OnFARM Scottish farming podcast

The late great Andrew Arbuckle was a well kent name in Scottish farming. The former Scotsman and Dundee Courier farming editor, ex MSP, author and farmer was a big supporter of RSABI, raising tens of thousands of pounds for the charity with proceeds from his books. Sadly, Andrew passed away in December 2025. In tribute to him, and to pay our respects, OnFARM are re-visiting a conversation that we...

Farmstrong Scotland is a brilliant wellbeing programme for farmers and crofters, sharing peer-to-peer tips and advice. Their excellent podcast is called 'Blether Together with Farmstrong Scotland'. Each month, farmers and crofters share stories with host Sarah Stephen, and reflect on what they do to support their own wellbeing. Sarah's most recent guests (January 2026) were none other than OnFARM'...

Towards the end of 2025, we sadly lost Christopher Trotter, a well-known Fife chef, food writer, and ambassador for local and seasonal produce. He died at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer. In tribute to him, and to pay our respects, OnFARM are re-visiting a conversation that Christopher recorded with Sarah Anderson from our team - to mark the publication of his book Coasts and Waters: The...

If you're looking for Christmas present inspiration, look no further! This week's guest is Arabella Harvey from Raven Botanicals, the Scottish skincare brand known for its nature-led products. Arabella shares how she and her sister Charlotte built the business - drawing on botanical knowledge, creativity, and a strong connection to the landscape. She and Anna chat about the realities of growing a...

Lorna Dawson was a student in Edinburgh in 1977, when 17-year-olds Helen Scott and Christine Eadie were murdered after a night out at the World's End pub. Decades later, she helped to convict the women's killer - using pioneering techniques to identify soil samples that had been taken and retained from Helen Scott's bare feet. Lorna has since reported and advised on over 150 court cases, as p...

Most of us in farming - unfortunately - know someone who’s been in an argument or a dispute. It could be between relatives over an inheritance, over a business relationship, or any number of different circumstances that have led to conflict. You may not realise you can call on support from professional mediators - or even, in some cases, offer to step in as a mediator yourself. This episode is all...

Tick-borne virus Louping-ill has been spreading across Scotland since a vaccine was withdrawn. The disease is fatal to sheep and red grouse, though it can also infect and by carried by cattle, horses, dogs, and humans. Now, the Moredun Research Institute and industry partner Kernfarm has developed a new-generation vaccine - and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring it to manufacture and pr...

Well over 70,000 children in Scotland benefit each year from the work of RHET - the Royal Highland Education Trust. RHET take children onto farms, and bring farmers into schools, to help young people aged 3 to 18 to understand more about where our food comes from. In an interview first recorded in 2020, Anna joins John Sinclair, owner of Craigies Farm Shop and Cafe, leading children on a RHET tour...

The inaugural RSABI Great Scone Palace Challenge was a joyous 'It's a Knockout' event, raising over £80,000 to support people in Scottish agriculture. Teams took part from across rural Scotland - and actors from ITV's Emmerdale were on hand to add a big serving of stardust. OnFARM's Anna and Dave caught up with competitors and organisers, as well as Mark Charnock - Emmerdale's Marlon Dingle. Both...

Care leaver Danielle McKinnon runs Eat Sleep Ride, a social enterprise in Lamberton, East Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders. Her work, with horses focuses on empowering young people and amplifying often unheard voices, especially from low-income and rural communities. Find Eat Sleep Ride online here . This episode is sponsored by Scottish legal firm Gillespie Macandrew . Mentioned in this epis...

A less typical episode of OnFARM this week, as we chat with fashion designer and keeper of two clothing stores - one for gents and one for ladies - Christine Ann De Agostini. However, it will become more than clear why we are spotlighting Christine's work and business - her two clothes store businesses are located in Forres in rural Morayshire, and cater to a broad range of fashionable country liv...

Maddie Thomson learned her skills in digital communications in London - but has returned to Scotland, to create a new future for her family's Perthshire fruit farm. Maddie tells Anna how her farm - Thomsons of Blairgowrie - is a blank canvas, and that she is being encouraged by her family to dream big! Find Maddie's business Thomas Thomson in Blairgowrie here . For more on how the RBS Business Acc...

The second half of our kitchen table chat about RHASS and how the charity strives for new ways to preserve, educate and support Scottish agriculture. Anna speaks with RHASS director Louise Elder, and Ally Caulfield and Annie Wheeler from the staff team. We also hear about RHASS's investment in innovation, education, wellbeing and the environment. Throughout 2024, OnFARM has partnered with RHASS to...

A kitchen table chat about RHASS and how the charity strives for new ways to preserve, educate and support Scottish agriculture. Anna speaks with RHASS director Louise Elder, and Ally Caulfield and Annie Wheeler from the staff team. We also hear about RHASS's investment in innovation, education, wellbeing and the environment. Throughout 2024, OnFARM has partnered with RHASS to celebrate the charit...

Something a bit different this week... We're pleased to share a recent episode of the Lantern Scottish Poetry podcast, presented by Scotland's Makar (National poet) Kathleen Jamie and co-host Alistair Heather. The theme of the episode is 'Place' with readings in Scots and Doric from Aberdeenshire's Shane Strachan and Hugh McMillan from Dumfries and Galloway. If you enjoy the episode, find the enti...

At East Lothian's picturesque Balgone Estate , Anna meets David Grant-Suttie and Alex Humphreys, young entrepreneurs driving Balgone's diversification into pumpkins, sunflowers and events. David and Alex show Anna around the sunflower maze, pumpkin patch, and brand new Herd cafe. They share their challenges and triumphs so far, and explain how this diversification is supporting the rest...

The last of three episodes from the Royal Highland Show that we are resharing as they were published over the summer holidays. This time, three stories of food and farm businesses about how they connect with consumers - our latest partnership with RHASS's 240 Years of Stories. Recorded live in the 2024 Royal Highland Show 'Food for Thought' cookery theatre, Anna hears from: Jock Gibson of Macbeth'...

We're republishing this episode for folk that might have missed it over the summer. It's part 2 of Anna and producer Dave's challenge to record 50 stories from the 2024 Royal Highland Show. This is part of RHASS's 240 Years of Stories initiative, and the second of two episodes (because we couldn't make all 50 stories fit into just one!) Huge thanks to Bespoken Media 's Katie Revell, who took on th...

With the kids back at school, we (and you?) are back into a podcast listening routine. So we thought we'd re-share these packed and fun-filled episodes recorded at the 2024 Royal Highland Show Anna and producer Dave set themselves a challenge: to record 50 stories from the Show, as part of RHASS's 240 Years of Stories project. This is the first of two episodes (because we couldn't make all 50 stor...

Part 2 of Anna and producer Dave's challenge to record 50 stories from the 2024 Royal Highland Show. This is part of RHASS's 240 Years of Stories initiative. This is the second of two episodes (because we couldn't make all 50 stories fit into just one!) Huge thanks to Bespoken Media 's Katie Revell, who took on the mammoth task of editing these stories together! 240 Years of Stories aims to highli...

Anna and producer Dave have set themselves a challenge: to record 50 stories from the 2024 Royal Highland Show, as part of RHASS's 240 Years of Stories project. This is the first of two episodes (because we couldn't make all 50 stories fit into just one!) Huge thanks to Bespoken Media 's Katie Revell, who took on the mammoth task of editing these stories together! To support the amazing cyclists r...

Meet Russell and Catriona Brown, a brother and sister from Bonnington Farm near Peebles, in our latest OnRECORD partnership with RHASS's 240 Years of Stories. 21-year-old Russell and Catriona, 25, share stories of working together alongside their parents on the family farm. 240 Years of Stories aims to highlight and explore people's tales from living and working in the agricultural community. We w...

Three stories of food and farm businesses about how they connect with consumers - our latest partnership with RHASS's 240 Years of Stories. Recorded live in the 2024 Royal Highland Show 'Food for Thought' cookery theatre, Anna hears from: Jock Gibson of Macbeth's butchers and Edinvale Farm in Forres Jo McNicol from North Berwick's Drift cliff edge cafe Jackie McCreery of Yester Farm Dairies , who...

Meet the nutritionist team behind the first ever Scottish Eatwell Guide. The guide is designed to reflect how foods grown and produced in Scotland fit into a healthy balanced diet. It is co-produced by Scottish Regional Food Tourism Ambassador  Dr Laura Wyness  and Suzanne Fletcher of community nutrition social enterprise Nutrition Scotland . Laura has also written a book called Eating W...

What is needed to keep Scottish farming competitive, and who should lead on that work? Alison Milne co-owns Crafty Maltsters, a barley malting plant on her family's farm in Fife. This episode starts as a chat with Alison about her work, and ends with this big question, that faces the whole industry and sector. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are p...