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R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In
Tales of a Nuffield Scholar with Molly Gupta, Peter Rowe and Tom McVeigh
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Today on series two of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar supported by NFU Mutual we continue looking ahead to the 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships Conference in Leeds 🎙️ Across this series we’re hearing from scholars who will feature within the conference presentation groups, giving a flavour of the conversations, ideas and experiences set to shape the event 🌍
This episode focuses on the presentation group “Growing New Possibilities: Seaweed to Sustainable Timber” with Molly Gupta, Peter Rowe and Tom McVeigh 🌱
We spoke about three very different journeys into land use and natural resource management, from seaweed farming and food systems through to commercial forestry and agroforestry. What was fascinating was how all three scholars arrived at similar questions around sustainability, resilience and how we make better use of the resources around us 🚜
Molly shared her journey from an urban upbringing in West London into the world of food systems and seaweed farming, exploring how seaweed could play a bigger role in food, feed and environmental solutions. Peter spoke about commercial forestry and the opportunities that exist to diversify timber production in the UK, while Tom discussed his search for profitable future crops, focusing on the potential for hazelnuts and tree crops within British farming systems 🌍
Across the conversation there were some brilliant discussions around innovation, resource efficiency and learning from other countries. Whether it was seaweed farming in Tanzania and Madagascar, forestry systems in South America and Europe, or nut production across North America and the continent, all three highlighted the value of stepping outside the UK to see how others are tackling similar challenges 🌾
One of the strongest themes running through the episode was curiosity. Each scholar started with a question, but all found their topics evolving as they travelled, met people and uncovered opportunities they had never originally planned to explore. It was a great reminder that some of the best discoveries happen when you leave room for the unexpected
Without giving away everything that will be shared on stage in Leeds, this episode offered another fascinating glimpse into the future opportunities emerging across farming, forestry and food systems.
Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.
Enjoy! 🙂
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Field to Front Door – Episode 8 on peony season, delivery challenges and keeping customers happy
53:42|Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️David, Martin and Wallace catching up right in the middle of what can only be described as peak peony madness. A big part of this episode focused on the realities of direct selling during the busiest part of the season. We got into subscription boxes, picking peonies at exactly the right stage, managing labour, and the challenge of trying to get a product from field to customer as fresh as possible.There was also a fascinating discussion around logistics and delivery. David shared the story of dealing with thousands of parcels during peony season, the impact of bank holidays, working with DPD and the reality that one delay can suddenly create hundreds of customer messages, emails and problems to solve.We also spoke about tractor runs, community events and how those sorts of gatherings help connect farming with the wider public. Alongside that there was plenty of chat around direct selling, customer loyalty and why looking after existing customers is often more important than constantly chasing new ones.One of the strongest themes throughout was value. Not just the value of a product, but understanding what it is actually worth, building trust with customers and creating systems that allow farmers to keep more of the value from what they produce.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! 🙂
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Tales of a Nuffield Scholar with Awal Fuseini, Alex Crawley and Laura Eden
54:07|Today on series two of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar supported by NFU Mutual we continue looking ahead to the 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships Conference in Leeds 🎙️ Across this series we’re hearing from scholars who will feature within the conference presentation groups, giving a flavour of the conversations, ideas and experiences set to shape the event 🌍This episode focuses on the presentation group “Livestock Systems Built for the Future” with Awal Fuseini, Alex Crawley and Laura Eden 🌱We spoke about three very different journeys into agriculture and Nuffield, from veterinary science and halal meat systems through to conservation grazing, military service, diplomacy and livestock health. It was fascinating hearing how each of them has approached the future of livestock systems from completely different angles, while still landing on many of the same themes around resilience, sustainability and animal welfare 🚜Across the conversation we explored everything from extensive grazing systems and flood prevention through to goat dairies, meat processing, animal health, biosecurity and the role livestock can play in supporting landscapes and ecosystems. One of the standout themes was how much can be learned from stepping outside your own system and looking at how other countries approach the same challenges 🌍There were also some brilliant discussions around the human side of farming and livestock production, whether that was supporting farmers through better veterinary communication, learning from traditional systems in Africa and Asia, or recognising the wider value livestock can bring beyond simply producing meat or milk 🌾The episode also gave a great insight into the Nuffield journey itself, from the intensity of the CSC in New Zealand through to the global connections and opportunities that come from travelling, asking questions and challenging your own assumptions. Without giving away everything that will be shared on stage in Leeds, this was another brilliant glimpse into the ideas shaping the future of agriculture Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.Enjoy! 🙂
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