RASE Farm of the Future

In this conversation, Ben Hunt, a sustainability consultant, discusses the complexities of carbon markets, particularly focusing on the role of farmers in carbon sequestration. He explains the differences between regulated and voluntary carbon markets, the importance of additionality in carbon credits, and the challenges farmers face in navigating this evolving landscape. The discussion highlights...

In this conversation, Jake Freestone, Farm Manager at Overbury Farms, discusses the multifaceted approach to modern farming, emphasising the importance of regenerative agriculture, resilience in the face of climate change, and the role of organisations like LEAF. He shares insights on the challenges of improving wheat yields, the necessity of long-term thinking in farming practices, and the import...

In this conversation, Tim Stephens discusses the intersection of water management and farming, emphasising the importance of collaboration between farmers and water companies to improve water quality. He outlines the challenges faced in maintaining water standards, the investments made to support farmers, and the various strategies employed to engage with them. The discussion also covers the need...

In this conversation, Jade Prince, head of soils at Hutchinson's, discusses the critical role of soil health in agriculture, the importance of knowledge exchange among farmers, and the innovative research and technologies being developed to enhance soil management practices. Jade shares insights from her upcoming Nuffield research on soil biological analysis and emphasizes the need for collaborati...

In this conversation, Charlie Steer, an arable manager at Grosvenor Farms, discusses the principles and practices of circular farming systems. He emphasizes the importance of sustainable agriculture, nutrient management, and the integration of biodiversity and water management. Charlie shares insights on the evolution of farming practices, the economic viability of circular systems, and the signif...

In this conversation, Toby Simpson discusses his experiences and insights on cover cropping in agriculture, focusing on its benefits for soil health, resilience, and biodiversity. He shares his journey from traditional farming practices to adopting cover crops and no-till systems, highlighting the importance of experimentation and learning from global practices. The discussion also touches on comm...

For this episode we’re looking back upon series two of RASE Farm of the Future Podcast. Host Iory is joined by series producer Natasha Smith for a reflection upon some of the key takeaways from the series. They share their thoughts on recruitment in the farming industry today, their learnings from Iory’s conversations with guests throughout the series and the concepts and ideas where they see real...

For this episode we’re joined by Paul Harris, founder and MD of Real Success Ltd. which offers recruitment consultancy, HR advice, succession planning and leadership training. Paul shares his ten foundation stones that underpin the recruitment process basics and outlines what farm businesses can do to ensure they’re hiring the very best people. Paul speaks at a wide variety of major farming indust...

For this episode we are joined by Peter Craven, Head of Agriculture at Natural England, to focus on running a family business. Peter, who has focused his career on helping others to succeed, provides simple and universal advice for navigating the complexities of running a family business, from family charters, crucial questions at the core of the business, to management, leadership, and succession...

For this episode we’re joined by Richard Hooper, director of The Future Farm at Harper Adams University, which provides teaching and research of mixed farming operations across arable, pigs, sheep, poultry, beef and dairy over its 493 hectares, whilst operating as a commercial farm. Richard is also an agricultural management specialist with over three decades of experience. He’s a Nuffield scholar...

For this episode we’re joined by Ifan Roberts, a contract dairy farmer originally from North Wales, who brings a sense of positivity when talking about dairy farming. His mission is to openly share the positives of his experiences as a dairy farmer, through his Nuffield report to help inspire others into the sector.   Ifan’s experience of dairy farming has surpassed his expectations leaving colleg...

For this episode we’re joined by Helen Wyman, founder of TwoCan Mentor, a company that connects individuals across the food, farm and horticultural ecosystems, to pass on knowledge and skills. Helen’s belief is that everyone in the ag industry needs a mentor. Helen’s excellent understanding of both the industry and the people working within it stems from her work in farming and renewables sectors,...

For this episode host Iory Hughes is joined by Chris Manley, founder of consultancy Traction Limited, which leads sustainability strategies and supply chain initiatives for some of the UK’s biggest retailers including M&S, Müller, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Chris did a Nuffield Scholarship in which he researched what great leadership looks like in farming teams. Chris is also the pioneer of Walk W...

For this episode host Iory Hughes is joined by dairy farmer Liz Haines, who works with Farmers Weekly on the Level Field campaign. Liz undertook a Nuffield Scholarship to help the industry better understand the needs of those in agriculture who are neurodivergent, and how they can be better supported in their work. Prior to farming Liz worked in publishing, specialising in autism and special educa...

For this episode host Iory Hughes is joined by Dan Smith, an agroecological farmer and consultant from the Wye Valley who is driven by cultivating both healthy eco-systems, and the next generation who will build and continue to care for them. Dan works with land managers to transition to more environmentally conscious systems of land management. In this episode he gives us excellent insight and pr...

Introducing the new series of the Farm of the Future podcast: Solving Staffing in Ag. Hosted by Iory Hughes, this season explores how to build, retain, and support high-performing farm teams. From next-gen labour to leadership pipelines, each episode features conversations with farmers, Nuffield scholars and industry experts exploring fresh thinking and real-farm solutions to the staffing challeng...

For this episode we’re joined by David Speller from OptiFarm, to talk about how artificial intelligence can be used in livestock farming. During the episode we discuss how artificial intelligence can already be used in livestock farming and how deep learning AI can be used to accelerate agricultural know-how.

For this episode we’re joined by Alastair Leake from the Allerton Project, to talk about regenerative root crops. Alastair was the winner of the 2023 RASE National Agricultural Award, which was presented in recognition of how he has developed The Allerton Project to demonstrate how farming can deliver food production and environmental outcomes simultaneously.   During the episode we dig into how r...

Regenerative farming means different things to different people. For our November 2023 Farm of the Future podcast episode, Deborah Crossan from Innovation for Agriculture and Natasha Smith from RASE spoke to John Cherry, co-founder of Groundswell and a regenerative farmer, to understand his perspective on regenerative agriculture.   In John’s words, regenerative farming refers to “Any farming syst...

Listen to this episode to hear how calf monitoring technologies can be used to improve calf health and growth rates, impacting both farm profitability and environmental outcomes.  For this episode, Natasha Smith and Laura Palczynski from Innovation for Agriculture are joined by livestock vet Emily Linton, from Torch Farm Vets and Chris Dorrington from Smartbell . Emily, Chris and Laura are all inc...

Listen to episode two of the RASE Farm of the Future podcast to hear how farming at the maximum sustainable output can increase farm profitability, free up farmers’ time and deliver environmental benefits. For this episode Natasha Smith and Arran Redman from Innovation for Agriculture were joined by Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network. They discuss the findings of the ‘Farming at...

In this episode, we are joined by Kit Franklin from Harper Adams University, to delve into the possibilities of using autonomous vehicles on UK farms. Kit was one of the pioneering team of agri-tech researchers behind the Hands Free Hectare. Back in 2017, this team were the first to grow a crop entirely using autonomous vehicles, without any operators in driving seats or agronomists on the ground....