Lincolnshire farmer grows olives the Italian way, claiming first commercial crop in region

A Lincolnshire farmer says he has established what is believed to be the county’s first commercial olive crop, a project he says climate change has made possible. David Hoyles, who runs the family farm at Long Sutton, has created a 25-acre (10-hectare) block of olives on land that for generations has grown other crops in the Fens.

The site holds about 18,000 olive tree saplings purchased from Spain and planted in 2024. The olives have been hand-harvested and crushed to extract oil, which has been bottled for public sale. Hoyles’s grove is among the world’s northerly commercial olive farms, a position he says reflects both practicality and the changing climate.

Hoyles has spent the past five years researching the specialist techniques needed for a successful harvest. He explains that he first looked at grapes but they did not suit the soil type here; olives, though an extreme choice for the region, offered a viable alternative. The farm bought more than 18,000 olive trees from Spain and planted them in 2024 after fact-finding trips to Italy, where he collaborated with other farmers who described the harvest and processing as “fantastic.” The Italians have reportedly nicknamed him the “crazy Englishman,” but their willingness to share knowledge and passion helped advance the project.

The decision to plant a large olive crop on the Hoyles family’s land was driven by pragmatism and a desire for a challenge. In addition to olives, the farm runs conventional crops such as wheat, sugar beet, potatoes and peas. To support the new crop, Hoyles has installed wind turbines and solar panels to improve energy self-sufficiency and constructed additional reservoirs to provide water during dry spells. He notes that the UK’s textbook approach to growing olives does not always apply here; season timings and other conditions differ, requiring ongoing adaptation.

“Seeing the climate change is one reason why we have invested, although we are on the edge of where the olive trees will survive,” Hoyles said. The Met Office has projected warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers, a combination he says could open opportunities for farms like his to diversify away from traditional crops. He emphasizes that the move toward olives is grounded in long-term planning and careful management rather than a quick shift.

Hoyles’s 2024 planting followed years of experimentation and collaboration with European growers, who provided guidance on which olive varieties might tolerate Lincolnshire’s soils and climate. The olives are currently harvested by hand by family and friends as the farm continues to refine its cultivation and harvest practices. He stresses that the enterprise remains experimental and measured, aimed at testing resilience in a changing agricultural landscape.

The development marks a notable milestone for climate and environment reporting in the region, illustrating how farmers may diversify in response to shifting weather patterns while balancing energy use, water management and soil health. Hoyles notes that any long-term success will depend on ongoing evaluation of olive varieties, harvest timings, and the farm’s ability to adapt to future climate scenarios. For now, the olives being produced in Long Sutton represent a cautious but tangible example of agricultural adaptation in northern Britain, with a hands-on approach to both cultivation and community involvement as the crop matures.