Think Outside The Fence – Details, episodes & analysis

Silas is a farmer, coach, and consultant with hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture. He divides his time between the Cotswold Cattle Company, his co-owned food and farming venture, and Grass Fed Farmer, his agroecological coaching business. With a background rooted in both the UK and New Zealand, he champions lean, profitable farming systems that deliver on increasing biodiversity and soil health gains. Silas is also an Integrity Soils trained agroecological coach from the Yellowstone cohort.

In this episode, we hear about...

• A Tale of Two Systems: The stark contrast between subsidised UK farming and New Zealand's unsubsidised, business-focused approach.

• The First Profit in 25 Years: How Silas's "New Zealand way" of mob grazing and cutting inputs transformed the economics of a UK farm.

• Direct-to-Consumer Deep Dive: The tough lessons learned from selling retail cuts and the strategic pivot to a burger-focused food brand.

• From Gut Feeling to Hard Data: The journey from observing changes on the farm to participating in a four-year scientific research project on adaptive grazing.

• Inside the Integrity Soils 'Create' Program: What it's like to train with Nicole Masters in Yellowstone, blending deep soil science with crucial coaching and personal development skills.

• The Power of Collaboration: The innovative model behind Cotswold Cattle Company, partnering with arable landowners to bring cattle back to the landscape.

• Beyond the Labels: Why Silas is passionate about breaking down the barriers between regenerative and conventional farming to create real, large-scale impact.

Have a look at what Silas is doing at 

https://www.grassfedfarmer.com

https://www.cotswoldcattle.com

Thanks, as always, to our sponsors - Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association and Covers & Co.

www.mfga.net

https://www.coversandco.ca

 

Welcome to this episode of Think Outside the Fence, where we're joined by Andy Rumming, a visionary beef farmer from Wiltshire, England. Andy shares his incredible journey in modern agriculture, focusing on adding value in a regenerative and holistic way.

Key Discussion Points:

• Maximising Value per Animal: Discover how Andy prioritises getting more value from each animal rather than simply increasing herd size.
• Finding Hidden Value: Andy reveals how he turns byproducts into profitable ventures, from bones to enriched mince, and how customer feedback drives innovation.
• The "Bottom of the Food Chain" Mindset: A powerful discussion on why farmers should strive to be in control of their destiny rather than feeling like victims of market forces.
• Family Business & Diversification: Learn how Andy navigates a multi-generational farm and successfully introduces new enterprises.
• The Power of Mindset: Andy discusses the critical importance of physical and mental health in farming, emphasising continuous learning and even keeping a "lessons learned journal."
• From Soil to Sneaker: Explore Andy's innovative approach to farm diversification, utilising every part of the animal from enriched mince and bone products to creating high-end leather goods and running "sneaker workshops" on the farm.
• Building a Sustainable Business: Andy shares his strategies for smart growth, infrastructure development (including a new, efficient butchery), and managing customer relationships to ensure profitability and resilience.
• Overcoming Challenges: Hear how Andy adapted his business to tackle issues like Bovine TB and the complexities of managing a multi-partner farm.

Visit Andy's websites

https://www.andyrummingsbeef.co.uk/

https://www.farmsneaker.com/

Thanks, as always, to our sponsors

Manitoba Forage and Grassland Asocciation www.mfga.net

Covers & Co. https://www.coversandco.ca/

 

 

 

 

We made it! Think Outside The Fence is 1 year old! 

In this episode, Arron and Amy take a look back at their guests over the last year and put their own spin on things. Giving their thoughts on the conversations and ideas for the future. 

Thanks as always to our sponsors, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association https://mfga.net/

 

Marking 1 whole year of Think Outside The Fence...here it is! Episode 12! 

In this episode we speak to Lucy Williamson. Lucy is a vet turned award winning, human nutritionist. With over 30 years experience in health, food and farming, she's part of a passionate community of health professional and food producers, learning from natural ecosystems, to make better health a reality. 

We talk about the science of nutrient density, gut health, the wider food system and the role of the farmer in communicating with consumers to reconnect the gap. 

Visit Lucy's website here https://lwnutrition.co.uk

As always, thanks to our sponsors, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association https://mfga.net

 

It's time for episode 11! Join us as we chat to Helen Wyman, Nuffield Scholar and founder of Cultivate Success, an agricultural mentorship programme in the UK.

We talk through what mentorship actually is, what it can do for people in Ag and how making connections can battle loneliness and breed creative thinking. 

For those in the UK thinking about becoming a mentor or mentee, take a look at the Cultivate Success website https://cultivate-success.com

And for our listeners in Canada, Helen has kindly supplied the details of a programme which she learnt about whilst on her Nuffield travels https://ontariosoil.net/

As always, thanks to our sponsors - Manitoba Forage and Grassland association https://mfga.net/

 

A little 'bonus' episode for you all - Amy's "Embracing Change" talk from the Holistic Management Canada conference in Valleyview, Alberta earlier this year. 

We put this talk on our YouTube channel with the slides, but we've had reports of YouTube not playing nice with some of our listeners and have been asked to release it as a podcast episode. So...here you go!

Amy spoke about her own experience of embracing change, both in her personal life and in her work with farmers in the UK. 

Trigger warning - this talk contains experiences of mental ill health and post natal depression.

To watch the talk with the slides, visit our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/@TOTFpodcast

 

Welcome to episode 9! This month we interview Duane Thompson of the Tee Two Land & Cattle Co. from Kelliher, Saskatchewan. Duane and his family operate an integrated mixed farm, with an emphasis being stewards of the land while ensuring the long term viability of their farm business. We dive into what drives Duane's passion for agriculture as he openly shares the lessons he has learned along the way.   Duane is very proud of Tee Two's history and has worked to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to be part of the operation. Succession planning has been a very important part of the intergenerational communication and he now has 2 sons working along side him as partners in the business.   Check out this short video for glimpse into Tee Two Land & Cattle Co. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWrFgfDdIMI     As always, thanks to our sponsors. Manitoba Forage and Grassland association https://mfga.net  

This March episode is a mid month release and a very special feature episode!

In early February, Think Outside the Fence podcast was invited to join the Holistic Management Canada annual conference as MCs and presenters. Amy made the trip from the UK to join Arron in Valleyview, Alberta for the weekend conference on Feb 10-11. The theme for the conference was "Discover, Adapt, Connect".

It was a great conference and we are excited to share some audio clips from some of the speakers. A few notables are Kit Pharo, Wayne Knight, Dana Penrice, Bluesette Campbell and Erin Crampton. Amy's spoke about "Embracing Change", and Arron was part of the "Adapt Panel" session.    Amy's presentation and visual slide deck can be found on our new YouTube Chanel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClJP4B1YaiLbfwpNfBFVQNw     Once again, shout out to HM Canada for asking us to be part of this great exchange of knowledge and ideas. It's hard not to feel inspired after attending one of these conferences!   Link to Conference Agenda: https://holisticmanagement.ca/conferences/     As always, thanks to our sponsors - Manitoba Forage and Grassland association https://mfga.net/      

 

Very exciting episode! The first international guest that is not from either Canada or the UK. In episode 7 we welcome all the way from the land down under, Jacob Wolki. Jacob has a strong online presence due to his straight forward approach and his way of challenging traditional thinking.   Jacob is a first generation farmer and the owner of Wolki Farms. They are a multi species operation that markets direct to the consumer while farming using regenerative principles. Wolki Farms have developed very unique business model, opening a non-traditional retail butchery that is staffless and automated. You will definitely want to listen to find out more!   Learn what's next for Wolki Farm and why you need to go on a farm tour before you become a customer. We also discuss many other motivating factors of Jacobs entrepreneurial journey including business influence, human health, animal welfare and much much more!   Links:   Instagram @wolkifarm X @JakeWolki Facebook @wolkifarm Website https://wolkifarm.com.au   As always, thanks to our sponsors - Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association https://mfga.net/      

It's officially the start of 2024. What a great time to reflect on our personal well being, both mental and physical. Our special guest for episode 6 is Lewellyn Melnyk who is from the same home town as Arron in Manitoba. She is self described as an Author, Farmer & Mental Health Advocate, although we truly believe the latter is her true passion. 

From her website: "Helping people stay rooted at a time when mental health really matters."   Lewellyn has written a book, "Rooted", about her own struggles and the journey she has been on to better personal mental health and what has worked for her. Amy and Arron have both read it and it's not a prescriptive solution but a collection of many things that are all part of the whole. As Lewellyn says, "Just start with one thing!"   For anyone who wants to talk, here are some links.   UK - https://fcn.org.uk/ Canada - https://manitobafarmerwellness.ca https://www.domore.ag/    Website: https://www.lewellynmelnyk.com   Instagram: https://instagram.com/lewellynmelnyk/   Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lewellynmelnyk   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lewellyn.melnyk   Thanks as always to our sponsors - Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association https://mfga.net/