Meet the Farmers

Guests Featured: Emma Burnett – Senior Researcher in Agriculture and Sustainability, Fielden Whisky Øistein Thorsen – CEO, FAI Farms Julia Kirby Smith – Better Food Traders Hannah Gibbs – Programme Manager, Sustain Lucy Williamson – Registered Nutritionist & Advocate for Soil-to-Gut Health What We Cover in This Episode: What "regenerative" means beyond the farm The role of consumer-facing brands i...

In this milestone 300th episode of Meet the Farmers , host Ben Eagle sits down with Tim Parton, farm manager of a 300-hectare arable enterprise in Staffordshire and a leading voice in regenerative agriculture. Tim shares his journey from conventional farming to pioneering biological, no-till methods that have dramatically cut synthetic inputs while boosting yields and soil health. We discuss his i...

In this big-picture episode, Ben Eagle is joined by two expert voices—Emily Norton and James Bolesworth—to unpack how global forces are shaping the future of UK farming. From the war in Ukraine and climate extremes to trade policy and political unpredictability, we examine how these shocks are influencing prices, planning, and resilience on the ground. 🧭 What We Cover: Part 1: Global Forces in Fl...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers , Ben Eagle heads to Stithians in Cornwall to meet Peter Green , a fifth-generation farmer, Nuffield Scholar, and host of Cornish Mutual’s Farming Focus podcast . Peter shares his remarkable journey from studying physics and working as a chartered accountant, to returning home to Cornwall to rebuild the family farm after the tragic loss of his parents in 2007. N...

In this episode, we’re heading to County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland to meet a next-generation voice in farming — Sophie Bell. Sophie is part of a rising wave of young farmers who are not only tackling the day-to-day challenges of running a farm, but also using social media to share their stories, connect with wider audiences, and bring attention to rural issues. From climate resilience to th...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers , we focus on the inspiring story of Damian Barson — a man who made the life-changing decision to enter the world of sheep farming in his fifties. Formerly a professional dog trainer, Damian took his first steps into agriculture in 2021. Today, he manages a flock of around 150 ewes, including Mules, Swaledales, and other breeds. Damian shares the highs and lows...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers , Ben Eagle is joined by Will Arden — arable and deer farmer from Lincolnshire, founder of The Farmyard Gym, and head judge of Britain’s Fittest Farmer. With five competitions under his belt and a recent win in the men’s under-40s category, Will shares his passion for fitness, mental health, and how farmers can stay strong in both body and mind, on and off the f...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers , Ben Eagle catches up with James and Katie Allen, a dynamic couple whose journey into farming began with conservation grazing and has evolved into something much bigger. Originally featured during the Meet the Farmers on Tour series in 2019, James and Katie return to the podcast with exciting updates from their new 170-acre holding near Swindon. James and Katie...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers , Ben Eagle is joined by US author and journalist Stephanie Anderson to discuss the transformative role women are playing in regenerative agriculture. Stephanie’s latest book, From the Ground Up: The Women Revolutionizing Regenerative Agriculture , shines a spotlight on female farmers and changemakers who are rethinking how we grow food in the face of climate ch...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers , host Ben Eagle sits down with Alex and Emily Crawley, co-directors of Grazing Management Limited, to explore the concept of conservation grazing and their journey starting their business. Based in the Forest of Dean, the Crawleys are using native breed cattle, sheep, and goats to deliver environmental benefits on land managed by charities, government agencies,...

Today on the show we’re talking about paludiculture. You might not have heard the term before, but paludiculture is the practice of wetland farming —essentially growing crops on rewetted lands, usually peatlands. Paludiculture is emerging as a way to restore peatlands , reduce carbon emissions, and explore the creation of new income opportunities for farmers and landowners. Peatlands play a critic...

This mini-series has been produced in collaboration with the Forestry Commission. This time we’re talking about agroforestry - the benefits, the practicalities and the questions our guests think that you need to asking before committing to an agroforestry project.  In this third and final episode we’re talking about the 'how' of agroforestry - Ben asks guest Tom Kemp from Working Woodlands Cornwal...

This mini-series has been produced in collaboration with the Forestry Commission. This time we’re talking about agroforestry - the benefits, the practicalities and the questions our guests think that you need to asking before committing to an agroforestry project.  In this second episode we talk about silvopasture and silvoarable agroforestry systems - Ben asks guest Sam Morgan and co-host James R...

This mini-series has been produced in collaboration with the Forestry Commission. This time we’re talking about agroforestry - the benefits, the practicalities and the questions our guests think that you need to asking before committing to an agroforestry project.  In this first episode we’re focussed on the ‘why’ of agroforestry - Ben asks guest Clare Hill and co-host James Ramskir-Gardiner to ma...

Today’s episode takes us from the fields to the heart of London to reflect on a truly unique and thought-provoking exhibition that has just wrapped up at Somerset House in London, marking its 25th anniversary. Titled Soil: The World at Our Feet , the exhibition brought together visionary artists to reframe how we think about the ground beneath us. Far from being “just dirt,” this exhibition invite...

Today, we're diving into one of the most critical challenges in farming today—profitability. How do you balance the demands of business, the realities of nature, and the need to manage energy and resources sustainably at a time when income sources and profitability itself is undergoing change? To help us explore this, I’m joined by two returning guests who are tackling these questions head-on—farm...

Today on the show, we’re diving into an incredible story of endurance, resilience, and getting behind the agricultural community. Joining Ben is Hugh Addison from Cumbria, who, with his sister Alex and a few friends, is gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime endurance challenge—which they have called the Borderline Challenge . This September, they will cycle, swim, and run a staggering 550km from Sli...

We’re in Wales for this episode and Ben's guest is James Raw - a seventh-generation farmer who runs a hill farm in the heart of the Cambrian mountains. James has implemented a range of practices and projects at his farm, including the creation of two hydro systems and a farming system that focuses on soil health and biodiversity. He was awarded the prestigious Low Impact Award in the annual M&S Se...

Ben's guest today is Tom Davis who once went on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James to talk about ducks. Tom is currently Farm Manager at Mud Chute Farm which is in the heart of London on the Isle of Dogs. He’s a trustee of the British Waterfowl Association and the poultry club of Great Britain and a former trustee of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. And he’s also no stranger to the small sc...

We’re in Scotland today and Ben's guest is Matthew Anderson who until recently was farming with his Father and brother over three farms in the Scottish Borders over 660 Ha all grassland and hill land, half owned and half rented. He has now started a new farming business with his brother on about 330 ha of mostly rented ground. And to see what this looks like you can check out his youtube channel a...

With inheritance tax seemingly permanently in the farming and general news at the moment we’re taking a deep dive into the topic of succession on the podcast for this episode. The newly formed Succession Alliance has come together to help farming families on their succession journey and in the episode we’ll discover what this new organisation is and who’s in it, what they’re aiming to achieve and...

The NFU conference on 25th February saw 700 NFU members descend on London in a change to the usual Birmingham venue. The subject that dominated was predictably inheritance tax and feelings were high in the room when Secretary of State for Defra Steve Reed gave his speech. He announced lots of additional measures but it was inheritance tax that everyone was focussed on. In this episode we review th...

  CLICK HERE for the link to take you to the survey!   Grounded Research are asking for your help in building a picture of how the pressures of being a farmer in 2025 are felt differently for every farmer. They have over 500 responses so far to their question 'What keeps you awake at night?'  but would like to hit the 1000 mark before the survey ends in March. Participation is entirely voluntary a...

We’re heading to Wiltshire today to Charlton Park Estate which is home to the Earls of Suffolk and Berkshire. Ben is joined by Robin Aird who is the Farms and Estate Manager. The farm itself is around 1450 hectares (nearly 4000 acres), a mix of arable and grassland. On top of this the farm has about 5,500 tonnes of grain storage capacity. 78 hectares of woodland and 560 hectares of environmental f...

Chris Baylis is Head of farming for Sir Richard Sutton Limited, which manages and owns a portfolio of trading assets and businesses in the hotels, property and farming sectors. Image credit: Chris Baylis.  Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency.  Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be foun...