Today, food, farming & the environment are moreintertwined than ever before. With an increased awareness from the general public about the state of farming, consumers are demanding more transparency and clearer information about the food supply chain.

On top of this, businesses, regulators and government bodies must all find ways of tapping into consumer buying behaviours as well as finding workable solutions to move the sector forward in today’s globally competitive economy.

Today’s guest Clare Otridge. Director of Grounded Researchoutlines the importance of ensuring farmers have a say in the direction of travel, and in contributing to the discussions, are paid for their subject matter expertise.

To find out more about the work of Grounded Research visitgroundedresearch.co.uk   

If you know arable, you'll know James Peck, Managing Director of PX Farms Ltd. Join me as he gives his views on the current state of farming, and the art of running at tight ship down on th farm.

Follow him on here under P.X.Farms Podcast or YouTube @P.X. Farms Ltd

Welcome to the Pasture Bedtime podcast, a fortnightly show featuring conversations with farmers, growers, and a host of other characters from the UK agricultural sector. If you're interested in farming, food, tractors or rural living, settle yourself in and listen, as we chew the cud over what it means to be in farming today.

Join me as The Devon Hedge Layer Steven McCulloch explains where hedge laying fits in to the rural landscape, creatingfield boundaries and wildlife corridors using techniques and traditions that go back centuries.

Check out his website www.devonhedgelayer.co.uk or follow him on Instagram @devon_hedge_layer to see this beautiful craft in action.

2025 was a pivotal year for me and in today's episode, it's me on the end of the questioning. At what point did things change for me.For anyone considering a career move, my advice is "go for it!" With the new year often being that time when we consider life changes, I hope you enjoy hearing how and why I made the change. Happy new year to you all.

In this episode, I chat to Andy Venables from Hillsgreen.

Born in to a dairy farming family, Andy chose to pursue a career in marketing before deciding to come back to the farm and apply his business skills to the agricultural sector.

Passion, story telling and collaboration are his keymessages if you want to embark on diversification in farming in today’s digitally enabled world. And whether your business is selling to farmers or, as a producer, you’re selling direct to the consumer, Andy has plenty of advice on offer.

Find out more about the services Andy and the team provideat www.Hillsgreen.co.uk

A lovely conversation with Louise Day from New Sheepfold Farm in Ingleby Greenhow, North Yorkshire. Louise shares her journey into farming and the diversification she and husband Mark have brought to the farm.

Follow the farm on Instagram @new_sheepfold_farm

Today's guest needs no introduction among the farming community but for those that don't know him, Olly Harrison, better known by his YouTube handle 'Olly Blogs', has been sharing life on the farm and advocating for the industry through his daily online channels for over 5 years now.A well known face on tv too, as he frequently appears whenever farming is in the news. And today will be no exception either, as farmers up & down the country ramp up their presence off the farm, with tractor go-slows and further protests this week ahead of the budget and on Wednesday outside parliament.Check out Olly's YouTube channel ‪@OllyBlogsAgricontractfarmer‬

Part two of my conversation with The Blakey Brothers. A lively discussion about everything that is wrong with officialdom, politicians and civil servants and the impacts on the farmingcommunity.

If you're just joining, go back and listen to Episode 2 to hear how it all began for Martin & Craig.

Check out their websitewww.blakeybrothers.co.uk and socials as The Blakey Brothers.

News of more protests by farmers and a new guest on the show.

Say hello to The (fabulous) Blakey Brothers! If you've not heard of them yet, I'm pretty sure you will do soon. Recently coined "Yorkshire's answer to Jeremy Clarkson", Craig & Martin look back on the changes in farming during their careers and quite simply, tell it how it is.'Live it, Talk it, Walk it' is their motto and with a healthy dose of mickey-taking along the way, these brothers are rapidly gaining a global following. Whether they are exploring the tractors of yesteryear, chatting to locals, leading community projects in their small corner of Yorkshire or highlighting the challenges faced by farmers today, there's no denying their love for the countryside and passion for its traditions.Check out the following channels for their content:www.blakeybrothers.co.ukFacebook: The Blakey BrothersInstagram: The Blakey Brothers

Today's episode is sponsored by Produce & Provide. I talk to founder Neil Darwent about his career in farming and where it has taken him.

Check out www.produceandprovide.co.uk to see how they are supporting British Farmers who are selling direct to consumers by giving us the consumers, the tools to find them.

Lincolnshire arable farmer David Hoyles talks about his foray into olive growing that has earned the accolade of being the most northerly olive grove in the world.

Learn more about his Mediterranean adventure as well as the successful family farm at these websites:

https://www.englisholive.co.uk/

https://www.ghhoyles.co.uk/

Dairy farmer Sophie Gregory talks about her journey in farming and what the ups & downs in the price for milk meansfor her & husband Tom.

Meet David Christensen, a dairy farmer with a passion for farming in all its guises. In this episode we discuss not only dairy but many of the challenges facing the agricultural sector as a whole.

Representing farmers on various bodies, David's collaborative and practical approach comes as standard and here he explains some of his background and thoughts on farming in a changing landscape.

This week, I’m talking to Dairy Beef farmer and NuffieldScholar Laura Awdry. Laura’s paper entitled ‘Every calf has a value, but is every calf equal?’ is summarised in her presentation to the Nuffield Conference in December 2025.

You can watch it here:  

https://youtu.be/jz4rdHE8l4c?si=hDeZyBqd3waOxmHT

In this conversation with Paul Christian, Managing Director at Sentry Ltd, Paul explains what it means to face adversity with innovation and keep a steady hand on the tiller during turbulent times.

Learn more about the work that Sentry do at www.Sentry.co.uk

Author of the Oxford Farming Conference 2026 paper 'UK Farming; grasping the opportunities', Dr Louise Manning PhD joins me to dissect her research and put forward her ideas on how to find solutions to some of the challenges faced by British farmers today.

You can watch Louise's presentation of the paper on YouTube at https://youtu.be/AdzoYNcvas0?si=5T5VvX5SR2k8TMiP

Join me as I hear from IT specialist turned regenerative agriculture enthusiast Michael Owen about farm life inNorway. Listen out for details of the festival he and and a dedicated team are putting together this August, you can find all the details at jordfestival.com

Ben Taylor oversees the Iford Estate,3,000 acres of sublime farmland nestled in the South Downs National Park.

Among his many responsibilities is the setting aside of land for the creation of UK biodiversity. Aiming to become an exemplar landscape restoration project, creating new habitat. and space for nature, allowing our diversity of species to expand over the whole estate, whilst still retaining food production over the most fertile land.

Learn more about the project at ifordbiodiversityproject.co.uk or the estate main site at ifordestate.com

Harriet Bunning is a Beef Cattle Geneticist with a real passion and skill for using the data to find real world solutions and innovative ways of applying the science.

Taking the opportunity to seek out and quiz a revered author in the field of livestock breeding, would lead Harriet to apply for and realise her PhD dream at SRUC.

You can find Harriet on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-bunning-777a3148/

Welcome to the 'funny farm' where Ben takes a light hearted view of farming but with a serious message about our foodsystem and the choices consumers have ...or don't have.

You can find Ben on YouTube  ⁨@radmorefarm⁩  or on Facebook& Instagram using the same handle.

Also, check out  ⁨@MeetTheFarmersPodcast⁩  episode 328 for a different interview with Ben by my good friend Ben Eagle. You can never have too many Bens.

Hear how Rodrigo & Kirsten Navarro left London life to run an organic poultry farm producing pasture raised eggsfor direct sale.

Find out more about their business and life with 500 chickens by clicking the links below:

www.wanderingfeathers.co.uk

@wanderingfeathersltd

Join me as I chat to Helen about her experience of growing up on the farm and working in the agricultural sector. Helen explains how returning to work after maternity leave left her feeling a bit lost so she pursued a Nuffield Scholarship to create a mentoring support network for the industry, supporting hundreds of people on their own career path.

Find out more about TwoCan Mentor at www.twocanmentor.co.uk or on YouTube  ⁨@TwoCan_Mentor⁩ 

Learn more about the Nuffield Scholarship at www.nuffieldscholar.org or on YouTube  ⁨@NuffieldFarming⁩ 

My guest today is Joe Stanley, columnist, author and Head of Sustainable Farming at The Allerton Project. A recognised voice in the farming community as an advocate for stainability in farming, Joe wasn’t always a fully paid up member of the natural capital society. But in our conversation he shares his journey in and out of farming, and his sympathetic views on how we have reached a tipping point in the industry.

You can find a link to his book “Farm to Fork; The Challenge of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain” here: https://amzn.eu/d/09IKnkWI

Find out more about the work of The Allerton Project here: The Allerton Project | Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust