Meet the Farmers

In this bonus episode of The Big Debate hosts Ally and Sophie put listener questions to Jack Royall and Edward Long from Birketts LLP on the topic of biodiversity net gain and natural capital. They unpack the legal and practical questions farmers, landowners, and tenants may ask about long-term agreements, enforcement, flexibility, and tax treatment.

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Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media.

Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice.

In this series one finale of The Big Debate, Ally and Sophie join producer Ben to reflect on a year of conversations about farming, from profitability and challenging weather to young farmers, technology, and the future of the industry. They share how podcasting broadened their perspectives and helped them find resilience and optimism through a challenging year.

Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair.

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In episode 23 of The Big Debate Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory discuss a busy week in UK agriculture, from the rapid closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive application window and the pressures it created for farmers and agents to drought-related potato losses and new investment in Scotland’s beef sector. They share updates from their own farms, consider how funding and food production fit alongside environmental goals, and finish by exploring how farming films can help audiences understand farming and its place in society.

Also...some very exciting podcast news!

Hosted as always by fa...

The rain has returned, but after two incredibly challenging summers, can farming afford to simply move on?

In our latest episode of The Big Debate, Ally and Sophie discuss what the drought could mean for the decisions they make on their own farms - from forage and future cropping choices to water security, land availability and reducing their reliance on the weather. 

And there's plenty more in the episode. They revisit your responses to the £1 million question, discuss the potential feed and forage crunch across Europe, look ahead to UK Dairy Day and reflect on this we...

Big Debate hosts Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory are joined by Virgin Money's UK Head of Agriculture Brian Richardson and Head of Agriculture in Scotland Stephen Buchan to take a broad look at UK agriculture over the past few months. 

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Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.

With thanks to our Headline Sponsor: Virgin Mone...

If someone handed you £1 million to invest in your farm, what would you spend it on? That's the question Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory tackle in this week's Big Debate. From buying land and securing the future of the business to investing in water storage and diversification, they explore whether £1 million is really enough to transform a modern farm – and whether they're investing for themselves or the next generation.

Also in this episode, they discuss the latest dairy market news and RABI's emergency drought support grants. Ally also shares his experience of tackling two major field fire...

Join Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory for the first-ever in-person episode of The Big Debate. They discuss the UK's worsening drought, the spread of bluetongue, harvest pressures, life on their own farms, and the challenge of juggling farming with family life during the school holidays. They also explore how British farms are adapting through diversification and changing farming practices as the climate continues to shift.

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Meet the Farmers: The B...

Ben shares some news in this short episode. 

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @mtf_podcast for more content. Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found at https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/podca...

By accessing this Podcast, you acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podc...

Summer wildfires are happening all over the UK, France, Spain, Europe and the rest of the world. Can anything be done to prevent or manage them? In this emergency podcast episode Ben is joined by Alex Crawley (Director, Grazing Management Ltd), Michael Priestley (Policy Manager, National Sheep Association), Craig Hope (National Resilience Wildfire Capability Advisor for the National Fire Chiefs Council) and Emma Douglas (grazier from the Gower Peninsula in south Wales) to debate whether grazing or rewilding parts of the landscape could be part of the solution in the uplands. We also hear from Eleanor Gilbert (Berkshire farmer...

In this episode of Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate Ally and Sophie are joined by Ben Briggs to discuss politics, the new Burnham government, the Farming Roadmap and the response to the Farm Profitability Review. Ally also gives his thoughts on his harvest experience so far and they discuss the weather and Farm Safety Week 2026. Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair.

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Meet the Farme...

In this episode Ben speaks to Derek Banbury and Derek Gow - two Devon farmers who star in a new documentary film called Derek v Derek, made by James Dawson. Each Derek takes a different approach to managing their land - Derek Banbury is a dairy farmer and Derek Gow a rewilding and species reintroduction advocate. However as we see in this interview there is more that brings them together than may at first appear. Ben also speaks to the film's producer James Dawson. 

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In this episode, host farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair put some listener questions about farm diversification and viticulture, to Annabelle Rout, a lawyer from Birketts LLP. Annabelle is also Birkett's Head of Viticulture. 

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Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. 

Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. 

Our podcast disclaimer can be found below. 

With thanks to Birketts, who are an associate partner this yea...

Ben is joined by Sophie Gregory and Tom Gregory, Dorset farmers alongside Alex Pearson from DLF Seeds to discuss cover crops and the trials that Tom and Sophie are undertaking on their farm. 

This episode was sponsored by DLF Seeds. #AD 

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Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. 

Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. 

Our podcast...

In this LIVE version of The Big Debate Sophie and Ally are joined by Suffolk based organic farmer John Pawsey to discuss the future of organic farming. How does John see the future of his farm? 

Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair. 

With thanks to the Sustainable Food Trust for hosting the podcast tent at Groundswell where this was filmed. It was made possible by Groundswell Festival and the Rothschild Foundation. 

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In this special Live at Groundswell special episode Ben Eagle speaks with Tom McVeigh, a 13th generation farm who farms at Kenton Hall in Suffolk. Tom describes his journey coming back to the family farm, and also his ambitions to grow hazelnuts. With thanks to the Sustainable Food Trust, Groundswell and the Rothschild Foundation for enabling the Podcast tent at Groundswell. 

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Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rura...

Lots to cover in this week's Big Debate episode from record breaking heat to political upheaval, the publication of the Farming Roadmap and government response to Minette Batters' Farm Profitability Review, farm safety and an interview with Nicola Appleton, Deputy Director for Agriculture and Land at the Environment Agency covering the relationship between the Environment Agency and farmers. Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair.

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Mee...

Baroness Minette Batters DL is arguably one of the most influential voices in British agriculture in a generation. In 6 years as President of the NFU she worked with four Prime Ministers and six Secretaries of State at Defra. She faced Brexit, Covid, the War in Ukraine and many other challenges. But what was it really like to lead the NFU, especially as the first woman to be President? What does leadership mean to her and what does she think about progress regarding her Farm Profitability Review? Listen to the full interview here. 

🎧 If you enjoyed this interview and...

Farming has never been more complex. More decisions, more data and less time. Ally Hunter Blair headed to Cereals 2026 to ask farmers a simple question: what does smarter farming actually mean for you? 

This episode explores the vision, the reality and the opportunity. How can tech and data help farmers hit their goals, reduce the load and free up time for what matters most? 

With thanks to featured farmers Rebecca Roper, Ed Horton and Graham Potter. 

With thanks to our sponsor TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods. Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goo...

In the latest Big Debate episode with Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory, they discuss tech, farm safety, regen ag, World Milk Day and NEETS (young people not in employment, education or training) and how agriculture can help – that’s in the light of the publication of the interim report from Alan Milburn about young people and work. Could farming be part of the answer?

Also featuring special guest Charlotte Kingham, Head Butcher at the Farmers Dog Pub in the Cotswolds. 

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Today Ben is in the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire borderlands meeting Tom Hawthorne who is farm manager for Flawborough Farms, farming 3200 hectares of cereals, forage maize and whole crop silage both for the home farm and contracting for 13 other landowners. The Hawthorne family have been farming at Flawborough since 1956 when Tom’s grandfather Charles inherited the farm from his godfather. With heavy land winter crops are the mainstay for the farm including Oilseed rape, Wheat, and Beans. Minimal cultivations have been used since the 1960s. Over time, the business has gradually increased its arable area through contracting. 

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Today on Meet the Farmers host Ben Eagle is joined by Michael Sly who heads up the Park Farm team which farms 2000 hectares in north Cambridgeshire and south Lincolnshire. They grow wheat, peas, sugar and mustard. Michael was awarded an MBE in 2022. Michael has served as the chairman of English Mustard Growers and the NFU Sugar board. Michael has also welcomed tens of thousands of people through the farm gates since he started doing Open Farm Sunday in 2006. 

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This week Ally and Sophie cover several different stories from fuel prices to trade deals, drought in the US, golden eagles to chicken campaigns and agricultural shows to Tractor Ted. 

Hosted as always by dairy farmer Sophie Gregory and arable farmer Ally Hunter Blair. 

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Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. 

Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podca...

Today we’re in Nottinghamshire and Ben is meeting 5th generation farmer Joe Howard – his family have been farming their current farm since 1888. The Howards operation is diverse and consists of growing carrots, parsnips and cereals on a mix of owned, rented and contracted land alongside finishing 1,600 dairy-bred Aberdeen Angus and Hereford-cross cattle. The family also runs a hill farm near Ambleside in the Lake District. Joe is responsible for the carrot and livestock enterprises.

With thanks to our sponsor TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods.

Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com...

Big Debate hosts Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory are joined by Virgin Money's UK Head of Agriculture Brian Richardson and Head of Agriculture in Scotland Stephen Buchan to take a broad look at UK agriculture over the past few months. 

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast

Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.

With thanks to our Headline Sponsor: Virgin Mone...

Today we’re in New Zealand meeting self styled Canterbury Cowboy George Dodson who in 2024 was crowned FMG Young Farmer of the Year, which for anyone who doesn’t know, is an extremely prestigious competition. He’s the Founder of the Canterbury Young Dairy Farmers Leaders Network and to give you an idea of his passion and drive for the dairy sector he was already managing a farm by the age of 20.  We hear about his farming journey, dairy farming in New Zealand in general and his hopes for the future. 

With thanks to our sponsor TELUS Agricult...

This week Ally and Sophie are asking whether farming in Wales has a bright future? They are joined by two Welsh farmers Abi Reader and James Powell. Also on the agenda is a discussion on wool prices, a stolen egg stand, the farmer choir on Britain's Got Talent and of course news from Ally's and Sophie's farms. 

Hosted as always by dairy farmer Sophie Gregory and arable farmer Ally Hunter Blair. 

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Host Ben Eagle is joined by Brussels based agri-food journalist Natasha Foote to discuss how the Common Agricultural Policy may change in 2027 and what farmers across Europe should be aware of. 

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @RuralPodMedia for updates and behind-the-scenes content. 

Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. 

Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found at ruralpodmedia.co.uk.

Please subscribe to the show a...

Ben Eagle is joined by Jez Pile from Telus Agriculture & Consumer Goods to discuss his entrepreneurial journey of founding, growing and exiting from his start up business Muddy Boots. 

With thanks to our sponsor TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods.

Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/FarmSmarter

Image credit: Jez Pile

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @RuralPodMedia for updates and behind-the-scenes content. 

Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast produc...

This Big Debate episode covers a wide range of topics from eggs and poultry to Great British Beef Week, Sophie's recent trip to the Netherlands, the London Marathon, Essex greenhouses and much more. The debate this week turns to public engagement and on farm education. Hosted as always by dairy farmer Sophie Gregory and arable farmer Ally Hunter Blair. 

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Ben Brooke farms in Cambridgeshire as well as running a number of other businesses. He is a member of the Hawkstone Farmers Choir that recently got Amanda Holden's 'Golden Buzzer' on Britain's Got Talent. 

With thanks to our episode sponsor TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods.

Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/FarmSmarter

Image credit: Ruth Downing

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on Instagram @MTF_podcast

Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podca...

In this episode host Ben Eagle is joined by Dr Johnny Wake - a doctor turned farmer, who is Managing Partner of Courteenhall Farms in Northamptonshire. Before taking over the family agriculture business full-time, Johnny was a doctor working in the Department of Health, his local hospital and a GP practice. Under his stewardship since 2013, Courteenhall Farms has doubled in size to over 4,000 acres, including a farm in Norfolk. 

He was named Sustainable Farmer of the Year at the British Farming Awards 2024 and was awarded the prestigious Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners in 2023 by the Royal Agricultural S...

In today's episode Ally and Sophie give their Spring update from their farms. They also discuss the food on the Artemis 2 Moon mission, rewilding, organic trade with Japan and much more. 

What to do for the TELUS giveaway [THIS IS AN AD] (deadline: 23:59 on 9th May 2026):  

1) Subscribe to the show wherever you are listening

2) Comment below (wherever you are listening) with 'TELUS GIVEAWAY' 

3) Subscribe to the Meet the Farmers (RuralPod Media) Newsletter (see link below) 

4) Email [email protected] and write in your message: TELUS giveaway. 

Link...

Today we’re heading to the Cotswolds to meet Henry Astor who runs Bruern Farms. Henry took on the reigns of the family farm from his father in 2017 and decided that creating diversity on the farm was the way to meet the challenges of the post Brexit farming landscape. The farm’s arable enterprise was joined by a herd of English long horns, saddleback pigs, chickens, and a host of building diversifications including turning a grain dryer into studio spaces and grain silos into work spaces. Henry also bought a flour mill, began brewing beer, started a market garden, bega...

Today host Ben Eagle is joined by Cambridgeshire tenant farmer David Wheatley who has recently taken social media by storm with his Petite Peonies account. They discuss David's farming journey, arable farming, diversification, Christmas trees, peonies and how to make the most of social media as a farmer. 

With thanks to our sponsor TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods.

Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/FarmSmarter

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @RuralPodMedia for updates and behind-the-scenes content. 

Meet t...

Big Debate hosts Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory turn their attention to the pig sector this week and are joined by mixed farmer Fred Allen, who farms near Newark, and Mark Haighton who is Pork Sector Director for AHDB. They ask about the current state of the sector and what its future might look like?

Also on the agenda for this week are news stories including growing underground, cattle rustling and the farmer choir on Britain's Got Talent. 

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF...

In this special bonus episode we learn about the Regenerative Agriculture Accelerator Programme which is based in the Cotswolds. RAAP is an innovative initiative for farmers and advisors who want to deepen their understanding of regenerative and agroecological principles – and learn how to apply them in practice to produce nutritious food, improve soil health, boost biodiversity, and build farm resilience.

We hear from farmers and others taking part in the programme and visit the Cotswold Regenerative Agriculture Conference. 

This podcast was supported with a Farming in Protected Landscapes Fund grant from Defra. 

To disc...

Artificial intelligence in agriculture - what's the potential for the future?

Ben Eagle is joined by Ben Hatton from Telus Agriculture and Consumer Goods and Matt Dobbs from Agsenze to discuss the potential. 

With thanks to our sponsor Telus Agriculture and Consumer Goods.

Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/FarmSmarter

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @RuralPodMedia for updates and behind-the-scenes content. 

Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcas...

RuralPod Media and Meet the Farmers have collaborated with Emergent Generation to create a two-part podcast documentary about the future of food and farming to show anything is possible when young people are involved.

Emergent Generation: Young Voices in Farming and Food details how group members think and feel about the future, how they imagine it can be and what they are doing to realise their vision.

Emergent Generation (Em Gen) is a network of young people building a food system that nourishes people and planet.

Part 2 shows how change is happening in...

RuralPod Media and Meet the Farmers have collaborated with Emergent Generation to create a two-part podcast documentary about the future of food and farming to show anything is possible when young people are involved.

Emergent Generation: Young Voices in Farming and Food details how group members think and feel about the future, how they imagine it can be and what they are doing to realise their vision.

Emergent Generation (Em Gen) is a network of young people building a food system that nourishes people and planet.

Part 1 examines the future they want, hearing...

In this episode, Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair explore the complexities of seasonal farm employment in the UK, featuring insights from Sacha Wooldridge, an immigration lawyer at Birketts LLP. They discuss licensing, visa caps, the employer pays principle, and any potential upcoming legal changes affecting seasonal and casual employment.

🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast 

Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. 

Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found...