The Best in Field Podcast

Best in Field is back for Season 3 with a new host and fresh conversations about the people and ideas shaping agriculture. In this opening episode, Rupert welcomes Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE , to explore the innovations driving the sector forward. From AI and robotics to data integration and farmer collaboration, Belinda shares her perspective on what really matters in agri-tech, and w...

Are you going to Cereals Event this year? Ever wondered what’s involved for the host Farm of Cereals? How does it affect his operation and rotations? We’ve sat down with Adrew Ward MBE to talk about Cereals 2025 being at his  farm; Heath Farm, in Lincolnshire.     Covering everything from the Cereals Event to Baked Beans, Wardy’s Waffle, to his ongoing involvement in farmer protests up and down th...

It’s time to discuss winter wheat! The UK’s most grown crop. Rob Wilkinson is Director of Farming at Strutt & Parker responsible for managing South EAU Farm Partnership who have won Best in Field for winter wheat 2024 – with a variable cost of production of just £54.16/t. If winter wheat is part of your rotation, this episode is essential listening, as it covers everything from input strategie...

'The right data + The right time = The right decision” - in discussion with Fraser Bain of A.G. & K.J. Bain. This week, we’re in East Lothian with a fourth generation arable farmer discussing how shifting from manual record-keeping to in-season farm analytics has boosted decision-making on his farm. From varieties to gross margins, learn how Fraser dives into the details of his farm record...

Attention to detail and efficiency have never been more important, according to Murray Forsyth –  Managing Partner at Smiddyburn Farms in Aberdeenshire. Winning our award for Best Attention to Detail, Murray speaks with Gabby Hart at YAGRO about how he runs a meticulous operation, and why. From the small changes that drive big results, to a mindset of continuous improvement and the value of collab...

It’s a trio discussion this week between farmers James & Lawrence Spink, joined by their agronomist, Ryan Baker of Frontier. E.W Spink won our Oilseed Rape Award for 2024 with a variable CoP/t of £112.76 and secured 4.6t yield in a high pressure Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle NVZ. This remarkable achievement is owed to many factors and superb attention to detail – listen to hear all about their meth...

Simon Gent, Farm Manager at IX Ltd has won our spring barley award for their 2024 crop of malting Laureate for a variable Cost of Production at just £40.54/t – and have grown spring barley beneath market median for the last 8 years. Listen now to hear the techniques and technology which IX Ltd are using to keep their performance consistent, including software, hardware and inputs.  

Welcome to a brand new Best in Field Award Series for Harvest Year 2024. We’re travelling from Dorset to Aberdeen handing out data-backed awards to our farming champions. Celebrating key metrics like lowest variable cost of production seen across the YAGRO platform. Our winter barley Winner is Dan Moore and the Team at Cranborne Farms in Hampshire – Who landed a variable Costs of Production of £65...

This final episode of Season 1 of the Best in Field Podcast reflects on some discussions with our award-winning farmers, and sets the scene for the upcoming Best in Field award series launching next month. We catch up with Ross Dawson, Customer Success Manager at YAGRO, about the value which historic farm records can bring to modern enterprises. And your host, Luke, switches seats and is interview...

Mental Health Awareness and Support is our topic this week. With the gloomier months upon us, and the pressure on farmers only increasing throughout the industry, we take the time to sit down with YANA – the network supporting farmers through difficult times, reminding them they are not alone. Also joining us is Strategic Farm Manager Ben Martin, who is a meaningful advocate for mental health in f...

A special episode today as YAGRO launch their Harvest 24 Review! Dr Becca Doherty joins us to delve into this comprehensive and free resource for farmers – including some key takeaways and few of her favourite charts and insights. Want to access the Harvest 24 Review for yourself? Head to this link: https://yagro.com/harvest24review  

Two fantastic guests join us this week discussing solutions for farmers at home & abroad. NFU Regional Policy Manager Charles Hesketh shares the many priorities the NFU are working towards, and offers critical insights on the bigger picture around SFI’s and farm resilience. We’re also joined by Gareth Davies, Chair of ISDA Africa – a digital agronomy service driving real change across the Afri...

Chris Guest is Managing Director of NPZ-UK, the plant breeding experts formerly known as LSPB. In this episode, Chris lifts the lid on the little-known but exhaustive journey new varieties must go on to reach the RL/NL Lists. How does a variety make it to market? And what research is conducted to ensure it does what it says on the tin? We’re also joined by YAGRO’s Charlie Apter, who speaks about t...

The Accidental YouTuber Olly Harrison joins us this month to discuss his ‘two crops one year’ system and shares his thoughts on the role of SFI’s and agri-influencers, whilst Area Manager for United Oilseeds Peter Collier sits down with Luke to chat about the current state of OSR in the UK, and what the future may hold for this valuable break crop. To join Peter’s wattsapp group CLICK HERE

This episode we’re catching up with a few of the panellists from the Seed to Shelf Stage at Cereals. Rachel Fenwick of Hectare offers her insight on the importance and practicality of efficient grain trading, and Edwin Van Leeuwen, one of the brain’s behind YAGRO’s software, shares his unique perspective on the future of software and farm data.

We’re back! And talking about an exciting new publication – The Chemical and Fertiliser Review, 2024. A comprehensive analysis of inputs and trends over time, highlighting how these affect crop production and costs, this review is steeped in value for arable farmers seeking up-to-date information to keep their operations ahead.     This episode, you’ll be hearing from Biostimulant Specialist Jack...

This week contains conversations from the other side of the hedgerow, with Dr Julian Little and Emily Dimond – both professionals driving value in agriculture from their respective areas. Julian dives into the topic of farm data, both in it’s current state and what the future may hold, from the perspective of being a key facilitator for Farm Data Principles - a non-profit certification scheme dedi...

The Spring Barley Best in Field award for 2023 went to Chris Papworth and the team at Little Staughton Farms. We spoke with Chris about his overall operation, and he offers reasons for favouring Spring Barley in the rotation, alongside some of the techniques and machinery that have helped him grow an outstanding crop of Laureate. We’re also joined by Craig Dawson, Maltings Manager at Muntons, to s...

Farm Manager Frazer Jolly at Saltby Farms joins us with his  Agronomist Damian McAuley of Indigro. This light-hearted yet highly insightful conversation reveals a working relationship that focuses on overcoming challenges whilst navigating shifting landscapes and priorities. We’re then joined by Andy Newbold who, amongst many other things, is the Director of Farm-Smart Publishing & Farm-Smart...

Harry Middleditch of D F Middleditch in Suffolk has won our award for Winter Oats! With a smashing variable Cost of Production of £48.50/t. This fascinating conversation with Harry explored how he continues to evolve his operation to futureproof his farm and stay profitable - including his salient insight of “optimising costs” instead of simply “cutting costs.” We’re also joined by Alli McEntyre G...

In this episode, we’re speaking to our Winter Barley winner James Nott of J R & E H Nott, who directs his farming enterprise in Suffolk alongside his partner Debbie Nott. James talks all things rotations, diversification and premiums in a conversation that highlights the many ways he stays ahead. We’re also joined by Ben Hatton at Farmplan who speaks about the role of Farm Management Software...

Will Oliver of A H Oliver & Son has won our award for Winter Beans! Learn why Will values this “Cinderella Crop” in his rotation, and what his thoughts are around SFI’s & food production. We’re also joined by the ever-entertaining online Ag influencer Joe Seels, who shares why he began his farming channels and how he amassed over 56’000 followers on TikTok.

This opening episode of the Best in Field Podcast features multi-award winning OSR grower Graham Innes of A P Innes, alongside farmer and machinery pioneer Jeff Claydon. Tune in to hear Graham’s methods for consistently producing quality OSR at low variable costs, and what Jeff had to say about the changes he’s witnessed in Ag since launching a world first in 1981.