Herts arable farm undergoes vineyard diversification as sector flourishes

Hannah Buisman is one of many farmers who have made the step into the wine sector

A Hertfordshire arable farm has detailed its journey into wine as vineyard diversification continues to prove a popular route for many farmers.

Hannah Buisman is one of many who have made the step into the wine sector by diversifying their farming business to create a vineyard.

A traditional arable family farm in Hertfordshire which focused on wheat, barley, oats and beans, she is the second generation on Lockley Farm, which has been in the family for 35 years.

The idea of planting a vineyard was a long-held dream that finally became a reality in 2022, thanks to a combination of favourable climate changes and Hannah’s return to the farm during the pandemic.

“We knew we wanted to be growers, but we wanted to make our prices rather than take them,” she explained.

“This was a way to have a crop where we could set the price and something we were genuinely interested in, as opposed to other diversifications like a solar park for example.”

After approaching a number of different consultants – who did all the analysis and ‘checked out the farm’ – they decided it was time to give their plans the green light.

Hannah said: “We decided fairly quickly that we wanted to go ahead so after the wheat came off from 2021, we started the soil prep for the vineyard.

"After that it was nine months of further prep time. The vines arrived and the rest is history.”

The first vines were planted on the 15-acre plot in May 2022 – thus Lokkelebery Vineyard was born.

Producing mainly still rosé wines alongside English sparkling, the Buisman family opted for Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir Précose grape varietals.

After a labour-intensive period of nurturing the vines began – Hannah said the family and local volunteers were ‘out on their knees’ pulling excess shoots – they managed to produce fruit in just their second year.

Hannah's first vines were planted on a 15-acre plot, in May 2022

“It’s nerve-wracking sometimes, but I think because we have got so much else on, you can’t really think about it. It feels like it’s gone so quickly and suddenly we have wine on the way.

“We’re listening to the environment. If it says we can produce a sparkling but not a still wine, then so be it. We’re not going to force it.”

Diversification into vineyards has proven to be a popular route for many, and recent figures showed the largest English vineyards increased their revenues by 15% last year.

It is an industry that has seen mass growth over recent years, with the sector’s output rising by 77% last year to 161,960 hectolitres, which is the equivalent to 21.6m bottles.

David Harrison, who is a viticulture specialist at NFU Mutual, expects a continued growth and knows the importance of that upward trajectory.

“Vineyards and wineries are a growing and important business within the UK,” he explained.

“The latest figures from WineGB shows there was an increase of 74% of the number of vineyards and wineries in the UK over the last five years – with just shy of 4,000 hectares under vine in Britain.

“This is still increasing as the popularity of wine tourism grows. We expect wine tourism to experience widespread growth as people from both Britain and abroad continue to visit our vineyards for that luxury and informative experience.

For Hannah and Lockley Farm, the future is full of ambition. Already offering tours of the vineyard, they want it to become a hub for fine wine, food, the arts and wellness.

“We want to explore those areas,” she said. “From yoga in the vineyard to developing a wine club, the sky is the limit.

“We would like to develop a Wine Club where members would have access to exclusive dinners with a chef and sit in the vineyard, creating memorable experiences connected with local food producers.

“We definitely have big plans for the vineyard, but it will always remain very much focused on that ‘local supporting farmers’ mission."