R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Today I had Karen on the R2Kast 🎙️ She is Co-Dean in Agricultural Science and Practice at the Royal Agricultural University, working across teaching, research and international partnerships. 🌾We spoke about her journey from Venezuela to Spain and then into the UK, building a career in agronomy and agricultural systems before moving into academia and leadership. It was a really interesting look at how different agricultural systems around the world compare and what that brings into teaching. 🍎  A big part of the conversation focused on education. What students are learning, how university farms are used for research and teaching, and why creating space to test ideas matters. We also spoke about international collaboration, particularly in China, and how bringing students and ideas together improves learning on both sides. 🌍We also touched on research, innovation and where agriculture is heading, especially around sustainability, food systems and resilience.Enjoy! 🙂

Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️David, Martin and Wallace this time getting really stuck into regenerative farming, soil health and what changing systems on farm actually looks like in practice.  A big focus of this episode was David starting to move parts of the farm towards lower input and regenerative approaches, with Martin explaining everything from soil biology and cover crops through to seed treatments, ploughing depth and why modern systems may have stripped so much life out of soils over time.We also got into the balance between wanting to farm differently and the reality that changing systems is scary when your business depends on it working. There was a really interesting discussion around biology, fertiliser dependency and whether farming can move back towards building healthier soils rather than constantly feeding crops directly.Alongside all of that there was still plenty of the usual mix of stories and tangents, from agroecology on Arran through to David somehow finding himself at leadership events, embassy receptions and talking about peonies with people from all over the world.We’re going to keep this going fortnightly for now and see where it takes us. If you’ve got ideas on what we should cover or who we should bring in, send them our way.Enjoy! 🙂

Today I had Liv on the R2Kast 🎙️ She works in commercial content across the agricultural media space, creating campaigns, events and storytelling that connect farming with a wider audience. 🌾We spoke about how she found her way into agriculture from outside the sector, starting with an English degree and teaching before moving into marketing and eventually into agricultural media. It was a really honest chat about trying different things, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and how those decisions shape where you end up. 🍎A big part of the conversation focused on content and communication. How stories are told in agriculture, the importance of asking questions, and why people coming in without a farming background can bring a different and valuable perspective to the industry. 🌍We also chatted about confidence, networking and building a career without a set plan, and how sometimes just following what you enjoy can take you further than you expect.Enjoy! 🙂

Today on the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar series I had the pleasure of chatting with Kate Speke Adams 🎙️ Kate is Managing Director of the Herefordshire Rural Hub, a farm support organisation helping farmers and rural businesses navigate everything from regulation and resilience to succession and business change. She is also a 2015 Nuffield Scholar whose study looked at how farmers can be re engaged with their soils through fear, finances, regulation or education 🌾This episode also brings us to the end of series one of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar, eight episodes looking at those eligible for the Bullock Award. What a way to finish with the current holder of that award. The Bullock Award recognises the scholar who has made the most significant impact in the decade following their scholarship through leadership, innovation or contribution to the wider industry 🚜We spoke about Kate’s upbringing on a dairy farm in Herefordshire and how her career has sat right at the intersection between farming and the environment, from work with organisations like the Environment Agency and Rivers Trust through to leading the Herefordshire Rural Hub today. Her Nuffield study focused on how farmers engage with soil health and what really drives change, whether that is education, financial incentives or regulation. One of the biggest takeaways from her travels was the power of peer to peer learning, farmers learning from farmers, something she now builds into much of the work the hub delivers 🌍Kate shared some brilliant insight into the challenges farmers are facing in Herefordshire today, particularly around water quality, regulation and changing weather patterns. We also spoke about a huge landscape recovery project she has been leading that could reshape over 5,000 hectares of farmland along the River Wye, bringing farmers together to rethink how food production, environmental recovery and long term resilience can work side by side 🌱We finished by talking about the Bullock Award itself and what it meant to reflect on the ten years since her scholarship. Kate spoke about how Nuffield builds confidence, opens doors and creates a network that continues to shape careers long after the travel ends, something that really sums up the spirit of this whole series.We’ll see you for the next series with a new focus in two weeks.Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.Enjoy! 🙂

Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️David, Martin and Wallace picking things up again with a real mix of what’s happening on farm right now and where things might be heading next.  We covered everything from late frosts and irrigation to how that actually impacts crops on the ground, through to peony season kicking off and the pressure of getting everything picked, packed and delivered at the right time.A big part of this one was about selling direct and what that really looks like in practice. From pre selling crops a year in advance, to building customer trust, to the reality that you don’t need thousands of customers if you’ve got the right ones.There was also a really interesting chat around niche markets and adding value, from linseed for eye packs to specialist grains and how finding the right outlet can completely change the economics of a crop.We got into social media again as well, not just the numbers but how you actually use it to build something real, and why copying someone else isn’t the answer, it’s about finding your own thing and doing it properly.We’re going to keep this going fortnightly for now and see where it takes us. If you’ve got ideas on what we should cover or who we should bring in, send them our way.Enjoy! 🙂

Today I had Andrew on the R2Kast 🎙️ He is the current NFU Scotland President, farming in Aberdeenshire alongside a career that’s spanned agricultural finance, machinery and business. 🌾We spoke about growing up on a family farm, studying agriculture in Aberdeen and then heading into the commercial side of the industry through Velcourt, banking and dealership roles before coming back into farming and the union. It was a really good insight into how varied a career in agriculture can be and how much of it comes down to people and relationships. 🍎We got into his NFU journey, working up from branch level right through to president, and what that role actually looks like day to day. From dealing with policy and politics to standing up for farmers on issues like inheritance tax, fuel and fertiliser, it was a proper look behind the scenes at how decisions get influenced. 🌍We also spoke about teamwork, communication and being visible across the country, from kitchen tables to Westminster, and what it takes to represent such a wide and diverse industry.Enjoy! 🙂

Today on the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar series I had the pleasure of chatting with Alex Brewster 🎙️ Alex is an upland beef and sheep farmer in central Scotland, running a large scale hill farm that has gone through huge system change over the past decade, with a real focus on soils, grazing and whole farm resilience 🌾We spoke about Alex’s early life, heading off to New Zealand as a young lad and quickly realising there was a lot more to learn about farming than he first thought. That experience planted a seed that would later come back through his Nuffield journey, where curiosity and a willingness to question everything became a big part of how he now farms 🚜His Nuffield Scholarship started off looking at genetics and genomics, but quickly shifted into something much broader. It became about diversity, soil biology and ultimately the role of red meat in the 21st century. Alex spoke about how uncomfortable he felt with some of the early conversations around heavy intervention in genetics, and how that pushed him towards a more natural systems based approach 🌍One of the standout parts was hearing how everything finally clicked just hours before his presentation. Bringing together soils, grazing systems and human nutrition, he landed on a simple but powerful idea, that farmers are not just producing food, but producing real nutrition that cannot be replicated synthetically. It was one of those moments that really shows what Nuffield can do when it all comes together We also got into the detail of what that looks like on farm today, from reducing inputs and working with nature, to building more resilient livestock systems that can thrive with less intervention. It was a brilliant example of long term thinking and being willing to challenge the way things have always been done 🌱Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.Enjoy! 🙂

Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️David, Martin and Wallace picking things back up again, this time right on the edge of peony season kicking off and everything that comes with it. We covered a mix in this one from the reality of seasonal pressure with peonies and getting everything lined up for harvest, through to weather challenges across the UK and how different things look depending on where you are.There was a really good discussion around direct selling, meat boxes and whether smaller scale, higher value systems actually stack up long term. We also got into social media, building a following and the reality behind it, not just the numbers but the constant effort needed to keep it going.One of the most interesting parts was the chat around regenerative practices and composting. We got into Johnson Sue compost, soil biology, reducing inputs and trying to build systems that work with nature rather than against it.We’re going to keep this going fortnightly for now and see where it takes us. If you’ve got ideas on what we should cover or who we should bring in, send them our way.Enjoy! 🙂

Today I had James on the R2Kast 🎙️ He works in PR across the agricultural and automotive sectors, creating content, campaigns and media that connect businesses with the wider industry. 🌾We spoke about his background growing up in London, studying journalism and then moving into PR when the opportunities in traditional media started to shrink. That led him into agriculture and automotive, where he’s now spent over a decade working with clients across both sectors. It was a good insight into how skills from outside farming can transfer into the industry. 🍎A big part of the conversation focused on media. The relationship between PR and journalism, how stories are shaped, and how things have shifted from print into digital, from magazines through to TikTok and video content. We also got into how younger audiences are consuming information and what that means for agriculture going forward. 🌍We also chatted about the perception gap between the public and farming, the importance of education, and why getting people onto farms and understanding food production still matters. It was a really interesting look at the sector from someone who came into it from the outside.Enjoy! 🙂