R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Today we welcome Lee-Anne Oliver onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A farm vet based near Hexham, Lee-Anne has built her own practise while balancing the pressures and joys of working with livestock and rural communities. 🐄🐑 We hear how she graduated in 2007, worked across farm animal practice, and eventually took the leap to run her own business. Lee-Anne speaks honestly about the realities of being a farm ve...

Today I welcome Glen Barclay onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A journalist with The Scottish Farmer and vice chair of SAYFC communications, Glen has a story that blends timber contracting, football sidelines, and rural journalism in a way few could imagine. 🌲⚽ We hear how growing up in a timber family gave him a grounding in rural life before he found himself sitting on the bench as a substitute goalkeeper w...

Today we welcome Niels Corfield onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A consultant, educator, and soil enthusiast, Niels has become one of the leading voices in regenerative agriculture across the UK. 🌱🌍 We hear how he grew up in a scientific household, moved through IT and tech work, then found his way back to land through plant nurseries and adult education. That shift led him to become a trainer in soil health...

Today’s episode is a special one as I bring the full Scottish Rally team onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Jillian, Joanne, Angela, Kelly and I came together to share our experience of this summer’s Rural Youth Europe rally in Slovenia. 🇸🇮🌍 We talk about what Rally actually is, the theme of planting ideas and cultivating the future, and how rural youth can shape policy and create opportunities across Europe. F...

Today we welcome Rodrigo Navarro onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Rodrigo’s story takes us from a South African restaurant in London where he worked as a head chef, all the way to Hampshire where he now runs an organic pastured egg business. 🍳🌿 Rodrigo shares how he and his wife decided to leave the city behind and chase a dream of rural living, influenced by their family histories in Chile and Ireland. What...

Today we welcome Tom Ware onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A 22 year old farmer from Nottinghamshire, Tom has carved a unique path across contracting, drone photography, gin making, and social media, while also becoming a strong voice for mental health in agriculture. 🚜📸 We talk about his adventures in Australia, from 60,000 acre farms and endless combine hours to the simplicity of just posting on Facebook a...

Today we welcome Michaela Scott onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ At only 19, Michaela is already shaping the political conversation in Scotland. A student of Criminology and Politics at Stirling, she is passionate about ensuring young people in rural areas have a real say in decisions that shape their lives. 🗳️🌱 We dive into how criminology and politics overlap, from injustices in the justice system to policy...

Today on the R2Kast I sit down with one of the true pioneers of regenerative agriculture, Gabe Brown! 🎙️ From four years of crop failure and 1.5 million dollars in debt to becoming a global leader in soil health, Gabe’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. 🌱 We talk about his switch to no till, integrating livestock, and embracing biodiversity to rebuild his land and his business. Gabe explain...

Today we welcome Ketrin Kastehein onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Ketrin is the chairperson of Rural Youth Europe and brings a fascinating perspective from Estonia where youth work is not just a passion but a recognised profession. 🇪🇪✨ We hear how she grew up between city and rural life, at once a capital girl and a countryside girl, before finding her place through dance, rhythmic gymnastics, and youth acti...

Today we welcome Sally Crowe onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Sally is well known to many from This Farming Life and has built a life she truly calls living the dream up in Caithness. 🐑 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 We hear how her journey has taken her across the world, from the shearing sheds of Western Australia to the global stage of the Golden Shears in New Zealand. Sally tells me about the buzz of being part of the Scottish...

Today we welcome Tracey and Tom Davey onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Tracey is from the same village on Arran as me and over the past year has gone through a huge transformation, both physically and mentally. From realising she was unhappy at 90 kilos to now preparing for her first bodybuilding show, her story is one of resilience and change. 💪✨ Tracey opens up about the moment that pushed her to act, spar...

Today we welcome James Nixey onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ James is the National Chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, leading one of the UK’s largest rural youth movements. 🌱👩‍🌾👨‍🌾 He is also the Club Leader for Princes Risborough YFC, a club he first joined back in 2008, and his journey from there has carried him all the way to the national stage. ⭐ James and I reflect on our s...

Today we welcome David Tennant onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ David is the Head of the Royal Highland Show, and his journey is a brilliant example of how someone not from a farming background can come to lead one of the most iconic events in agriculture. 🦌🎪 We hear how David first encountered the Highland Show and the impact it had on him, before stepping into the role where he now oversees everything from...

Today I welcome Peter Eccles onto the R2Kast 🎙️ Peter is a farmer entrepreneur and former Farmers Weekly Farm Manager of the Year who runs a 200 acre family farm near Tranent where Herefords meet a gym called the Fitness Farmyard 🐂💪 We talk about how Peter built a pedigree herd of docile forage efficient Herefords launched meat boxes during COVID and combined this with his diversification into f...

Today I welcome Jess Stokes onto the R2Kast 🎙️ Jess is an insect scientist with a PhD in veterinary parasitology who has spent years studying midges Schmallenberg virus and the unpredictable way new diseases emerge 🦟🔬 We chat about how growing up in rural Gloucestershire during the foot and mouth outbreak sparked her fascination with disease spread. That journey took her through Swansea Bristol...

🎙️ Featuring: Hannah Fraser, James Thompson, David Coop, Dan Smith, Rob Ward, and Hannah Thorogood Back at NuffFest, this second Food for Health panel dives deeper into the crucial question of how farming systems—and especially soil health—shape the nutritional composition of our food. 🌱🥕 👩‍⚕️ Dr Hannah Fraser shares her perspective as both a doctor and farmer, arguing for better medical educat...

Today we welcome Shabawn Farrall to the R2Kast! 🎙️ A year ago to the day this episode goes out, I headed to Cheshire for what turned into a two-hour interview at Hills Green Marketing — with no idea where Cheshire even was. One of the people I met that day was Shabawn, and over the past 14 months she’s become a good friend. Her journey is a masterclass in following opportunities wherever they lead...

Today we welcome Kit Franklin to the R2Kast! 🎙️ From Harper Adams student to the world’s first autonomous farmer, Kit’s story blends big ideas with bigger fields. As co-creator of the Hands Free Hectare and Hands Free Farm projects, he’s shown that automation in agriculture isn’t decades away – it’s already here. 🤖🌾 A lecturer, public speaker, and president-elect of the Institution of Agricultur...

Today we welcome Sharon May to the R2Kast! 🎙️ From sports injuries to the deep work of counselling, Sharon’s journey is one of following the thread of what truly matters. After retraining while raising a young family (not something she recommends lightly!), she’s built a thriving network of therapists from her organic mixed farm. 🌾💬 A Nuffield scholar’s wife and a farmer herself, Sharon talks op...

Today I welcome two Australian Nuffield Scholars to the R2Kast 🎙️ Thanh Truong better known as the Fruit Nerd and aquaculture expert Connor Wass joined me at my kitchen table on Arran to talk all things food farming and the oceans that connect them 🍑🐟 Filmed on Arran after a weekend showing them my home the chat was full of warmth insight and a fair bit of fun Thanh shared his journey from growi...

🎙️ Featuring: Tom Pearson, David Walker, Chris Manley, Kate Arthur, and Mark Warner This episode is a bit different – recorded live from the first ever NuffFest, a summer gathering of Nuffield scholars with a focus on a crucial question: is your food healing or harming you? 🥦🧠 Led by Wallace and David Rose, the session explores how farming practices directly impact nutrition and public health. F...

Today we welcome Peter Craven onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From Lincolnshire spuds to Natural England strategy, Peter’s story is one of stepping up, stepping back, and then stepping in to shape real change. 🥔➡️🌿 A Nuffield scholar, policy influencer and potato expert, Peter shares how one course jolted him awake to the huge shifts facing UK farming. Since then, he’s gone from perfect Instagram potatoes t...

Today’s guest is someone I’ve followed for years – the incredible Laura Young! 🌍🎙️ From leading the charge to ban disposable vapes across the UK 🚭 to studying climate resilience as part of her PhD, Laura’s life is packed with purpose. She’s part scientist, part activist, and all-in when it comes to protecting people and planet. 💥📚 We talk flooding, fire risks, fashion footprints, and how campa...

Today we welcome Mairi Gougeon to the R2Kast! 🎙️ From local politics in Brechin to becoming Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi’s journey has been anything but typical! Starting out straight from uni into council work (accidentally elected! 😂), her political roots go deep – her first campaign stint was at just 14 years old! 💪 We chat about that surreal moment of w...

Today we welcome Ruth Vichos onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From Shetland to SRUC to TV screens across Scotland, Ruth is a horticulture lecturer with a heart for education and a passion for plants! Now a senior lecturer, Ruth didn’t begin in horticulture (it actually started with nursing!) but soon found her calling in plant science after a family nudge. Her journey includes food security research in Tanzani...