Farm Gate

Forests are super important - they have enormous environmental, economic, cultural and amenity value as well as being sources of food and nutrition, medicines, habitats, fuel and, of course, building materials. In this programme, we discuss what timber can do - why forests are so important - how public support for commercial forestry could be improved - and where forestry fits within broader land...

* Pat Thomas from A Bigger Conversation - 1'00'' * Emily Bull from FAI Farms - 14'18'' * Professor Sebastian Dötterl from ECH Zurich - 31'08'' * Million Belay from IPES Food and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa - 42'11'' * Vicki Hird from The Wildlife Trusts - 55'32'' * Alun Thomas from the Beacons Water Group - 1,05'23&#39...

In Britain, Labour has promised to "build 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament, with the biggest increase in social housing and affordable housebuilding in a generation." ffinlo Costain asks, can these homes be built in the time available - and just as importantly, can this level of house building be achieved in balance with nature and food production? ffinlo is joined by...

Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) and ffinlo Costain ( 8point9.com ) discuss Labour's landslide general election victory, and what it means for food, farming and nature. This is Phil's last WFTC, as he moves on to a new role in Northern Ireland. A BIG thank you for all his knowledge and expert conversation.

In this week's programme we'll hear interviews with candidates from three of the parties standing across Britain in next week's UK general election - the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Green Party. The Labour party were unable to make anyone available for a conversation. Julia Aglionby, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Penrith and Solway - 01'0'' Simon Hoare...

Phil Carson and ffinlo Costain discuss what's on offer in the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green and Labour manifestos, in terms of food, farming and nature.

Peter Byck talks about his new documentary series, Roots so Deep - 0'40'' John Gilliland talks about the ARC Zero project - 13'56'' Tom Johnstone from the Usk Catchment Partnership talks about giving nature a voice - 27'17'' Sarah-Jane Laing from Scottish Land & Estates talks about Scottish land reform - 41'22'' Robert Hindle from Rural Solutions...

We'll hear from Jerry Alford from the Soil Association, Beth Metson from the Soil Association Exchange - and Lauren Baker from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food will tell us that we need to respect farmer experience and indigenous knowledge as much as we do peer-reviewed science. I'll talk to Neil Nicholas from Coleg Sir Gar about slurry spreading, and Charlie Taverner from the FF...

Farming at its best - agroecological or regenerative farming - can deliver a broad range of positive environmental and social outcomes. But at its heart, farming is a business. To scale the positives we need to scale the business of regenerative and agroecological agriculture - and for that we need investment. Pelican Ag is a venture capital business that invests in regen ag technology - I wanted...

Six Inches of Soil is the hit UK film that traces the trials and tribulations of three young farmers who are each trying to work regeneratively with their land. Anna Jackson, farms an 800 acre mixed farm in Lincolnshire with her dad, Andrew - (0'50") Beef farmer Ben Thomas has 75 acres of field and agroforestry in Cornwall - (16'24") And Adrienne Gordon produces veges, salad and...

What exactly do the Soil Association mean by a Worm Hunt, and why do they want us to dance for these wriggly ecosystem warriors? Can venture capital really help to scale the transition to regenerative agriculture? Why has deer management become such a divisive issue in Scotland? And the latest UK Peatland Code revision is now open for consultation. Interviews with: Dr Renée Kerkvliet-Hermans from...

Do we seriously need to chop down more trees to address the climate crisis? What about food? Is it possible to make a living from a third of an acre of land? In a world struggling with antimicrobial resistance - what's the WHO doing downgrading a whole class of antibiotics? And what about my farm - regenerative agriculture - it's a great idea, but it'll never work here! I speak to rege...

Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) and ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) discuss the week’s land use news - including: Government must deliver promised flood support, says CLA “Slurry pollution as damaging as sewage” NFFN unveils UK general election manifesto Farmers demand Universal Basic Income Research finds ten times more pests in insecticide-treated corn fields In-field crop diversity c...

Five interviews today - on topics ranging from the constant struggle for tenant farmers to dangers of slurry pollution. 1'08'' Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network discusses the NFFN's general election manifesto, which includes a call for a fit-for-purpose farming budget 12'29'' Peter Powell from the Welsh Dee Trust talks about the terrible impact farm...

Wheat from the Chaff: Wye chicken? Unlocking nature finance - And special guest: Rob Yorke Class-action-style claim takes on chicken giant, Avara Report focusses on unlocking finance for nature Updated carbon offsetting principles aim to combat greenwashing SPECIAL GUEST: Rob Yorke Welsh Government: New Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs confirmed “Where is the Land Use Framework?” asks EAC Quest...

Four conversations today - first, I'll meet David Wright, the Chief Executive of Ecometric, to find out about how exactly soil carbon is measured - then after that I'll talk to Chris D'Agorne from Life to Land about an analysis that shows that the non-native sycamore is now the UK's third most populous tree species. Later I'll discuss the benefits of having more trees on farms...

ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) and Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) discuss the week's land use news - and meet special guest, Chris Smaje, author of "Saying NO to a farm-free future" This is a re-edit of the original podcast, which contained inaccuracies in the first section (soil carbon intro). NEWS ARTICLES DISCUSSED: New paradigm in soil science shows vast potential fo...

ffinlo Costain meets Judith D Schwartz - the author of Cows Save the Planet, Water in Plain Sight and The Reindeer Chronicles. Western civilisation has, for generations, sought to extract itself from its dependency on the natural world. Indigenous knowledge has been devalued and lost. And even now, as our monumental folly becomes clearer with each passing day, those who lead us have little real co...

Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) and ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) discuss the week's news - and are joined by special guest, farm business and succession adviser, Heather Wildman. News stories Phil and ffinlo discuss: Scottish Forestry rejects findings of Royal Society of Edinburgh tree repor t Non-native Sycamore is third most common British tree European Parliament votes to crim...

ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) and Phil Carson catch up on the week's land use news - and meet forestry expert, Andrew Heald. News items they discuss: Highland estate to generate biodiversity credits with SLR and RePlanet https://8point9.com/highland-estate-to-generate-biodiversity-credits-with-slr-and-replanet/ How will BNG affect the UK biodiversity credit market? Max Bodmer, RePlanet https://...

Interviews with: Max Bodmer from RePlanet - 1'05'' Elina Body from Vet Sustain and The George Farm Vets - 14'45'' Dr Kelly Hemmings from RAU - 24'50'' Navaratnam Partheeban from IVC Evidensia Farm Vets - 30'50''

Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) and ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) are joined by regenerative farming expert, Niels Corfield. Stories discussed: Fluke control & prevention, beyond testing & treatment River Action taking government to court over River Wye pollution First Milk announces acquisition of BV Dairy Cost of living crisis causing loneliness epidemic for young people  Ne...

Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) and ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) chew through the week's land news, and talk to special guest, Rachel Jones (Sustain), about local food. News topics discussed: Scotland: Yousaf to continue 70 per cent direct funding, dependent on greening https://8point9.com/scotland-yousaf-to-continue-70-per-cent-direct-funding-dependent-on-greening/ Survey reveal...

Four interviews today: Rowan Phillimore from The Gaia Foundation about the We Feed The UK arts project Pete Ritchie from Nourish Scotland about the country's progress towards being a Good Food Nation Jon Parker from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission in Wales talking about Welsh farm policy And Ignas van Schaick, the co-producer of a new movie, Planet Soil, which delves deep into the...

ffinlo and Phil talk through the week's land use news and are joined by special guest, Rhys Evans, from the Nature Friendly Farming Network, Wales. News stories discussed: High-tech aerial mapping reveals England’s hedgerow landscape Economists calculate multi-trillion dollar opportunity to fix global food system UK-Canada trade talks halted over safeguarding British food standards “Deep conce...