The Farmers Guardian Podcast

Getting your foot on the farming ladder in the modern day can be a tricky business. However, one young couple turned their life upside down to make it work. In this episode of For Flock’s Sake , the Farmers Guardian podcast championing young voices in farming, hosts Ellie Layton and Tom Ryder sit down with Will Riddington and Katie Andrews, who relocated from southern England to Northumberland aft...

Join three Farmers Guardian journalists: Jane Thynne, Toby Whatley and Ash Ellwood as they reflect on their time at Groundswell, discussing the ideas, research and conversations that stood out most.   From practical innovations and farmer experiences to the latest thinking on regenerative agriculture, they share what they learned, what surprised them and what deserves closer scrutiny.   The discus...

With Scottish agriculture at a pivotal point, farmers John McCulloch, David Barron and Kirsten Williams discussed the challenges and opportunities for Scotland's farming sector with Farmers Guardian at the Royal Highland Show. Message us

The latest Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions have arrived, bringing fresh opportunities for farmers, but also plenty of questions. In this episode, we sit down with Megan Whatty, Hutchinsons environmental specialist, to unpack the latest developments, explore what has changed, and discuss what the new actions could mean for farm businesses across the country.   With funding levels lower...

Following another fantastic Royal Highland Show, Farmers Guardian takes a look at the highs, the topics of conversation and the challenges facing the farming industry in Scotland, with the First Minister committed to price caps on essential food items and fears over the future of the pig sector. Message us

In this special episode of the Farmers Guardian podcast, FG's news and business team discuss the Prime Minister's resignation, the impact on agriculture and the prospects of Andy Burnham as the next resident of Number 10. Message us

The FG team reflects on the main action from this year’s event held at Diddly Squat including budget announcements, celebrity sightings and some encouraging slug statistics. Message us

With a cattle TB vaccine targeted by 2030 as the Government aims to eradicate bTB by 2038, Farmers Guardian livestock specialist Ellie Layton hosted a debate at the Royal Cornwall Show. Farmers and experts debated the next steps for bTB control in England. Guests included beef farmer Paul Westaway, who farms in a high-risk area in Gloucestershire and is a member of the Bovine TB Partnership; Alan...

In this episode of the Farmers Guardian podcast, deputy editor Alex Black and head of news and business Jane Thynne discuss the return of Clarkson's Farm for its fifth series on Prime Video. The news and business team take a look at the key themes of the series, from Jeremy Clarkson’s health to the changes to Inheritance Tax and the ups and downs of the farming year, and whether the popular s...

Farming accounts for around 20% of UK workplace deaths despite making up just 1% of the workforce. In the first episode of our FarmersAid series, in partnership with RABI, Professor Stuart Maitland-Knibb explains why the first few minutes after a serious farm accident are where survival is decided, why fear can stop people from acting, and how the new FarmersAid app is designed to change that. To...

Jeff and Katie Aiken join Farmers Guardian’s Ellie Layton and Tom Ryder for the latest episode of For Flock’s Sake. Known throughout the sheep world for their success with the renowned Procters Texel flock, the Aiken family have experienced both the highs of pedigree sheep breeding and the challenge of starting again. In this episode, Jeff and Katie discuss growing up in livestock, life on the sho...

For years, many growers questioned whether oilseed rape still had a future in UK arable rotations. Pressure from cabbage stem flea beetle, difficult establishment seasons and rising input costs pushed confidence in the crop to some of its lowest levels in decades. But after two stronger seasons, sentiment is beginning to shift. So why is oilseed rape making a comeback on some farms? What are succe...

The Farmers' Choir stormed through Britain's Got Talent semi-finals at weekend, soaring in to the final as possible winners. With the whole of the UK's farming community behind them, the choir hope to spotlight some of the main issues facing agriculture, such as mental health and isolation. The choir was originally set up by Jeremy Clarkson to promote his Hawkstone beer and cider bu...

In the wake of the elections in Wales and Scotland, and the uncertainty over the future of Sir Keir Starmer, Alex Black and Jane Thynne discuss the latest changes in politics and what it means for the agriculture sector. Message us

What does a career in agriculture look like in 2026? On this episode of the Farmers Guardian podcast, students and staff from Myerscough College discuss modern farming careers, college life, the changes in the industry over the recent decades and the opportunities available across the agricultural sector. A massive thanks to David, Rachael, Molly and Josh for their time and to Myerscough College f...

Livestock auction marts are a vital cog in keeping the rural community turning, with around 130 active auction marts scattered across the UK. Nowhere is this more evident than in Northumberland, the least densely populated county in England.   In this episode of For Flock’s Sake, the Farmers Guardian podcast championing young voices in farming, hosts Ellie Layton and Tom Ryder sit down with auctio...

Join us for our second arable special where Farmers Guardian head of arable, Ash Ellwood, visits Duchy of Cornwall's Focus Farmers, Heather and Paul Gorringe. Together, they explore the Gorringes' journey from a conventionally plough-based system to a biologically focused, regenerative system - and lessons they are learning along the way through the Focus Farmer programme.   The Duchy of...

In this week's Farmers Guardian podcast, we take a look at the wool industry, touching on its diversity and the problems faced within the industry. We are joined with Harriet Fletcher Gilhuys, textiles researcher at Fashion Roundtable who will talk about the Great British Wool Revival and its support for the farm to fabric journey.   Message us

War in the Middle East is placing a heavy toll on UK farmers. Coverage in Farmers Guardian in recent weeks has revealed the extent and impact of skyrocketing prices to red diesel, heating oil and fertiliser since the Middle East crisis escalated on February 28. The crisis has placed an additional £25,000 on fuel bills for some farm businesses, and others have claimed the UK is lurching into a food...

In partnership with the Cultivate ‘Leading Through Change’ Conference, Farmers Guardian editorial director Olivia Midgley speaks to chair of Noble Foods, Sarah Dean and fifth generation cider-maker Eleanor Thatcher of Thatchers Cider, about what good leadership looks like in family businesses, the opportunities and threats on the horizon and why weight loss jabs and artificial intelligence should...

As the first farmer to appear on The Great British Bake Off, Mike Greenwood-Wilkins managed to bring farming to the masses. In this special, Mike talks about his family arable farm and getting funding for a new farm shop which will be his legacy, Government support - or lack of - and, of course, shouting about farming on the nation’s favourite baking programme. Message us

For Flock’s Sake is Farmers Guardian’s new podcast series giving young farmers a voice on the issues shaping the future of British agriculture. Hosted by Farmers Guardian’s Ellie Layton and Tom Ryder, both young farmers themselves, the podcast explores the challenges, opportunities and realities facing the next generation, from policy and funding to food production and rural life. In this first ep...

With oil prices rising in response to US action in Iran, analyst Rupert Somerscales speaks to the Farmers Guardian team about the relationship with wheat and oilseed prices, and what the geopolitical situation means for agriculture, and farmers' grain marketing plans. Message us

Thousands of tonnes of perfectly good arable produce never leave the farm gate, due to spoilage, market gluts, or shifting contracts. But what actually happens to that surplus? In this episode, head of arable Ash Ellwood visits a re-distribution site in Merseyside to dig into the true scale of on-farm waste and follow the journey of surplus produce beyond the field. Discover how FareShare and The...

Following last week's judicial review into the changes to Inheritance Tax, the Farmers Guardian news team discuss the case and what it means. We hear from Jane Thynne who was reporting in the court room, alongside claimant and farmer Tom Martin, Shadow Defra Secretary Victoria Atkins and businessman Steve Perez. Message us