Shows
No-Bullsh!t VeganIain Tolhurst on how the world’s first stock-free farm grows 120 tons of food annually with zero animal inputsIain Tolhurst is a pioneer of stock-free organic farming who’s been growing vegetables for nearly 40 years without a single animal input. No manure, no bone meal, no grazing animals—just thriving soil, rich biodiversity, and 120 tons of vegetables per year. You’ll learn how this groundbreaking system works, why it’s more climate-resilient than conventional or even organic farming, and what it means for the future of food. Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, food justice, or simply want to know where your veggies come from, this conversation will shift your perspective on farming, animals, a...2025-07-2246 min
The Rundown by PoliticsHomeCan this Government deliver?While this week Rachel Reeves set out her plans on how and where Labour is set to spend money for much of the rest of this Parliament, the question now is do they have a plan for how they’re going to deliver on their priorities, and succeed in completing Keir Starmer’s missions for government?Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss the vexed issue of actually delivering in office what you came in to do is Michelle Clement, lecturer in government studies at the Strand Group at King’s College London, who has just p...2025-06-1339 min
HortWeek PodcastSilvohorticulture with Ben Raskin and Andy DibbenBen raskin and Andy Dibben have written Silvohorticulture, A Grower's Guide To Integrating Trees Into Crops published in January 2025 by Chelsea Green Publishing.Raskin is head of horticulture and agroforestry for the Soil Association and Dibben is head grower at Abbey Home Farms in Gloucestershire.They say interactions between trees and crops is an under-investigated area and that trees can offer many benefits for food growers.The foreword is by Stockfree Organic farmer Iain Tolhurst who calls this "agroforestry at its finest" and says which trees to choose is "no lo...2025-01-1719 min
The Vegan PodShould we be farming veganically?In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we’re talking about veganic agriculture—a method of farming that uses no animal products or byproducts in the growing process.
Joining us for this episode we have co-founder of the Veganic Agriculture Network, Meg Kelly, and pioneer in the field of stock-free organic farming, Iain Tolhurst.
Together, they unpack the ethical and environmental benefits of veganic agriculture and explore how the movement can continue to grow.
The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Socie...2024-10-251h 00
Talk on the Wild SideFarming through natural systemsIain Tolhurst NBE is a pioneering organic farmer and owner of Tolhurst Organic Farms. This farm has made quite a name for itself because it is able to feed 350 families on 14 acres of what is classified as poor quality agricultural land up to now, without any government subsidies. He manages this land with minimal external inputs to the farm. This means no chemical fertiliser or pesticides. He also does this without any livestock or external fertility from animals. Nearly 20% of his farm is trees and an additional 40% set aside for green manure. So how does he do it?2024-08-231h 10
The Organic Grower PodcastOGPod Episode 4: Iain Tolhurst and Tolhurst OrganicsToday, we have a wonderful conversation with Iain Tolhurst a.k.a Tolly of Tolhurst Organics. It’s a long one but there are so many gems in here that I couldn’t possibly leave any of them out. The whole point of this podcast is to share knowledge among growers so if it takes you a few bites of the apple to get the end then so be it - it will be worth it! We talk about many of the things Tolly is well-known for, including woodchip and green manures but I was also keen to get...2024-05-091h 44
The Sustainable Food Trust PodcastIain Tolhurst on 40 years of organic horticulture: Lessons, trials and triumphs (part two)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...2024-04-0920 minThe Sustainable Food Trust PodcastIain Tolhurst on 40 years of organic horticulture: Lessons, trials and triumphs (part one)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 att...2024-03-2755 min
Roots and All - Gardening PodcastEpisode 235: WoodchipMy guest this week is Ben Raskin, the Soil Association’s Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry. Ben is the author of several books on gardening, including Zero-Waste Garden and The Community Gardening Handbook. His latest book is ‘The Woodchip Handbook’, which I was very excited to read and even more excited to speak with Ben about, because I’ve long been a fan of using wood chip in the garden. In the interview, we cover the many uses for woodchip in the garden, how it can help with plant and soil health, what sort of wood makes good chip...2023-04-3028 min
The Wellcome Collection PodcastThe Root of the Matter: FarmlandFruit and veg are a clear link to our relationship to the plant world. Yet many of us have little understanding of the farming industry and the impacts it has on our planet, in bringing crops to our plates.In this episode, JC untangles the knots of these complex global food systems - and focuses on a grain that is central to many of our diets, wheat. Professor of Archeological Science, Martin Jones, shares how our early ancestors began to cultivate crops, and why crops may have begun to cultivate us too. Author an...2022-07-2829 min
Viva! Vegan Podcast#3 Viva! Vegan Special FeatureWelcome to the Viva! Vegan Podcast and this special feature with Iain Tolhurst from . In this short episode, Coordinator, Kerri Waters, chats to Iain on his stock-free organic farm in Oxfordshire. ABOUT OUR SHOW Listen now . We're also on , and . Spread the word and please rate, review and subscribe to help us reach new audiences. Get the latest episode every month, straight to your mobile device or computer. It's automatic and completely free. Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2022. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis and Lex Rigby for Vi2022-07-2510 min
The Regenerative Agroforestry Podcast#17 Insights from research on agroforestry with Sally Westaway and Jo SmithIn our previous interviews with Iain Tolhurst (#10) and David Wolfe (#6), both mentioned the research undertook by the Organic Research Center on their farms. We really wanted to go one step further and understand what came out of these research projets. The result is a great interview with Sally Westaway and Jo Smith where we discuss interactions between crops and trees, the productivity of agroforestry and the results of their trials on wood chips. Sally and Jo do a great job at bringing some nuance to the conversation while also linking their research to very practical considerations. • TABLE OF...2021-03-071h 18
The Thriving Farmer PodcastIain Tolhurst on Stockfree Vegetable Production in the UKWhat does it take to thrive as an organic, stockfree, community-interest farm? Quite a lot, but as our guest today shows, it’s a climbable mountain. Joining us today is Iain Tolhurst of Tolhurst Organic located in south Oxfordshire, UK. Tolhurst Organic, one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England, supplies in-season organic vegetables and fruit delivered to local neighborhoods weekly, via a neighborhood rep scenario. Almost all vegetables are harvested the day of delivery to guarantee freshness. They pride themselves on being able to grow as many of the vegetables as possible and produce at...2021-01-051h 11
The Regenerative Agroforestry Podcast#10 Fertile woodchips and managing the tree line understory with Iain TolhurstIn this episode, Iain Tolhurst explains why and how he integrated trees in his vegetable operation. It's interesting to get a clear image of what his tree layout looks like, and what this means in term on infrastructure and management. He has tested planting perennial crops in the tree understory, a tempting idea that encounters some practical and commercial limitations. We cover some issues such as if we should be worried of weeds growing in the tree line or if root and light competition are a challenge for him. We then explore another interesting aspect of his farm : how...2020-11-231h 27
Agricology PodcastFarm System Health - Iain Tolhurst (Tolly)Iain Tolhurst runs one of the longest running stock-free organic vegetable farms in England. In this episode we talk to him about his involvement in the Farm System Health project - which brought together international farmers who have established personal philosophies & strategies of best practice that make them successful in running healthy farms & producing healthy food. We ask him what farm system health means to him & how he relates his practices to the 10 principles of health defined in the project. 2020-11-1333 min
Roots and All - Gardening PodcastEpisode 45: Iain Tolhurst Stock-Free Farming Pt. 2What happens to all the cows if everyone turns vegan? In Part 2 of Iain’s talk, recorded at VegFest 2019, Iain addresses issues surrounding current farming practices. He describes how he believes stock-free is better in terms of carbon emissions and soil health and answers that common question; “what happens to all the cows if we all go vegan?” If you’re interested in gardening, many of Iain’s practices are also applicable to small-scale and ornamental sites, as well as farms. Plus, if you’re concerned about the impact of your food shopping habits, he presents some fascinating facts and figures. Wit...2019-06-1134 min
Roots and All - Gardening PodcastEpisode 39: Iain Tolhurst Vegan Organic FarmingThis episode is produced in association with the Vegan Organic Network. It was recorded at VegFestUK on the 23rd March 2019. Iain Tolhurst is a pioneer of what he terms Stock-free Farming; that is farming which uses no animal inputs. Based in South Oxfordshire, Iain talks about the history of his growing operation plus shares some unique practices he employs to maximise crops whilst making the farm a haven for biodiversity. He also gives figures about produce yields and carbon output of his farm, which are fascinating (and encouraging, for anyone considering this method of farming). ...2019-04-2548 min
Roots and All - Gardening PodcastEpisode 24: Cleve WestIn this episode, I talk with critically acclaimed garden designer Cleve West about his journey to a vegan lifestyle and how this impacts upon his work. We touch upon vegan gardening, cooking, farming for vegan and meat based diets and why we all need to think about the mark we leave on our gardens and the wider environment. Further resources; www.clevewest.com Our Plot by Cleve West. Published in 2011 by Frances Lincoln https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Plot-Cleve-West-2013-04-04/dp/B01K939IVO/ref=pd_lpo...2019-01-1539 min