilising our soils, meaning we don’t have to mow the vineyard. We have wildlife strips, with hedgerows, woodland and wildflowers to encourage biodiversity across the site. Most importantly we spend time in our vines, responding to what they need, rather than routinely farming according to a calendar.

“The benefits of healthy soil aren’t something you can quantify on a P&L sheet. It’s about working with nature to create resilience in the vines and the environment.”

Craig Livingstone – Director of Farming and Estates, Lockerley Estate & Preston Farms