Farm Gate
By ffinlo Costain
Produced by Farmwel: www.farmwel.org.uk/
With financial support from Our Sankalpa: oursankalpa.org/
Farm GateMay 31, 2021
Live panel: Natural Capital - What farmers and policy makers need to know
In this panel session we discuss a new report, Natural Capital: what farmers and policy makers need to know, which seeks to understand how new and emerging markets in natural capital fit into a changing landscape for farmers. The report was commissioned by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission – it was written by Professor Fergus Lyon and Dr Amy Burnett from Middlesex University – and it was supported by the Prince’s Countryside Fund.
ffinlo Costain, Chief Editor of 8point9.com, is joined by:
Professor Fergus Lyon – author of the report – and director of the Centre for Enterprise, Environment and Development Research at Middlesex University.
Lucy Bates -co-lead for the Farming Transition Programme at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.
And Charlie Davis, a partner at Sylvestris Land Management, a land and rural business consultancy specialising in environmental land management.
Live panel: Alternative Food Summit
The one with George Eustice
George Eustice has been the Conservative MP for Camborne and Redruth since 2010. He was a Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2020 - and served as the Secretary of State at Defra from 2020 to 2022.
Mr Eustice has been the longest serving minister at Defra in the post-referendum period, providing a relatively rare point of consistency and stability in what was a time of substantial disruption in British politics.
In this podcast Mr Eustice discusses his time in government, with the Chief Editor of https://8point9.com, ffinlo Costain.
Outwintering cattle
Outwintering your cattle herd in an agroecological farm system can reduce both costs and environmental impacts - but while ever more producers are taking this approach it's still far from common place. In this programme we discuss how to design an outwintering system that maintains productivity and ensures good cattle health and welfare.
ffinlo Costain is joined by Silas Hedley-Lawrence and Clare Hill from FAI Farms in Oxfordshire.
Regen: the next decade
While regenerative agriculture itself isn't new, popular interest and the increasingly widespread deployment of regenerative principles, is a product of a global conversation that has taken place largely within the last decade. Despite that, regenerative farming has already become mainstream, with large businesses and corporations investing in research and embedding ambitious regenerative targets, and even government ministers urging producers to take up regenerative methods.
So what happens next - what does the next decade look like for regenerative agriculture?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Caroline Grindrod, founder of Roots of Nature, Sue Pritchard, chief executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, and by Jonty Brunyee, the Head of Farming and Food at FarmED.
Where the wilder things are
Wilder Doddington is at the start of a hundred year project to bring more nature back to the Doddington Estate - working to restore ecosystems to benefit people and nature. In this programme ffinlo Costain is joined by Wilder Doddington's Isobel Wright and the independent farm advisor, Liz Genever, who's working with Isobel and advising on cattle management. The conversation ranges from the exciting activity at Wilder Doddington to a discussion about some of the more controversial aspects of the rewilding movement.
Growing a fashion revolution
Environmental breakdown and global population rise have led to a strong focus on food supply chains, but the way that we produce fibre is equally important. At least 60% of our clothes are now made using synthetic, petrochemical-based fabrics - all of which need to be replaced. Natural animal or plant-based fibres will become resurgent on the cat walks and on the high street - so the need to reform and integrate food and fashion supply chains is urgent.
ffinlo Costain talks to Cate Havstad-Casad, farmer and founder of Range Revolution, an Oregon-based company which produces luxury leather products from certified regenerative ranches.
Glamping and camping
The world of glamping may seem remote from the every day toil of working with crops and livestock, but for six months of the year it can provide a hugely important source of income that can be used to underpin other aspects of farming life.
ffinlo Costain is joined by Hannah Jefferson from Woodfrys Farm in Dorset and Jessica Allen-Back from Home Farm Glamping in Elstree.
The future of dairy?
This is the final programme in our Regen Dairy mini-series. Today we're visiting Germany, and ffinlo Costain talks to two regenerative dairy farmers - Anja Hradetzky, who farms at Hof Stolze Kuh in northeast Brandenburg, and Annabelle Gerard who farms at Hof Tangsehl in Lower Saxony.
Regen Dairy is a partnership project of Farmwel and FAI Farms, in collaboration with Arla Foods, Barry Callebaut, Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever, and Woolworth South Africa - you can find out more about the project at regendairy.org
Conscious food
ffinlo Costain talks to Thomas Legrand, author of Politics of Being, and Lead Technical Advisor to the Conscious Food Systems Alliance - and Klaudia Shevelyuk, a sustainability consultant and communications manager for the UN's Inner Development Goals.
Klaudia also talks about her harrowing experience of conflict in Ukraine, and explains how the IDGs helped her to cope.
The great plant-based con
ffinlo Costain speaks to Jayne Buxton, author of The Great Plant-Based Con. Jayne has written novels and non-fiction, published articles in The Independent and The Guardian, and has been an ambassador for the Real Food Campaign and the Public Health Collaboration.
The Great Plant-Based Con, explains why eating a plants-only diet won't improve our health or save the planet - and it's available from all good book stores on-line or on-the-street.
COP27 and food systems - what happened?
COP27 is over. Temperatures continue to rise. There's still no consensus about the role of land use and agriculture. Did anything good emerge from Sharm El-Sheikh in terms of food systems & climate change?
ffinlo Costain is joined by three experts:
Patty Fong, Program Director, Climate and Health and Well-being, Global Alliance for the Future of Food,
Adele Jones, executive director, Sustainable Food Trust,
Chantal Wei-Ying Clement, deputy director, IPES Food.
Food forests & vertical real estate
This is the third programme in a series in which I talk to regenerative dairy producers from around the world. ffinlo Costain speaks to Phyllis Van Amburgh, who farms at Dharma Lea in Sharon Springs, New York, USA, about epigenetics and vertical real estate - and to Charlotte and Russell Heald, from Dunkeld Farm in the Tararua region of the north island in New Zealand, about food forests and circular farming systems.
The Regen Dairy project was set up by FAI Farms and Farmwel, in collaboration with Unilever, Barry Callebaut, Arla Foods, Woolworth South Africa and Ben & Jerry’s. This programme was roduced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
The one with Prof Sir Dieter Helm CBE
ffinlo Costain talks to Sir Dieter Helm CBE. Dieter is Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Economics at New College, Oxford. He was the Independent Chair of the UK's Natural Capital Committee, and was awarded a knighthood for services to the environment, energy and utilities policy.
This discussion is a masterclass for people aiming to influence UK Government policy on agriculture and the environment. Helm is hugely engaging as he sets out his influential thinking and establishes sound criteria for support and opposition.
Carbon tunnel vision
Carbon tunnel vision is a nasty disease that can create a strongly distorted perspective on agricultural land use and food production. This programme will help to remedy the condition, by showing that land use decisions are complex. ffinlo Costain is joined by Adele Jones, the deputy chief executive of the Sustainable Food Trust, and by Ashleigh Bright, a food systems and sustainability scientist, based in New Zealand.
Regen Dairy round-the-world tour (edited)
This is an edited recording of the Regen Dairy round-the-world tour, which took place on 5th October 2022. We were thrilled to host this opportunity to circumnavigate the globe with four very different regen dairy farmers, all of whom are quite exceptional in their own way.
Our panellists were Blake Alexandre is a fourth generation dairy farmer from Alexandre Family Farm near Crescent City, California, USA. Richard Park is from Sizergh Farm, near Kendal in the UK, which has probably been farmed since the Vikings colonised Britain. Mark Anderson is a fifth generation farmer from South Otago, New Zealand. And Annabelle Gérard is a first generation dairy farmer from Lower Saxony in Germany. The webinar was hosted by ffinlo Costain.
Small abattoirs
Small abattoirs are essential infrastructure, but they're in serious decline - seen by the UK Government as a 'nice to have' that serves the middle classes, rather than a 'must have' to deliver climate, biodiversity and soil security - and to support rural economies and farming communities.
Another nail was recently hammered into the small abattoir coffin, as Mettrick's abattoir in Glossop closed for business.
ffinlo Costain talks to John Mettrick, Master Butcher and chairman of the Abattoir Sector Group, Simon Doherty, former president of the British Veterinary Association, and Hannah Thorogood, an agroecological livestock farmer based in Lincolnshire.
Restoring water, with Walter Jehne & Caroline Grindrod
Changing the way we manage hydrology is essential if we're to restore ecological security. This programme is the recording of a Food & Global Security Network webinar called, Restoring Water Cycles. It features globally renowned soil microbiologist, Walter Jehne, from Regenerate Earth, and regenerative farming coach, Caroline Grindrod, from Roots of Nature. The discussion is chaired by ffinlo Costain.
Regeneration, not Regenesis
Jyoti Fernandes is from the UK Landworkers' Alliance and well-known as a campaigner working for the rights of small farmers and peasant farmers. Jyoti recently wrote an open letter to the Guardian writer, George Monbiot, whose book, #Regenesis, and the articles he's written to promote it, distort public awareness of regenerative solutions to the ecological crisis.
In this programme, ffinlo Costain asks Jyoti why she felt 'duty bound to intervene', and why she thinks Monbiot is undermining the agroecology movement, which provides the most compelling future narrative she has found in 30 years of campaigning.
Getting off the treadmill
ffinlo Costain talks to Mark Anderson, from Westridge dairy farm, South Otago, New Zealand, and to Sophie and Dai Wilson from Wiltshire in the UK. Mark sees regenerative farming as an opportunity to decolonialise agriculture and the management changes he's made have put him back in control of his finances. Meanwhile Sophie and Dai have created a low impact model where they outwinter their dairy herd, improving their profitability and giving them more family time.
This is the second in a series in which ffinlo talks to regenerative dairy producers from around the world - as part of the Regen Dairy project, set up by FAI Farms and Farmwel, in collaboration with Unilever, Barry Callebaut, Arla Foods, Woolworth South Africa and Ben & Jerry’s.
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
Managing water in the landscape
Increased rainfall and storm intensity are hugely important characteristics of global temperature rises and the way land is managed can have an enormous impact on our ability to reduce flood risk. In this programme we're talking about natural flood defences and ways to manage water flows in the landscape.
ffinlo Costain talks to Chris Uttley, the Stroud Valleys Natural Flood Management Officer for Stroud District Council, and Tom Johnstone, the Strategic Climate Change, Green Infrastructure and Catchments Officer for the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (The AONB's landscape and nature recovery report can be downloaded here, and Tom can be contacted at Tom.Johnstone@denbighshire.gov.uk)
https://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Landscape-Nature-Recovery-ENG-Interactive.pdf
mailto:Tom.Johnstone@denbighshire.gov.uk
Produced by Farmwel.
Scaling regenerative dairy
This is the first in a series in which we talk to regenerative dairy producers from around the world - as part of the Regen Dairy project, set up by FAI Farms and Farmwel, in collaboration with Unilever, Barry Callebaut, Arla Foods, Woolworth South Africa and Ben & Jerry’s.
In this programme, ffinlo Costain talks to Blake Alexandre, from Alexandre Family Farm, California, USA, and Bryce Cunningham, from Mossgiel Farm in Scotland, about the challenges of scaling regenerative dairy.
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
A small farm future
Many governments see farm expansion as the future of agriculture, but there's a grave risk that this will simply embed the challenges inherent in today's food system. Instead we need diversity - and small farms play a critical a role.
ffinlo Costain talks to Chris Smaje, author of A Small Farm Future, published by Chelsea Green.
Produced by Farmwel.
Lessons from Ukraine (food systems)
What does war in Ukraine, and the global response to conflict, tell us about global food production and food systems more broadly?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Chantal Wei-Ying Clément, deputy director of IPES Food, Joona Mikkola from Soil Watch and Sue Pritchard from the UK's Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.
Produced by Farmwel, with support from FAI Farms.
Urban food
Most people live in cities, urban conurbations and housing estates rather than in cottages next to farms. How can we shorten supply chains into cities, bring food production to urban areas, and support volunteers and micro business opportunities for citizens, farmers and growers?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Jeremy Iles from the Urban Agriculture Consortium and Rachel Hammond from Edge.
Produced by Farmwel.
The food price crisis
The war in Ukraine has sparked a food price crisis with devastating impacts being felt around the world - but while Russia lit the touch paper, this crisis was predicted and could have been avoided.
ffinlo Costain is joined by Professor Jennifer Clapp, Thin Lei Win and Margot Gibbs. Jennifer is an expert for Brussels-based IPES-Food and the Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo in Ontario - she's also Vice Chair of the High Level Panel of Experts on food security and nutrition of the UN Committee on World Food Security. Margot and Thin are food system reporters for Lighthouse Reports, a non-profit investigative journalism group, which is based in the Netherlands.
Produced by Farmwel.
Localism & nationalism
A regenerative agricultural and environmental transformation depends upon a resurgence of localism - but localism is also championed by far right politicians who pronounce their own vision centred on a tough approach to immigration. How we can safeguard food systems in a more ecologically chaotic world with accelerating human migration? Can we find a popular but inclusive vision of national localism?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Natalie Bennett of the Green Party of England and Wales, and by Sue Pritchard, the chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.
Produced by Farmwel.
The one with Six inches of Soil
In this programme, we discuss a feature film, Six Inches of Soil, which is currently in production in the UK. The film is being crowd-funded by organisations and individuals, and its producers want to ensure that - even as we are driven towards an ecological precipice fuelled in part by an industrialised food system - we recognise that the dirt beneath our feet is what feeds us and makes our societies strong.
ffinlo Costain is joined by Colin Ramsay, the director of Six Inches of Soil, and by Claire Mackensie, the film's producer.
Produced by Farmwel.
The politics of protein
In this programme, we're talking about meat, fish and protein alternatives - and the competing claims about sustainability that are made by individuals and vested interests across the food sector and around the world.
IPES Food has released a new report, The Politics of Protein, and to discuss it, ffinlo Costain is joined from the USA by lead author, Phil Howard, and from Brussels by the director of IPES Food, Nick Jacobs.
LINKS:
https://twitter.com/IPESfood
http://www.ipes-food.org/pages/politicsofprotein
https://twitter.com/ffinlocostain
https://twitter.com/NickJacobs11
Forestry & land use
Demand for new woodland is growing for everything from timber to carbon sequestration. But forests take up space - and competition for land is increasing. How do we balance the demands of food production, nature, housing and infrastructure, with the need for new woodland and forest products?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Andrew Heald, a consultant specialising in sustainable forests and plantations, and by Martin Lines, the chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network.
Produced by Farmwel.
The meat paradox
In this programme, ffinlo Costain talks to Rob Percival, author of The Meat Paradox.
We are not wild animals and yet we still kill other sentient creatures and eat them in their billions. Rob charts our relationship with meat, from the scavenging of carcasses on an ancient savannah to the industrialised systems that produce much of the meat we consume today. He finds that emotional conflict has challenged human consciousness for many thousands of years.
Produced by Farmwel.
The one with Hodmedods
In this programme, ffinlo Costain talks to Josiah Meldrum, co-founder of the successful on-line retailer, Hodmedods. Josiah works with British farms to source top quality beans, pulses and grains - particularly less well-known foods, like the fava bean, grown in Britain since the Iron Age, but now largely forgotten.
We talk about why Josiah thinks of Hodmedods as an agroecological retail business and about the need for strong supplier relationships. We discuss the benefits of scaling out rather than up, and the failure of fellow online food retailer, Farmdrop.
Produced by Farmwel.
Soil & satellites
In this programme we focus on the UK and East Africa and discuss how the carbon market can channel finance from carbon sequestration and storage to help fund broader land regeneration.
ffinlo Costain speaks to Thomas Gent, the founder of Gentle Farming who works with the Agreena carbon payment platform, and Joona Mikkola, a regenerative agriculture specialist based in Uganda who founded Soil Watch, which monitors carbon levels and soil health using satellite data.
Produced by Farmwel.
Carbon farming
Carbon farming is on the rise - but how does the carbon market work, and how does carbon sequestration and storage help to finance the delivery of other ecosystem services.
ffinlo Costain is joined from Scotland by Charlie Davis, a Natural Capital Advisor specialising in the management of natural assets for Savills, the farms, estates and agricultural land agents.
Produced by Farmwel.
Glasgow Food & Climate Declaration
Despite the absence of food systems, soil and agriculture from the top negotiating table at COP26, these subjects did, at last, emerge as key themes at side events inside the COP conference village. The Glasgow Food & Climate Declaration - initiated by Nourish Scotland and IPES Food - was a key factor in pushing this focus on food systems up the policy agenda.
ffinlo Costain discusses the purpose, legacy and future of the Declaration with Pete Ritchie, Executive Director of Nourish Scotland, and Chantal Clément, Deputy Director, of IPES Food.
Produced by Farmwel.
Good COP, Bad COP?
Was COP26 in Glasgow a success? In this programme we do a stock take. What was achieved at COP26 – in terms of global warming and agricultural land use? What was missing? What was fundamentally misunderstood at the top table? And what do we need to do next, to ensure that an agroecological transition is lifted firmly onto the negotiating table at COP27 and beyond?
ffinlo Costain, the founder of the Food & Global Security Network, is joined by Sue Pritchard, the chief executive of the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission, and Patrick Holden, the founder of the Sustainable Food Trust.
Produced by Farmwel.
Vicki Hird & Rebugging The Planet
ffinlo Costain talks to Vicki Hird - a farming expert and author who's been at the heart of environmental, food and agricultural policy discussions for over 30 years. Her new book, Rebugging The Planet, is set to be the must-buy stocking filler for Christmas this year.
We discuss the new book, which shows us that bugs are beautiful, charismatic and economically valuable. We also discuss food and farming policy, and how the new post-Brexit farm payments will affect agricultural land use in England.
Vicki Hird is also head of sustainable farming at Sustain.
Produced by Farmwel.
Are farm animals emotional?
Do farm animals experience emotions, or are the behaviours people perceive as emotions purely an instinctive response? Do cows, for example, feel happy or depressed? And should a farm animal's ability to react instinctively, or to respond emotionally, affect the way that we care for and handle livestock?
ffinlo Costain, the chief executive of Farmwel, is joined by Professor David Main from the Royal Agricultural University, and by Rachel Horler, a cattle farmer from Maundrils Farm in Somerset, UK.
Produced by Farmwel.
Stacking sheep & solar energy
ffinlo Costain talks to Trent Hendricks and Sophy Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Trent is from Cabriejo Ranch in Missouri, USA, where he produces lamb and beef with certification from the American Grassfed Association and the Allan Savory Land to Market programme. Sophy lives in Wiltshire and provides community engagement and communications advice for the UK solar industry.
Produced by Farmwel.
Do we need an IPCC for food?
From greed to green
Award-winning adaptive multi-paddock grazing
FAI Farms and McDonald's UK & Ireland have won Compassion in World Farming's prestigious Sustainable Food and Farming Award for their work on regenerative beef. This is a four year project, centred on Adaptive Multi-paddock Grazing. The results have been outstanding - so what are they - how have they been achieved - and what has FAI learned along the way?
ffinlo Costain talks to FAI's Director of Regenerative Agriculture, Clare Hill, and their assistant farm manager, Silas Hedley-Lawrence.
We also introduce new regen ag training, available online at FAI.Academy - and give you a Farm Gate discount code.
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
Food builds community
Carbon & water
The impact of climate change is already being felt by communities, through flooding and droughts. Farmers are the first responders to these impacts, as well as being one of the few economic sectors that can act as a sink, rather than a source, of carbon. So what are farmers doing happen differently on farms, and how can the UK speed this change?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the UK Environment Agency, and Stuart Roberts, the deputy president of the National Farmers' Union.
Land Unlocked features high-level speakers and explores the challenges of delivering real action at this year’s COP26 conference.
Produced by Farmwel and the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission.
Optimism & story-telling
Indigenous with the earth
In this programme we delve into the origins of regenerative agriculture, and what it means to be 'indigenous with the earth'. What is this knowledge? Where does it come from? Can anyone claim ownership over regenerative principles?
ffinlo Costain talks to Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, President of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. Originally from Guatemala, Regi lives in Minnesota, USA, where he trains farmers in the production of regenerative poultry. Regi's book, In the Shadow of the Green Man, weaves together stories from his upbringing in revolution-torn Guatemala, with his vision for regenerative farming.
Produced by Farmwel.
Saving Sierra Leone's fish
In this programme we visit Sierra Leone. We discuss how this West African country managed to stop Chinese, Russian, Korean and European vessels plundering their fish stocks, how stakeholders built a sustainable fisheries programme, and the challenges for international organisations such as the World Bank. We also address the controversy over Sierra Leone's new Chinese-funded harbour project.
ffinlo Costain talks to Salieu Sankoh, the co-ordinator of the World Bank-funded West African Regional Fisheries Programme in Sierra Leone, and to Phil Gawne, an advisor to the Program, and a former fisheries minister for Isle of Man Government.
Produced by Farmwel.
MSC Certified - How does it work?
The Marine Stewardship Council is an international NGO working to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future. The Netflix film Seaspiracy concluded that sustainable seafood doesn't exist - but the MSC disagrees. Currently, 16% of the world's wild caught fish is certified and carries its blue MSC ecolabel, and the organisation aims to have 30% engaged in its programme by 2030.
ffinlo Costain speaks to George Clark, the MSC's programme director for the UK and Ireland. They discuss what sustainable seafood is, how it's certified, how managed fisheries can restore fish stocks, and why the MSC refused to take part in Seaspiracy.
From emergency closure to success
ffinlo Costain talks to Phil Gawne, former Fisheries Minister of the Isle of Man Government, and to Peter Duncan, IOMG's Senior Marine Environment Officer.
Produced by Farmwel.
Aquaculture - An insider's view
Since 2013 more seafood has been produced globally in aquaculture systems than from wild caught fisheries. The farming of fish at scale has come with costs as well as benefits, and as a relatively young industry, aquaculture has followed a steep learning curve.
ffinlo Costain speaks to Tony Wall, the founder of the Fish Vet Group (now PHARMAQ), who helped to put fish sentience on the map. ffinlo asks where aquaculture came from, how it developed, and how the industry can overcome its current challenges?
Inspired by Seaspiracy, this programme is part of a mini-series in which we're talking about the future of ocean food.
Produced by Farmwel.
What next for ocean food?
The vast majority of wild caught fish are now harvested by industrial-scale trawlers using vast and often indiscriminate nets and bottom trawling. At the same time aquaculture, which has scaled so rapidly, has come under fire for high levels of waste and pollution and for poor welfare.
So, what's next for ocean food?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Ruth Layton who, as a former director of FAI Farms, has spent 25 years studying agricultural and aquacultural systems, and by Ashleigh Bright, an expert in the science of sustainability in global food systems.
Produced by Farmwel.
Dairy farming - Putting agroecology into practice
Do we need a new Agroecology Development Bank?
Diversity in agriculture & animal sciences
What's the difference?
What's the difference between agroecology and regenerative agriculture? And what about holistic grazing, organic, no-till farming, or adaptive multi-paddock grazing? In this programme we get to the bottom of the terminology.
We also discuss how to get started in regenerative agriculture.
ffinlo Costain is joined by Caroline Grindrod from Roots of Nature, and Kelly Watson from FAI Farms.
Produced by Farmwel.
Veg & Horticulture - Putting agroecology into practice
This is the fourth programme in our series about agroecological agriculture. ffinlo Costain talks to Sinead Fenton from Aweside Farm in East Sussex, and to Joe Rolfe, the general manager at RB Organic Ltd in Norfolk.
Sinead and Joe are Agroecology Ambassadors for the Soil Association.
This series is produced by Farmwel, supporting the 10 Years for Agroecology campaign run by the Soil Association, and the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission's Farming for Change project.
Other episodes focus on beef, mixed farming, dairy, and arable farming.
Arable farming - Putting agroecology into practice
ALT Meat - A health & food systems perspective
Produced by Farmwel.
Mixed farming - Putting agroecology into practice
This is the second in our agroecology series, and in this episode we're focussing on mixed farming. ffinlo Costain talks to Ben Andrews from Broadward Hall in Herefordshire, and Robert Wilson from Cowbog Farm in the Scottish Borders. Ben and Robert are Agroecology Ambassadors for the Soil Association.
This series is produced by Farmwel, supporting the 10 Years for Agroecology campaign run by the Soil Association, and the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission's Farming for Change project.
Other episodes focus on beef farming, arable, dairy, and horticulture & veg.
#FarmerAmbassador #agroecology #FarmingforChange
Regen Question Time 2 - Arable & livestock
In the second of Farm Gate's Regenerative Agriculture Question Time podcasts, ffinlo Costain is joined by Clare Hill, shepherd and director of regenerative agriculture at FAI Farms, George Young, a regenerative arable producer from Fobbing Farm, Essex, and Caroline Grindrod from the regenerative agriculture consultancy, Roots of Nature.
#Arable #Wheat #Livestock #Ruminants
Produced by Farmwel.
Farming Beef - Putting agroecology into practice
This is the first of five programmes in which we showcase farmers who are putting agroecology into practice. In this episode we're focussing on beef production. ffinlo Costain talks to Nikki Yoxall from Howe Mill Farm in Aberdeenshire, and Denise Walton from Peelham Farm in Berwickshire. Nikki and Denise are Agroecology Ambassadors for the Soil Association.
This series is produced by Farmwel, supporting the 10 Years for Agroecology campaign run by the Soil Association and the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission.
Other episodes will focus on mixed farming, arable, dairy, and horticulture & veg.
The one with Will Harris
White Oak Pastures is a 152-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, USA. In 1995, Will Harris began the transition away from industrial agricultural techniques and started redesigning his farm as a living ecosystem.
Will Harris talks to ffinlo Costain about his life as a commodity cattleman and what made him change the way he farms. He describes the dark early days and reflects on how his success brought his family back home, and breathed new life into his community. He explains why he gets fed up with scientists, who 'bicker and fight all the time' over how to measure carbon, when the benefits are there in the ground for all to see. Will also offers up words of wisdom for President Biden's new Agriculture Secretary.
Produced by Farmwel.
Regenerative finance: The one with Robyn O'Brien
In this programme, ffinlo Costain talks to Robyn O'Brien, the best-selling author of The Unhealthy Truth, who in September 2020 was named in the Forbes Impact 50, a list of the top impact investors in the USA. Robyn's TED talks have received over a million views.
The discussion centres on Robyn's new investment fund, RePlant Capital, which is based in the USA and worth $250m. RePlant’s flagship fund, its Soil Fund, is focussed on the transition of US farmland to regenerative agriculture.
Produced by Farmwel.
Regen Rock Star
Produced by Farmwel.
Is a progressive UK trade policy possible?
The new UK Trade & Agriculture Commission was set up by the Department of International Trade to guide ministers as they develop a policy that balances the need for independent trade deals with the ambitions of the new Agriculture Act and the coming Environment Bill.
In this podcast we ask, is a progressive UK trade and agriculture policy possible?
ffinlo Costain speaks to Tom West, UK Environment Lead at Client Earth, and Angela Francis, WWF UK's Chief Advisor on Economics and Economic Development.
Produced by Farmwel.
Tackling antimicrobial resistance
ffinlo Costain is joined by Laura Higham from Vet Sustain and by Øistein Thorsen the chief executive of FAI Farms.
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
How green is the new CAP?
Despite the early green ambitions, the new Common Agricultural Policy may end up looking rather like business as usual. But, following policy delays, the CAP will now be delivered under the EU presidency of Ursula von der Leyen. The new Commission has prioritised environmental action, and the Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green Deal.
In this programme I'm crossing the English Channel to find out what's happening with agricultural policy in mainland Europe?
ffinlo Costain speaks to Nick Jacobs, the Director of IPES Food, and to Pierre-Marie Aubert, the Coordinator of the European Agriculture Initiative for IDDRI.
IPES Food's influential 2019 report, Towards a Common Food Policy for the EU, can be found here.
Produced by Farmwel.
English agriculture policy - Where are we now?
ffinlo Costain speaks to Shadow Farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP, Vicki Hird, Head of Sustainable Food and Farming Policy at Sustain, and to Simon Hoare, Conservative MP for North Dorset.
Produced by Farmwel.
Regen Question Time
Regenerative agriculture requires a complete mindset shift. Instead of rules there are principles, which can make transitioning process seem daunting. To help with this, every six or eight weeks, we'll put your questions to regen experts. Our intention is to help you make decisions about the future of your farm business. (The insights will also be interesting for everyone who wants to know more about regenerative agriculture.)
In this first Regen Question Time, ffinlo Costain talks to Caroline Grindrod and Alex Tomlinson.
Produced by Farmwel.
Scaling regenerative agriculture
Growing Our Future concentrates on scaling regenerative agriculture in the United States. It describes threats and opportunities surrounding regen and makes a series of recommendations for a successful regenerative transformation. While the report is centred on the USA its findings and recommendations are just as relevant for farmers, investors and policy-makers in other nations.
Produced by Farmwel.
What's changing at FAI Farms?
What's happening to food & agriculture in Wales?
Joining ffinlo Costain are Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the FFCC, and Jane Davidson, chair of the Commission's Wales Inquiry, and former Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in the Welsh Government.
Produced by Farmwel.
The one with the WHO & IPES Food
Produced by Farmwel.
The Carbon Cowboys
Regenerative oceans
Regenerative agriculture has captured the imagination of producers and citizens around the world. But the focus is almost exclusively on land. In this programme we ask whether regenerative farming principles can be transposed to the ocean - and if so, at what scale?
Featuring Dylan Walker, chief executive of the World Cetacean Alliance, and Alex Tomlinson, a vet and regenerative agriculture specialist.
Produced by Farmwel.
Regen agriculture for kids - The #Homeschool podcast
Farm Gate has gone all #homeschool. In this short programme we explain the basics of regenerative agriculture for primary school age kids. We answer questions about the sun, the rain, dandelions and cow poo - and we ask what's the most important animal in the world? There are even a couple of experiments you can try at home.
The programme features Alex Tomlinson - an amazing mine of information who's working on regenerative farming projects right across Britain.
Produced by Farmwel.
Mass mobilisation, coronavirus & climate change
What can we learn from the way that coronavirus has been communicated and the speed of society's response? How can we apply this knowledge to other public health emergencies, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, which also threaten the existence of human society as we know it.
This programme features Jason Wojciechowski, Creative Director at Corelab and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Impact Communication, and Øistein Thorsen, director of FAI Farms.
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
Happy Cow Milk Co. New Zealand
In this programme Glen Herud tells his story.
Produced by Farmwel.
Sheep lameness & the 5-Point Plan
Sheep lameness is a painful symptom that severely reduces mobility. It's regarded by many as endemic - ever present, regardless of the efforts made to curb new infections. But is lameness endemic? Can better monitoring and treatment effectively eradicate it from flocks?
In this episode we discuss how to implement the nationally-adopted FAI Five Point Plan - with Ruth Clements, head of veterinary programmes from Benchmark Animal Health, and by Clare Hill, the farm manager at FAI Farms.
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
Food at the front line
Coronavirus has led to lock down, the loss of work, jobs and income - it has forced people with little or no savings to turn to charities and institutions - just to be able to eat. Food aid providers, already working to capacity, have had to swiftly adapt their service models to cope with the influx of new, fearful, hungry, and potentially infected, people.
In this programme, Farm Gate speaks to three people working to provide food at the front line of the social crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic: Dee Woods from Granville Community Kitchen (Kilburn, London), Greg Silverman, Executive Director of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger (New York City), and Mark Game, Chief Executive of The Bread and Butter Thing (Greater Manchester, UK).
Produced by Farmwel.
What does 'food security' actually mean?
'Food security' is suddenly on the agenda - but what is it? Was it ever about calories & cheap food for the masses? And if it was, isn't it time that we redefined food security for the modern world - recognising the essential role that land use, food system resilience, and nutrition play in ensuring that all citizens can eat, and eat well.
This programme features Vicki Hird from Sustain, Professor Tim Benton from Chatham House, and Patrick Holden from the Sustainable Food Trust.
Produced by Farmwel.
Panic buying - a rational reaction to crisis?
In this programme we're looking at the psychology of panic buying - and asking the question, is our food system resilient enough to cope?
The media has been full of food jeopardy & empty shelves, but isn't panic buying an entirely reasonable response to crisis? We've been watching this modern-day plague unfold since the start of the year, and the dramatic lock downs were trailed for weeks before they were enacted. Despite the abrupt shift in consumer behaviour (we're all eating at home now) supermarkets are generally well-stocked, and farm shops are doing a roaring trade.
I'm joined by Jo White from Human Behaviour Change for Animals - and by Roland Bonney, a co-founder of FAI Farms.
Produced by Farmwel.
What does Less & Better mean?
Why are facts not enough?
Why are facts no longer enough to change attitudes & behaviours? How can we communicate new ideas & information in the modern world? How can we persuade people to make the changes necessary to combat environmental & supply chain challenges? In this programme we look at the psychology of Human Behaviour Change.
We're joined by Jo White & Suzanne Rogers from Human Behaviour Change for Animals, & by Ruth Layton, a vet & co-founder of FAI Farms.
Produced by Farmwel.
Farmers unite for global statement on GWP*
Climate, food & national security
The European Chicken Commitment & KFC
Let's help Dominic Cummings! Radical proposals for agricultural reform
Regenerative farming - making the transition
Produced by Farmwel.
Farming & mental illness
Conservatives & the Environment - Interview with Sam Hall
Produced by Farmwel.
Ruminant methane, global warming, & GWP*
I'm talking to Professor Myles Allen & Dr John Lynch (University of Oxford), & Roland Bonney (farmer, & co-founder of FAI Farms & Benchmark Holdings).
Although cattle and sheep produce methane almost constantly, the focus on their emissions is misleading – it’s the warming impact of those emissions that actually matters. Far from being unsustainable, as many people continue to argue, well-managed grass-based cattle and sheep systems can become rapidly climate neutral and help to restore biodiversity and soil health. Research by a global team of scientists based at the University of Oxford has established a new way of measuring the impacts of methane - a metric known as GWP*. This metric allows us to accurately assess the impact of ruminant methane for the first time.
Produced by Farmwel.
Is vegan a dirty word?
Produced by Farmwel.
Discussion - Vets & sustainability
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.
Farm vets & food sustainability
Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.