OnFARM Scottish farming podcast

Joanna MacGregor and Donald Fraser are tenant farmers at Farm Ness, on the Dochfour Estate, outside Inverness. Joanna left behind a geography teaching career to join Donald on the farm. Series 5 of BBC Scotland's This Farming Life charts their efforts to open a farm shop. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast...

Doddie Aid 2022 is in full swing, with folk all across Scotland and beyond walking, running, and cycling en masse, to raise funds to help cure Motor Neuron Disease. Monty chats with Paralympic silver and bronze medalist (and Borders farmer's daughter) Sammi Kinghorn, co-captain of the South Doddie Aid team, and Bruce Aitchison, host of the Happiness is Egg Shaped podcast and the Doddie Aid weekly...

2022 already looks like being a challenging year for farming. There are huge unanswered questions over support policies and mechanisms, and concerns over big increases in cheap imported food due to Brexit. The UK DEFRA Secretary George Eustice recently said that farmers must do more to “stand up to supermarkets” over prices – but he was short on practical suggestions for how many might do that. He...

Leicestershire mixed farmer and Farm To Fork author Joe Stanley wants more consumers and householders to better understand where their food comes from, and the work that goes on on British farms. Joe sits down with Anna to talk about some of the ways this could happen. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast pro...

SAYFC members undertook a series of farm visits at the start of December, as part of the organisation's 7th agriculture and rural affairs conference. OnFARM's Monty tagged along for one of the visits, to Learielaw Farm in Broxburn near Edinburgh. This episode is kindly supported by law firm Gillespie Macandrew. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are...

An in-person AgriScot event is coming soon! The farm business event is returning to the Royal Highland Showground on Weds 9th Feb. In this episode Monty hears from AgriScot chairman Robert Neill, while Anna re-visits the last AgriScot event that took place, back in 2019. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast p...

Angus Elder is a third-generation organic veg and cereals farmer at Chapel Organics in East Lothian. Anna visited Angus at his farm for a tour and a chat, to learn about his farm enterprise growing crops and produce, primarily for veg box schemes. Angus is also a SOPA (Scottish Organic Producers Association) board member - this episode is made in partnership with SOPA. Mentioned in this episode: P...

Anna explores the benefits of collaboration in Scottish food and farming - meeting representatives from cheese producers, flower growers, and apple growers, who have all formed collaborative groups, with the help of Scottish farming's co-op umbrella organisation SAOS. Guests: Valerie Orr from Blooming Bees and the Flowers Grown in Scotland group Catherine Drummond-Herdman at Megginch Castle and th...

Scottish agritourism faces “the opportunity to become world renowned”, according to Visit Scotland’s Vicki Millar. In this episode, Monty also meets Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Agritourism lead Caroline Millar and many others, at the launch of Scotland’s ambitious new agritourism growth strategy. This packed episode is kindly supported by Ledingham Chalmers. Contributors: Cabinet Sec...

Anna and Monty are sharing exciting news! The OnFARM family is expanding. In January 2022, we launch the OnFARM Academy, offering training programmes and modules for all aspects of rural life and business. Some modules already live, and available to OnFARM listeners half-price until launch. Find OnFARM Academy at https://training.onfarmacademy.com/ Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Besp...

What should be Scottish farming's response to COP26? As the summit gets underway in Glasgow, Anna is spending time with SAOS chairman John Hutcheson, and Emma Patterson-Taylor, SAOS's climate change and sustainability manager. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast production specialists Bespoken Media. Find Be...

A farmhouse kitchen blether between Anna and three brilliant women, each with perspectives as women in agriculture. Amy Geddes is a 4th-generation farmer at Wester Braikie Farm near Arbroath. Aylett Roan farms alongside her husband at Barnbarrock farm in Dumfries and Galloway, and also runs a doorstep milk-delivery business. Lois Newton is an associate in the land and rural department at Gillespie...

Tebay services and farm shop in Westmorland is a staple of many people's north-south car journeys, with food and facilities several cuts above most motorway stop-offs. Monty meets farm manager Bob Day and Tebay head of butchery David Morland, and follows the Tebay journey from farm to fork - a distance of about 3 miles door-to-door. Luing cattle are among the breeds favoured at Tebay - and this is...

Agriculture faces many profitability and sustainability challenges, not least in suckler beef production where margins are tight and environmental impact questions are constantly raised. In the first of two episodes supported by the Luing Cattle Society, Monty finds out how the Luing breed is meeting these challenges head-on, and driving a profitable business for first-generation farmer Giles Henr...

Equi-Scotia have, since the start of the pandemic, been running horse-facilitated learning and psychotherapy - to groups, individuals, businesses and youth groups. OnFARM's resident horse-lover Anna has been finding out more about their work from founder Julie-Anne Griffith. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podca...

Anna and Monty discuss the incredible response to last week's episode - when Monty spoke with Jamie Brand, the brother of East Lothian farmer Grant Brand, who very sadly took his own life back in February. Anna is then joined by Morna Ronnie and Kirsty Ritchie from 'Be Your Best Self' - a fully-funded personal development programme currently on offer to women in agriculture in Scotland. Be Your Be...

Content Warning: Suicide, Mental Health >>> The news in February that East Lothian farmer Grant Brand had taken his own life left many in Scottish farming shocked and upset – and, of course, sending heartfelt good wishes to Grant’s family. This episode pays tribute to Grant, hearing memories and thoughts from his brother Jamie Brand. We also hear how Grant’s death prompted OnFARM's Monty and his f...

Monty goes in search of a new breeding tup at Europe's largest ram auction - while OnFARM producer Dave nearly buys one by accident. We also follow a young auctioneer getting his first opportunity on the big stage, and speak to Border Union Agricultural Society chief executive Dan Withall. The Kelso Ram Sales, held annually by BUAS, had an electric atmosphere from the outset - as one of the first...

Christopher Trotter, the food writer who once ran a Michelin-starred kitchen, and Fife food ambassador, wants us all to eat more varied and sustainably sourced Scottish fish. His new book is called Coasts and Waters: The British Seafood Cookbook. Christopher speaks to OnFARM's Sarah Anderson, in the first episode of our new series. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All ep...

Malting barley producers face a difficult and uncertain summer, after one of Scotland's biggest grain merchants fell into administration. Many fear they will lose large sums of money as a result of Alexander Inglis and Son's closure. An already limited set of grain purchasers is now even smaller, making it harder for producers to negotiate a price. Perhaps most urgently - many now face having nowh...

A summary of the themes discussed more indepth in 5 recent OnFARM episodes with SAOS, discussing themes around climate change, farming, and the value of cooperation. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast production specialists Bespoken Media. Find Bespoken at www.bespoken.media

In what should be Royal Highland Show week 2021, Monty speaks with SAYFC's Hamish Logan on how Young Farmers have made the best of a difficult and isolated time in lockdown. SAYFC members are gearing up to take centre stage at the Royal Highland Showcase, a series of virtual and online events replacing this year’s Show. We also look back on last year’s 14-part special OnFARM series with RHASS, cel...

Highly organised criminal gangs are targeting Scotland's farms, and using the latest technology including overhead drones to overcome security measures. It may sound like Line Of Duty, but Inspector Alan Dron heads up Police Scotland's Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC). He's been sharing details of recent arrests and operations with Anna. Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers...

You’re 18 times more likely to lose your life farming than in the average UK workplace. Cutting out farm-related deaths and life-changing accidents has to be a priority for us all. Anna's guests are Stephanie Barclay from the Farm Safety Foundation, James Chapman, who lost his left arm in a tractor accident and is now an FSF trustee, and George Noble from SAOS. OnFARM producer Dave Howard visits W...

How Scottish salmon has innovated and used technology to become the UK's biggest food export. Monty and producer Jac Phillimore also how the industry is increasingly focused on farming more sustainably. This is the second of two episodes in partnership with the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO). Mentioned in this episode: Podcast producers Bespoken Media All episodes of OnFARM are prod...