The FarmED Podcast

Hallam Duckworth talks to Kate about setting up the cow-calf Dairyy at Honeydale. They discuss the challenges and the highs and lows - from getting weaning times right to retaining customers, developing a business plan and fulfilling his dream of making ice cream and selling it to customers at festivals.

Ian talks to Cotswold Seeds Technical Manager, Sam Lane, about what’s in a herbal ley and how they can be tailored for different soils and uses. They discuss the benefits they bring above and below ground, improving soil fertility and encouraging earthworms, while reducing parasitic worms in livestock. Sam also talks about the new, more flexible, herbal ley options with SFI.

Jim Pearse reminisces about farming Honeydale from the 1950s until 2013, when he and his wife Wendy retired and passed the baton to Ian and Celene Wilkinson. 

In advance of FarmED’s unique one-day, CPD-accredited Rural Mental Health Course in February, Kate talks to Alex Philmore from the Farming Community Network (FCN) about this issue, why 92% of farmers under 40 believe poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem they face and what you can do to notice the signs and make a difference.

Ian talks to our intern Abi about her degree in zoology and masters in tropical ecology and conservation and how it’s brought her to regenerative farming. Abi talks about starting a career in regenerative agriculture and agroecology, overcoming barriers and imposter syndrome and why she loves working in the Kitchen Garden.

Tanya talks to Fiona about taking honey bees back to their ancestral home in the trees. At FarmED free-living bees occupy hollow cavities made in old trees by wood sculptor Rhys Davies. She talks about the hive mind, encompassing intelligence of bees, mating patterns, communication channels and the differences between wild and managed colonies. She also explains how honey can help cure skin proble...

Danielle talks about using waste from the FarmED kitchen to produce rich compost for use in the Kitchen Garden, minimising food waste. She talks us through Compost tumblers, Bokashi (a Japanese form of fermentation) and using earthworms and microorganisms to produce the richest compost.

What does Farm to Fork food mean and how does it work in restaurants and at home? Sally and Fiona discuss supply chains, food miles, working with Community Supported Agriculture Schemes, and how to eat more seasonally and nutritionally. Recipe tips included! 

Tim May from Kingsclere Estate talks about his innovative Pitch-Up project (running throughout November), a creative way of opening up opportunities for farming entrepreneurs, from shepherds to chicken enterprises and counsellors. He discusses the importance of including a budget for mental health and embracing the ‘cycle of change’.

Ever wondered how farmers decide what to grow in their fields each season? Do you remember learning about Turnip Townsend in history lessons at school? Ian explains how growing a succession of different crops reduces the need for chemicals and improves the quality of the soil, offering environmental and economic sustainability. He discusses the eight year rotation at FarmED, including four year he...

Podcast hosts, Kate and Danielle, introduce the brand new series of FarmED Podcasts. They discuss our new flagship course, An Introduction to Agriculture and talk about their own introductions to agriculture. Kate talks about her grandfather, George Henderson and his inspiring book, The Farming Ladder, while Danielle talks about her passion for earthworms. 

Jonty Brunyee from FarmED talks to Julie Cleijne, CEO & Founder of Sustainable Kitchen Consultants, about sustainable sourcing of food with a focus on the hospitality sector.  Hear about the challenge facing the sector, and farm to fork sourcing to benefit the planet, human health and your food business. 

‘We can talk about soils and farming all day but without great leaders we are going nowhere' - Jonty Brunyee. Jonty talks to John Knights, former Corporate Vice President of a Fortune 100 company in the US and Co-founder of LeaderShape Global. John explains how leadership is much more than just about telling people what to do - it’s about influencing, persuading and engaging others. John specialis...

On Friday, 16th September, we are delighted to welcome famed US author, environmental lawyer turned rancher, Nicolette Hahn Niman, to FarmED for a special event exploring how cattle can be good for the planet and the role of beef in a healthy balanced diet. In advance of the event Jonty talked to Nicolette about her book, ‘Defending Beef’ and how, if managed well, cows can play an essential role i...

In this new episode of The FarmED Podcast we look forward to EmergentGeneration22 (02 Sept, 10:00 – 04 Sept) with vet turned nutritionist, Dr. Lucy Williamson and her daughter, Jane who was part of the co-design workshop for the event. Jane is currently working on organic farms in Scotland during her gap year before studying for a degree in biology. She is passionate about sustainable food systems...

Edd Colbert talks to framland bird specialist, James Kempton, from the University of Oxford. James is conducting surveys of birds at FarmED as part of a supplementary bird feeding project across the NE Cotswold Farmer Cluster Group. He talks about the importance of birds as part of an integrated farmland ecosystem and the benefits to farmers of increased numbers of bird species on their land. Edd...

FarmED is working with 3LM, The Savory Network Hub in the UK and Ireland, to deliver 12 days of comprehensive holistic management training in 2022. This training is ideal for pioneering farmers, land managers and advisers with a passion for regenerative agriculture. We are running the training over four three-day blocks in 2022. We will first introduce the fundamentals of holistic management befor...

Later this year, Soil expert Niels Corfield is partnering with FarmED for a series of regenerative soil health courses - for arable, livestock farmers and veg growers - and here he talks to Programme Coordinator, Edd Colbert about the importance of soil health. He explains how ‘mismanaged soil and ecosystems have created economic issues as a product of ecological decline, but the good news is that...

Our Food and Nutrition Coordinator, Alexis Sinclair, talks to Dr Sally Bell who is hosting 'Doctor on the Farm: Mood Food' here at FarmED on June 13th. Hear about her five foundations of health, the importance of how our food is produced for both our health and that of the planet, and how to make immediate changes in your daily lives with food that feeds your gut and brain.

Sarah Wolferstan is an EVOO taster and Sicilian olive farmer and oil producer. Here, she talks to our Food and Nutrition Coordinator, Alexis Sinclair, about her life among the olive groves and gives us a flavour of the tasting workshop and dinner she’ll be leading here at FarmED in July! What makes a good extra virgin olive oil and how do you recognise it? Why is olive oil so good for our health,...

Jonty talks to Danielle Semple from Exeter University about her passion for geography, earthworms and soil health.

Jonty talks to Jimmy Woodrow, Manager of the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association. What does Pasture For Life mean and where is it heading?  What’s the difference between pasture for life and the more common term, grass-fed? Jimmy talks about everything from stocking rates to yields, the nutritional benefits for humans, evidence of reduced med bills for farmers and how rotational grazing can loc...

Jonty, our General Manager, is joined by Claire Thayers from Happerley Transparent and Dr Richard Baines, Senior Lecturer at the RAU. What is food tourism and how can it aid the rural economy? What’s the best way to create enhanced experiences for locals and visitors? What are the opportunities and challenges facing rural entrepreneurs post Covid and Brexit? Jonty, Richard and Claire discuss every...

When writer, broadcaster  and environmental campaigner George Monbiot returned to FarmED to continue his journey to learn more about sustainable food production, we took the opportunity to gather together some young farmers and environmentalists to ask him some probing questions and record a podcast. Areas up for debate ranged from the need for criteria to define regenerative agriculture, plu...

We’re joined by FarmED Founder, Ian Wilkinson; Ali Mirza from Cotswold Made Co; James Butterworth from the Cotswold Market Garden and Nick Pullen from Wild Thyme restaurant in Chipping Norton. Chaired by FarmED Manager, Jonty Brunyee, they talk about their personal stories of how the pandemic has impacted their businesses and the challenges and opportunities facing growers, restaurateurs and farm...