David Hoyles, a Lincolnshire farmer, is believed to be the first in the county to produce a commercial olive crop, due to a shift in climate conditions. Hoyles’s family has farmed the Fens for over 200 years, but the recent warmer, drier weather has inspired him to explore new farming opportunities. His 25-acre olive grove is located at Long Sutton.
The olives, which are manually harvested and pressed into oil, represent a significant change from typical farming practices in the region. Hoyles, who sourced 18,000 saplings from Spain for his venture, deems the project to be both sensible and challenging, drawing from the knowledge of Italian farmers.
This olive grove could be one of the most northerly of its kind and shows a novel shift in Lincolnshire’s farming methods. Hoyles, besides cultivating traditional crops like wheat and peas, has also implemented renewable energy solutions such as wind turbines and solar panels to improve sustainability. He admits that usual methods for growing olives don’t necessarily apply in this situation, underlining the adaptive learning curve involved.
Climate forecasts suggest the likelihood of warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers. Hoyles sees this as an opportunity for more diversity in local agriculture. Despite understanding the risks that his northern olive venture might entail, he remains hopeful about its future.
This article has been adapted from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
