R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Today as part of the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar podcast which aims to share the stories of Nuffield UK Alumni, we welcome Heather Wildman — an unstoppable force in UK agriculture, leadership development, and communication training. From a Cumbrian hill farm to global influence, Heather’s story is packed with grit, growth, and generosity. 🌍 Heather takes us from New Zealand’s dairy scene to cowbo...

Today we welcome George Lyon onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A seventh-generation tenant farmer from the Isle of Bute, George shares his journey from milking cows to shaping Scottish agricultural policy. With roots in beef, sheep, and dairy farming, his early life was grounded in the rhythms of island agriculture. 🐄🌿 George reflects on his transition into politics and how representing his community became c...

Today we welcome Ffinlo Costain onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Known for founding the Farmgate Podcast and 8.9ha media platform, Ffinlo is a leading voice in agroecology and regenerative agriculture. He opens up about his journey from the Isle of Man NFU to running one of the UK’s most thoughtful agri-podcasts, championing land use reform through science-led storytelling. 🌾🎧 We dive into his early media wo...

Today we welcome William Murray onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A sheep and beef farmer with a thriving equine livery in Scotland, Will shares his insights on the daily chaos of lambing, the tough choices farms face when diversifying, and the emotional toll of working in an industry that too often leaves its people behind. 🐑🚜 We talk about the shift from indoor to outdoor lambing, and how weather can make o...

Today we welcome James Kennedy onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A mixed farmer from East Lothian, James shares his journey from Northern Ireland to building a 650-hectare beef and arable operation in Scotland. With a strong focus on efficient systems and full traceability, James opens up about balancing crop rotations, clubroot issues, and trialling new break crops like winter beans. 🚜🌾 We dive into the evol...

Today as part of the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar podcast which aims to share the stories of Nuffield UK Alumni we welcome Jenna Ross. 🌍 With her OBE, international research, and deep love for agriculture, Jenna’s story is one of purpose, innovation, and global impact. ✨ Jenna discusses her journey from a family farm in Aberdeenshire to becoming one of the youngest women to receive an OBE for ser...

Today we welcome Kyle Esplin onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Known globally as a high-energy pianist and performer, Kyle shares his powerful journey from international stages to being bedbound by a devastating post-viral fatigue syndrome. What followed was a long recovery that reshaped his life and introduced him to the world of hemp. 🎹✈️ After traditional medicine failed him, Kyle discovered the benefits of...

Today we welcome David Wheatley onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From a shy farmer’s son with no set direction to a social media standout and peony pioneer, David’s story is one of remarkable resilience. Starting with 30 rented acres and a bumper crop of potatoes, he built his farm up to 450 acres—all while overcoming asthma, inheritance barriers, and a brutal fire that wiped out nearly everything. 🚜🌾 David...

Today we welcome Liam Davies-Jones onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From law courts to livestock sheds, Liam’s journey is one of shifting careers and finding purpose in the fields of West Wales. Once a solicitor juggling conveyancing and probate, he now manages a suckler herd alongside his fiancée Sandy, all while moonlighting as a fencing contractor and content creator! ⚖️🚜 We explore his transition from leg...

Today we welcome Kirsty McInnes onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From a childhood phobia of slugs to earning her PhD in plant molecular genetics, Kirsty’s story is a brilliant blend of curiosity, courage, and crawling critters. Her fascination with slugs started with fear, but evolved into a passion that now sees her advocating for integrated land management and slug appreciation alike! 🐌🔬 We dive into Kirst...

Today, as part of the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar series, we welcome James Peck, a forward-thinking Cambridgeshire farmer whose story spans generations, industries, and continents. From humble beginnings and a family steeped in transport and medicine, James carved a unique path into large-scale arable farming and agribusiness diversification. 🌾 James founded PX Farms at 26, building a business mo...

Today we welcome Charleigh Arnold onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From theatre studies and retail to full-time dairy farming and professional dog training, Charleigh’s journey is a masterclass in embracing change and following passion. With a background far from agriculture, she’s now thriving in the field—literally—with cows by day and gundogs by weekend! 🐄🐶 We chat about her leap from managing River Islan...

Today we welcome Michael Rolfe onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Known to many as Mikey, Michael is a proud Lanarkshire lad with a passion for agricultural engineering. From helping his dad in the workshop to leading at the West Region level of SAYFC, Mikey’s journey is one of dedication, pride in workmanship, and lifelong learning. 🔧🌾 We delve into Mikey’s route into ag engineering, from a school work experi...

Today we welcome Jack Bradley onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Jack’s journey into agriculture didn’t begin in a field, but on a beach in Kavos! A holiday romance introduced him to milking cows and kicked off an unexpected but passionate career in dairy farming. 🌾💬 Having long dreamed of a life in the military, Jack’s path was repeatedly interrupted by injury and medical discharge. After years of fighting to...

Today we welcome Jamie Bartley onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Jamie is the CEO and founder of Unyte Group, a dynamic business tackling decarbonisation in the built environment through retrofit solutions, waste remediation, training, and scaling hemp as a carbon-negative material! ♻️🌱 Jamie shares how Unyte has grown from a vision of low-carbon retrofit to a hub of innovation—developing hemp-based insulation...

Today as part of the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar podcast which aims to share the stories of Nuffield UK Alumni we welcome Tony Pexton and James Pick. 🌍✨ With nearly 50 years between their scholarships, this episode beautifully contrasts two eras of learning, travel, and transformation in UK agriculture. 🚜 Tony shares his 1975 Nuffield journey 50 years on, reflecting on studying sheep and big fl...

Today we welcome Chloe Lucas onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Chloe’s story is one of transformation—beginning in London as a children’s nurse with no farming background, to becoming a passionate advocate for agriculture through her work with Highland cattle. 🐮🌱 Chloe opens up about the mental health struggles she faced during the pandemic as an NHS paediatric nurse and how this led her to discover a new pat...

Today we welcome Alix Ritchie onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ A true stalwart of Scottish agriculture, Alix shares her remarkable journey—from a childhood on a non-working farm to becoming a respected voice in rural education and mental well-being. 🌿 Alix and her husband John run Montalt Farm in Perthshire, where they focus on regenerative grazing, reducing inputs, and aiming to farm without subsidies. 🐑 Th...

Today, we welcome Euan Bremner onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ From the northernmost tip of mainland Scotland to working on massive arable farms in England and Australia, Euan’s journey in agriculture has been shaped by a mix of home, travel, and leadership. 🌍🚜 Euan grew up on his family’s beef and sheep farm in Caithness but initially wasn’t certain about a farming career. Instead, he pursued agricultural...

Today, we welcome Annie Winn onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Annie’s journey from studying animal husbandry to founding She Sells Socials, Events, and More has been anything but conventional! 🌾📱 Annie shares her unexpected path into agriculture, from working in farm certification to marketing for the Addington Fund and eventually taking the leap into self-employment. 🚀 Her story highlights the value of ada...

Today, as part of the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar podcast, which aims to share the stories of Nuffield UK Alumni, we welcome Neville and Di Stangroom! 🌍✨ Their journey through agriculture, fruit growing, and Nuffield has been filled with innovation, travel, and a deep commitment to the industry. 🚜🍎 I found a lot of similarities between that or Di and Neville’s relationship to that of Yasmine a...

Today, we welcome Patrick Snelle onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Patrick’s journey through agriculture has taken him from lambing in Wales to farming on remote islands and even managing a sheep dairy in Dorset. 🐑🌍 I want to say this episodes comes with a disclaimer that we talk about a real example of attempted suicide. Growing up outside of farming, Patrick found his way into the industry through family co...

Today, we welcome Kelly Hewson-Fisher onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Kelly’s journey from growing up on a dairy farm to becoming Head of Rural Research at Savills is nothing short of inspiring. 🌱💧 Kelly shares how her parents started farming by selling their wedding gifts to buy cows and rent land. 🐄 She reflects on her path through Harper Adams, her time with ADAS as an agricultural business consultant,...

Today, we welcome Joanne Hall onto the R2Kast! 🎙️ Joanne’s journey is nothing short of fascinating—from studying architecture to travelling the world and making a huge impact in the Young Farmers community. 🌍✨ Joanne shares her experience pursuing a six-year architecture degree at Glasgow School of Art 🏛️ and how her career led her to working with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotlan...

Today we welcome my dad, Colin Currie, back for his second appearance on the podcast and my partner, Yasmine, for her first! 🏡🎤 We chat about our journey into farming, from Colin’s lifelong connection to the land to Yas’ unexpected route into shepherding after a childhood love for animals. 🐏💚 Colin updates us on his ongoing mission to visit every livestock market in the UK, sharing highlights...