The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst.

“We need to bring farming back into society. It’s become completely divorced from society.”

Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England.

For over 40 years, Tolly has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold to the local community through a box scheme. His farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree Organic” symbol in 2004, and there have been no grazing animals and no animal inputs to any part of the farm for over 30 years. To build soil fertility, Iain uses green manures as part of a crop rotation, as well as using vegetable and woodchip compost from waste materials.

With his extensive knowledge and experience of organic food production, Iain also delivers educational talks across the UK and beyond, and runs a consultancy service giving advice on organic conversion and production, helping to train and educate farmers and growers for the future.

During this episode, Patrick and Tolly explore the economics of farming and what it means to pay the ‘right price’ for our food. Tolly also talks about the productive capacity of Tolhurst Organic and how they’re feeding the surrounding community through their veg box scheme. Patrick and Iain delve into the current state of the UK farming sector amidst the changing policy around farm subsidies and how this is affecting both organic and conventional farmers, before closing with a conversation on the importance of demonstration farms for informing and educating people about the story behind their food and the need to incentivise farmers for this.

To find out more about Iain and Tolhurst Organic, follow @tolhurstorganicveg on Instagram, or visit www.tolhurstorganic.co.uk.

This conversation has been split into two episodes – for part one click here, or find the episode wherever you get your podcasts from.

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.

Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst.

Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England.

For over 40 years, Iain has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold to the local community through a box scheme. His farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree Organic” symbol in 2004, and there have been no grazing animals and no animal inputs to any part of the farm for over 30 years. To build soil fertility, Iain uses green manures as part of a crop rotation, as well as using vegetable and woodchip compost from waste materials.

With his extensive knowledge and experience of organic food production, Iain also delivers educational talks across the UK and beyond, and runs a consultancy service giving advice on organic conversion and production, helping to train and educate farmers and growers for the future.

During this episode, Patrick and Iain recount how they first met in 1981 when the UK Organic Farming movement was still in its infancy, and Iain shares the origin of his passion for horticulture, including his earliest influences. They also discuss the impacts of World War II on agriculture in the UK and what lessons we can learn from this, before digging into Iain’s farming practices including the use of wood chip, as well as a discussion around the the role of livestock.

To find out more about Iain and Tolhurst Organic, follow @tolhurstorganicveg on Instagram, or visit https://www.tolhurstorganic.co.uk.

This conversation has been split into two episodes – tune in for part two on Wednesday 10th April.

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, Xor Facebook.

Sebastian Pole is a herbalist, best known for establishing organic tea and supplement brand Pukka herbs.

In this episode, Sebastian describes his journey from ‘WWOOF’ (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) volunteer to herbalist, finding inspiration in India after experiencing the healing powers of herbs first hand. He explains the value high quality, organic herbs hold for those who grow them and those who consume them, and why the sale of Pukka to multinational brand Unilever offered a unique opportunity to improve business practice.

Find out more about Pukka herbs www.pukkaherbs.com
or to buy seeds for your own herb garden visit www.earthsongseeds.co.uk

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Dr Claire Whittle is a farm vet, Nuffield scholar, but above all, a dung beetle enthusiast.  

In the UK, there are 60 species of dung beetle, which fall into the categories of 'dwellers', 'stealers' and 'tunnellers'. Each beetle plays a vital part in breaking down dung, improving soil health, suppressing pests, and even reducing greenhouse gas emissions and flood risk. 

A recent study showed that many of our dung beetle species are in serious trouble, with almost 50% categorised as scarce or threatened nationally. A key cause of this? Agricultural practices that damage the fragile dung biome. 

In the podcast, Claire explains the important role dung beetles can play in preventative care, crucial in a world of ever-increasing drug resistance. She explains how dung beetles are vital to a return to homeostasis and ecological health on farms, and what farmers can do to help these critical critters. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

Wilding, by Isabella Tree

The Secret Life of Cows, by Rosamund Young

Silent Earth, by Dave Goulson

Silent Spring, by Rachel Carlson

Keep up to date with Claire Whittle’s work via Instagram, and Dung Beetles for Farmers.

More Sustainable Food Trust Podcasts

Support the Sustainable Food Trust

Follow Sustainable Food Trust on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn

This week Patrick is joined by Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology, author, and co-founder of personalised microbiome and nutrition analysis company ZOE. They discuss the microbiome of the human gut and its similarities to the microbiome of soil, exploring how farmers might influence the diversity of several microbiomes through their practices, and how legislation might be altered to support microbial diversity.

See more of Tim Spector's work via Twitter, his website and his books

A special edition podcast covering our 2022 Fir Farm Conference: A Roadmap to Sustainable Farming.

Find out about more events on our website.

Arizona Muse is considered an icon in the modelling world and has starred in campaigns for the world’s best-known fashion houses. She is an activist, educator and founded DIRT, a charity that promotes and supports biodynamic farming. Arizona has also spent time as an impact-consultant for brands looking to lower their environmental impact.

Muse joins Patrick to discuss her journey from super model to environmental activist and the similar challenges that are currently facing fashion and food. They discuss why biodynamic farming is so relevant today, and how we can all take inspiration from peoples who know their place is within nature rather than beside it.

Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, sits down with Patrick to discuss the challenges facing the world, key among them the impact of agriculture. In a wide ranging conversation, they consider what needs to be done to fix ‘our broken planet’, to borrow a phrase from the museum’s current exhibition looking at ways to repair the world. Gurr aims to inspire people to become advocates for the planet. The discussion – sometimes challenging and contentious – considers the role of the museum in our culture and how it can look forward as much as back.

Gurr started as director at the Natural History Museum in 2020. He came from a background in business, notably working for Amazon UK and Amazon China, but has long supported the work of charities such as the British Heart Foundation, the National Gallery, the Science Museum and others, as a board chair or trustee.

Journalist and broadcaster Dan Saladino joins us for this episode. Dan is best known for his work as a food writer, and for his long-term contribution to the BBC's Food Programme. 

 
Dan’s recently published book Eating to Extinction:The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them, involved 10 years of travel and research, exploring the plight of unique food systems which are threatened and rapidly disappearing. Inspired by Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, Dan explains the impact of industrialisation on our farming systems and what this means for our food culture. Starting with the Sicilian orange groves of his childhood, the past leads to the present and questions of whether the diversity of our food can be saved, and the need to exert collective pressure on the existing food system and demand food with a better story.

A must-listen for anyone interested in learning more about the impact genetic modification, gene editing and pesticides are having on our personal and planetary health.