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R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In
R2Kast 379 – Tom Ware on farming, Australia, and building Just Talk Agri
Today we welcome Tom Ware onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A 22 year old farmer from Nottinghamshire, Tom has carved a unique path across contracting, drone photography, gin making, and social media, while also becoming a strong voice for mental health in agriculture. 🚜📸
We talk about his adventures in Australia, from 60,000 acre farms and endless combine hours to the simplicity of just posting on Facebook and landing a job. Tom shares the beauty and challenge of farming at that scale, and how those experiences shaped his outlook back home. 🌏🌾
At home, Tom’s story takes another turn as he speaks about the heartbreaking loss of two close friends, Len and Harvey, in separate tragic circumstances. Out of that grief, Tom created Just Talk Agri, a platform for farmers to share honestly about mental health. His words on resilience, loss, and the importance of talking are powerful and deeply moving. 💚🙏
We also cover drones, gin making, sheep work, and the variety that makes farming life so unpredictable and rewarding. This episode is raw, open, and inspiring, exactly what conversations in agriculture need to be. 🌅✨
Enjoy! 😊
#TomWare #JustTalkAgri #MentalHealthInFarming #BritishFarmingAwards #ContractFarming #DronePhotography #AustralianHarvest #FarmLife #SheepFarming #AgriContent #YoungFarmers #MentalHealthAwareness #NottinghamshireFarming #FarmingCommunity #Resilience #GriefAndHope #LossAndRecovery #AgMentalHealth #TalkAboutIt #AgricultureLife #FarmStories #GinMaking #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
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109. R2Kast 392 – All In with Nicholas the Poodle on Creativity, Pen Names and Life in China
01:24:55||Season 5, Ep. 109Today on the All In series of the R2Kast I was joined by Nicholas Duffy 🎙️ The series where we share the stories of people with no ties to food or farming but who still have something powerful to say about life, ambition and what drives them 🌍Nick, who goes by the pen name Nicholas the Poodle, is an author, traveller and teacher from Massachusetts now living and working in Qingdao, China. We spoke about how the name came about, the meaning behind it, and how it’s helped him grow as a writer 📚We chatted about his books, five of them so far, that range from young adult fiction to poetry and how he wants to write stories that people actually want to read, not ones they feel they have to. He’s got a real creative energy about him and it’s clear he loves what he does ✏️We also spoke about teaching English across the world and how that’s taken him from Laos to Chile, California and now China. It was great hearing his take on what living here’s really like, the respect and patience in the culture, and how he’s learning Mandarin bit by bit 🇨🇳One of my favourite parts was when Nick talked about the way writing connects people, not just through words but through how we listen and understand each other. It’s that same energy I see in teaching too and it made for a really honest and thoughtful chat 🌱A proper conversation about life, learning and seeing the world with open eyesEnjoy! 🙂
108. R2Kast 391 – Annie Landless on organic farming, heritage, and the power of bees
52:57||Season 5, Ep. 108Today we welcome Annie Landless onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Annie works on a 600 acre organic mixed farm in the Cotswolds where she manages everything from veg boxes to beef cattle and pigs. Her passion for regenerative systems shines through as she talks about herbal lays, mob grazing, and the importance of soil health. 🌱🐄🐝We explore Annie’s journey from a family farm with a reputation for organic beef to her current role at Harnhill. She shares how bread and sourdough brought her back into farming and how her interest in good food links directly with the way she now grows grain for local mills and bakers. 🍞🌾Annie also reveals her love for beekeeping, a skill passed down from her aunt, and how she finds peace in the company of thousands of buzzing bees. We dive into how she balances farming with communications and marketing, and even touch on her McGregor roots with a family story that may link her to the outlaw Rob Roy. 🐝🍯🏴It is a conversation full of heritage, humour, and hope for a future shaped by regenerative thinking and community connections.Enjoy! 😊#AnnieLandless #OrganicFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #MixedFarming #MobGrazing #PastureForLife #MarketGarden #VegBoxes #CotswoldsFarming #Beekeeping #Sourdough #LocalFoodSystems #FarmToFork #HerbalLays #SouthwestGrainNetwork #CommunityFarming #SustainableFood #FamilyFarms #BeefLady #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
107. R2Kast 390 – Alex Gray on agroforestry, rural education, and bridging ecology with agriculture
01:03:26||Season 5, Ep. 107Today’s guest is Alex Gray! 🎙️ A lecturer in agriculture, countryside management, and horticulture, Alex is passionate about breaking down the silos in rural education. 🌳📚We talk about his background in ecology and farming, and how those two worlds—often seen as opposites—can come together through regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. Alex shares how he is rolling out new systems at Brooksby College that get agriculture students, ecologists, and horticulture students working on the same land. 🌱👨🏫Our conversation explores the need for holistic land stewardship education, how New Zealand provides inspiration, and why young people should learn about ecosystems before specialising. It is a powerful discussion about the future of rural learning and how we prepare the next generation. 🌍✨Enjoy! 😊#AlexGray #Agroforestry #RegenerativeAgriculture #RuralEducation #EcologyAndFarming #LandStewardship #BrooksbyCollege #SustainableFarming #HolisticLearning #AgriEducation #AgriFuture #SoilHealth #AgriStudents #RuralSkills #EducationInnovation #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
106. R2Kast 389 – Bryce Cunningham on organic dairy, Ayrshire cows, and carrying on tradition with innovation
58:50||Season 5, Ep. 106Today I welcome Bryce Cunningham onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ An organic dairy farmer from Ayrshire, Bryce is flying the flag for Ayrshire cows and sustainable systems. 🐄🥛At Mossgiel Organic Farm, Bryce has built a cow-with-calf system that keeps mothers and calves together for up to eight months. He also runs a dairy business delivering across Scotland, works with other organic farms, and has even added a bakery and coffee shop with no ultra-processed ingredients. 🍞☕We talk about history too—how Robert Burns once farmed on the same land and how Ayrshire cows connect past and present. From heritage to modern challenges, Bryce shares his belief in doing things differently while building a future for the family farm. 🌱✨Enjoy! 😊#BryceCunningham #MossgielFarm #OrganicDairy #CowWithCalf #AyrshireCows #SustainableFarming #OrganicMilk #ScottishFarming #LocalFood #FarmInnovation #HeritageFarming #FoodTransparency #NoUltraProcessed #FarmCooperative #FarmingFuture #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
105. R2Kast 388 – Tom Newbury on new entrant farming, butchery, and chasing a lifelong dream
51:28||Season 5, Ep. 105Today we welcome Tom Newbury onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A new entrant farmer, butcher, and tree surgeon, Tom embodies the many routes into agriculture. 🌳🥩Tom shares how a childhood love of farming never left him, even though his family had no farming background. From early days “helping” on local smallholdings to finding his way through butchery and beyond, his path shows the grit and passion needed to carve out a future in food and farming. 💪🌾We talk about his journey into land, the challenges of getting started, and how resilience and adaptability shape every step. It is the very spirit of what R2Kast was built on—stories of how people find their way into this sector. 🌍✨Enjoy! 😊#TomNewbury #NewEntrantFarmer #Butchery #TreeSurgery #RoutesIntoFarming #FirstGenFarmer #UKFarming #AgriLife #AgriResilience #YoungFarmers #FoodAndFarming #AgriJourney #SustainableFarming #FarmDreams #FarmingPassion #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
104. R2Kast 387 – Tom Martin on wild shirts, 10 years in farming, and asking what will be normal in the future
01:08:57||Season 5, Ep. 104Today’s guest is Tom Martin! 🎙️ Known for vibrant shirts and even brighter ideas, Tom joins me to talk about his decade in farming and the unexpected paths that led him here. 👕🌾Farming is Tom’s fourth career, and he reflects on how much has changed in just ten years. Practices once seen as “howling at the moon” are now mainstream, and he asks what today’s wild ideas will look normal a decade from now. 🌙➡️☀️We talk about identity in farming, how a farm can reflect the personality of the farmer, and why curiosity matters. Along the way there is humour, honesty, and plenty of chat about shirts. 👔✨It is a conversation about embracing change, enjoying the journey, and celebrating individuality in agriculture. 🌱Enjoy! 😊#TomMartin #FarmingJourney #RegenerativeAgriculture #AgriShirts #FutureFarming #FarmIdentity #AgriChange #FarmingInnovation #RuralStories #AgriLife #FarmersOfUK #FarmingPassion #SustainableFuture #AgriCommunity #AgriCulture #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
103. R2Kast 386 – Iain Riddell on 45 years of agricultural advice, Scottish farming changes, and a new chapter with hemp
01:03:26||Season 5, Ep. 103Today I sit down with Iain Riddell! 🎙️ After nearly 45 years with SRUC, Iain reflects on a career that saw him advise farmers through countless reforms, challenges, and opportunities. 👨🌾📖We talk about how consultancy has evolved—from free advisory services in the early days to today’s scheme-driven pressures—and the constant truth that farming is never without challenge. Iain shares stories of Elgin, Stonehaven, and St Boswell’s, and how Scottish agriculture has changed through decades of policy shifts. 🇬🇧🌾Now semi-retired, Iain has turned his attention to hemp, exploring new uses and opportunities in a crop that just keeps surprising him. 🌿It is a conversation about continuity, change, and the deep relationships that make agriculture so rewarding. 🌱✨Enjoy! 😊#IainRiddell #SRUC #FarmAdvisory #AgriculturalConsultancy #ScottishFarming #CommonAgriculturalPolicy #FarmingHistory #FarmSupport #RegenerativeCrops #HempFarming #RuralScotland #AgriPolicy #SustainableFarming #AgriInnovation #FarmingJourney #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
102. R2Kast 385 – Tim May on reinventing farming with partnerships, PitchUp, and a new model for estates
01:00:01||Season 5, Ep. 102Today I welcome Tim May onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A fourth-generation farmer from Hampshire, Tim has transformed Kingsclere Estate into something far beyond a traditional farm. 🌾We hear how his Nuffield Scholarship inspired him to shift from 100 percent arable into a mixed regenerative system, bringing livestock back and building a network of partners rather than employees. Tim shares his vision of farming as a platform for multiple businesses—from roaming dairies and hens to rental units and food ventures. 🐄🐓Our conversation dives into PitchUp, his innovative way of inviting entrepreneurs onto the farm to co-create circular economies. Tim speaks with honesty about change, family legacy, and the challenge of redefining what a farm can be. 🌍It is a story of reinvention, resilience, and bold thinking about the future of food and land use. 🌱✨Enjoy! 😊#TimMay #KingsclereEstate #PitchUp #RegenerativeFarming #MixedFarming #CircularEconomy #FarmInnovation #NuffieldScholar #FarmDiversification #FarmerLedChange #AgriBusiness #SoilHealth #RuralInnovation #FarmingFuture #PartnershipFarming #FoodSecurity #UKFarming #AgriTech #R2Kast #PeopleInFoodAndFarming
101. R2Kast 384 – Lee-Anne Oliver on veterinary life, farming communities, and resilience
01:07:09||Season 5, Ep. 101Today we welcome Lee-Anne Oliver onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A farm vet based near Hexham, Lee-Anne has built her own practise while balancing the pressures and joys of working with livestock and rural communities. 🐄🐑We hear how she graduated in 2007, worked across farm animal practice, and eventually took the leap to run her own business. Lee-Anne speaks honestly about the realities of being a farm vet, from calving cows at two in the morning to supporting families as much as animals. She reflects on generational change, community bonds, and why resilience is as much about people as it is about medicine. 💉👩⚕️Our conversation also covers the challenges in the veterinary profession today, from graduate support and corporate buyouts to work-life balance and the emotional weight of caring for clients. Lee-Anne shares why she still loves her role, how seasons shape her outlook, and why the future of large animal practice needs the right mix of passion and protection. 🌦️❤️A heartfelt, powerful chat about the human side of veterinary work in agriculture.Enjoy! 😊#LeeAnneOliver #FarmVet #VeterinaryLife #LivestockCare #CattleAndSheep #VetPractise #RuralCommunity #AgProfessionals #VetChallenges #WorkLifeBalance #FarmingFamilies #VetSupport #AgSector #FarmAnimalHealth #GenerationalChange #VetLeadership #ResilientCommunities #VetStories #R2Kast #PeopleInAg #SeasonalLife #VetResilience #RuralVet #FarmVetLife #AgPodcast