At Saffery, we’re proud to support clients like the Lockerley Estate & Preston farms in Hampshire, owned by Mark Sainsbury and his siblings, who are pioneering regenerative farming practices.
We sat down with Mark and Craig Livingstone, Director of Farming & Estates, to explore how Lockerley is transforming its approach to agriculture by prioritising biodiversity, soil health, and long-term sustainability. As founding supporters of Trinity AgTech, we’re committed to helping our clients unlock the potential of natural capital, and this interview highlights how Lockerley is leading the way.
How Trinity AgTech is supporting Lockerley Estate
Lockerley Estate’s natural capital journey has been shaped by a commitment to regenerative farming, making small but meaningful changes, underpinned by data-driven insights derived through Trinity’s groundbreaking end-to-end natural capital navigation software, Sandy. Over the past three years, Trinity has helped the estate clean and analyse its data to track the benefits of switching up their practises, such as the move to direct drilling, expanding cover cropping, and reducing reliance on diesel through biofuels and more efficient field operations.
These changes have combined to deliver incredible results including a 53% reduction in their net carbon balance, alongside a 70% cut in fuel-related emissions, all while maintaining yields and productivity. With a robust dataset now in place, the estate is beginning to explore biodiversity, hedgerow management, water footprints and full natural capital valuations through Sandy to build a more holistic view of its natural capital. As Trinity Customer Success Executive and Lockerley’s Account Manager, Lachlan Fulton observed, “It’s not just the big shifts like moving to no-till that make the difference – it’s the marginal gains across soil, fuel, and cropping that really add up, and the data now shows just how powerful that cumulative effect can be.”
A vision for sustainable farming starts at the top
Purchased by Mark’s father in the 1980s, Lockerley has since undergone a gradual transformation into a successful farming business with regenerative principles at its core.
The Sainsbury family also owns nearby Preston Farms, and the aim has been to align both farms’ ethos with the family’s broader focus on climate sustainability, sustainable food, and regenerative agriculture through their charitable foundations.
Mark Sainsbury reflects, “It felt right to do with the farm as we try and do with our giving but with the key provision that it’s a functioning business… Amongst all the things I do, [this is] one of the most rewarding, exciting, multifaceted, complex but hopeful projects I’m involved with.”
To drive this vision forward, the family appointed Craig to oversee the 2,350 hectares of farming and estates. Craig and his team aim to prioritise regenerative food production across 1,500 hectares of profitable arable farming in harmony with biodiversity, soil health, and the wellbeing of their community and future generations.
“In 2016, we faced a wave of enforced change; buildings weren’t functioning and there were a lot of things that didn’t even exist. Once we addressed that, we had time to ask: what does the next round of change look like? That led us to create a mission document with values and objectives. It might sound a bit corporate, but with three siblings as owners and a senior team, it’s been a really positive step,” says Craig Livingstone. “We’re really lucky to have Mark and his siblings as engaged, forward-thinking landowners, as it helps drive this mission.”
“The family dynamic is an important part of this,” says Mark. “Like many farms, we’ve experienced generational change, convincing the older generation that this step is worth the effort. Creating a mission document helped us coalesce around key principles, define areas of focus, and set out how we measure success.”
From traditional to regenerative farming practices
Reflecting on his journey from traditional farming methods to embracing regenerative agriculture, Craig shares, “My previous job as an agronomist was to grow crops and maximise yield for farmers, which was essentially by methods of pesticides and fertilisers – I hated every second of it! So, to find these two farms and to be able to adopt these new principles was amazing.”
Their current approach? “We first started with sound integrated farm management and as a LEAF demonstration farm (Linking Environment and Farming) we take this seriously – the process being choosing the right crop in the right soil, of which we have 13 soil types,” explains Craig. “We pick the right variety based on disease scores, as we didn’t want to spend lots on pesticides. You have to do the basics well.”
Craig continues, “Wheat blends is a developing method of growing crops of three or four varieties in the same field. We’re now planting this blend of varieties at scale as opposed to a single variety of just one thing in a big area. Over 40% of our wheat planted in 2023 is a blend. Along with our supply of milling oats to Jordans, wheat blend to Matthews’ mill, and oil seed rape to Unilever for mayonnaise, we have earned £90,000, with 48% of the 2025 harvest going with a regenerative practice and quality-based premium.”
A diverse approach is key
Mark adds, “There’s also an extraordinary thing that happens when you start mixing up the diversity of species in a field, and the kind of symbiotic relationships that strike up. It’s a recurring theme to our approach: diversity. Diversity in our crops, diversity of sources of income, diversity of species in the soil. When you move away from monoculture, nature starts stepping up. We’re not seeking to control nature in ways that traditional, intensive farming does. We know that nature wins in the end; it will find ways.”
Highlighting the shift from traditional practices, Craig adds, “We never see bare soil at Lockerley unless we go and look for it. We have crops growing in the ground all the time and measure success beyond yield! Rotational net margin per hectare is the key number we follow as profitability is non-negotiable. Use of cover, companion, catch and cash crops fill our fields. Plus, sheep grazing, coupled with the other principles of regenerative agriculture, is essential.”
Mark adds, “The more you spray, the more you need to spray, and you get into this horrible, vicious circle. Part of our approach is realising how quickly you can get into a virtuous circle of less sprays, more resilience, greater margins, and more profit. It’s sound business sense, and it’s incredibly powerful when you see and walk through it. You hear the birdsongs, see the benefits, smell the soil, and see the life in it. It’s powerful stuff.”
Approach to natural capital
Conscious of the natural capital vs food security debate, Mark discusses the importance of natural capital and growing regenerative food at Lockerley: “Everything we grow, we aim to grow for the human consumption market. We don’t want to grow regenerative feed; we want to grow regenerative food.”
Craig adds, “Exactly. It’s important that we’re growing food for us to eat, but we also want to ensure we use the land for the right thing. We can then look at alternative incomes on that land and think about different types of income or enterprises.”
He continues, “Soil is our biggest sink of carbon and natural capital. We’ve got 320 hectares of woodland, 50 kilometres of hedges, and 50 hectares of grass margins around our farm, which is bigger than the average farm size. That is hugely important for sinking and holding carbon. Natural capital includes all of that, and then it’s about maintaining and enhancing it. The exciting part is, could we also monetise that natural capital?”
Anna Woodley, Managing Director at Trinity AgTech, comments: “Lockerley’s journey towards a truly commercial yet regenerative farming system is inspiring. They’ve had the courage to test their own assumptions and, by combining deep farming knowledge with a willingness to transition and lead, they’ve shown what is possible when that expertise is paired with the evidence and insights from Sandy. The results speak volumes: a 24% reduction in synthetic fertiliser use, a 25% cut in nitrous oxide emissions, and a 24% drop in carbon dioxide emissions to name just a few examples – all achieved without any notable reduction in yields. It’s a powerful example of regenerative farming backed by proper science and methodologies is delivering both environmental and commercial outcomes.”
Mark emphasises, “In terms of the grants and the Sustainable Farming Incentives (SFIs) for those margins, that’s a significant chunk of income for us. Not only is it doing wonderful things for biodiversity, but it’s guaranteed income on the slightly more marginal land.”
Making moves on the farming chessboard
“If you viewed our farm as a big chessboard, every part of the board has to earn its money. We’ve got the technology to analyse each part of each field,” says Craig.
Mark adds, “We track how much we’ve applied in terms of inputs and what we’ve taken off in terms of harvest. We’ve seen a 16% land use change across our business. Sustainable farming incentives and countryside stewardship contribute significantly to our income. Using our Omnia software, you know which corners of the field you’re just not making any money on. That informs how we divide up the chessboard between food production and how we re-purpose marginal food producing land to alternative options.”
Craig elaborates, “For instance, five of our poorest performing fields have been repurposed. Miscanthus, that stands 10 feet tall, is grown for energy production. It sequesters more nitrogen and carbon over its life than it emits, with no inputs required. It’s a huge carbon sink on difficult land that would otherwise cost us money. Additionally, three fields are being connected to a solar project. It’s now fully operational and will power 7,000 homes, sequestering 6,500 tons of carbon. It’s a 28-megawatt solar site on poor arable land, now repurposed for the right use.”
“Sometimes taking no action is the right action”
Though Craig and his team may not be rewilding the farm in the truest sense, they manage approximately 30 hectares of wood pasture within a stewardship scheme. “We’ve created connectivity across the estate, linking two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which is the highest European designation for biodiversity. We manage our wood pasture as organically and hands-off as possible; sometimes taking no action is the right action. We’ve also created in-field biodiversity strips where, every 120 metres, a diverse six-metre-wide grass and wildflower alley is established to encourage predators into the field and not confined to the margins. The farm is so much more alive than it ever used to be, which is independently audited by the farm’s contracted ecologist. Measuring outputs is critical when using public money for public goods.”
Advice for rural businesses
For other rural businesses considering regenerative approaches, what should they be thinking about?
Craig: “We need a forensic eye on detail and the risk of not moving to regenerative principles is far greater than integrating them into the system. Farms have the most work to do, the most to lose but the most to gain if we get this right. There is much noise around regen ag but what we can say with confidence is, if we focus on maximising regenerative principles into our business, the outcomes with carbon, water, biodiversity, crop health etc is huge.”
Mark: “Don’t be afraid to jump in with regen principles. It’s more rewarding, it’s more profitable, it’s better from every angle. It’s of course challenging and it can be more complicated, but it’s great. Also, to the farmers, get involved! In simplest terms, it’s about getting out of the Land Rover and getting close to the ground, sensing it, seeing it, and getting to know it. You’ve also got to trust your instinct, and sometimes it goes wrong. It’s all about being open to adopting a different mindset in order to progress.”
For more information, visit www.lockerleyestate.co.uk
“Lockerley Estate’s journey is a powerful example of how regenerative farming and natural capital strategies can work hand-in-hand to create a more resilient and profitable future. Saffery is proud to support clients like Lockerley in navigating this evolving landscape and capturing the benefits of sustainable land management. A sincere thank you to Mark and Craig for sharing their insights and inspiring others to take bold steps toward a more regenerative future.” – Tim Adams, Private Client partner at Saffery.
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