Shows
Meet the FarmersGetting started in farming - with James WarwickIn this episode of Meet the Farmers, Ben Eagle speaks with beef and sheep farmer James Warwick from north Cornwall about how he moved to Cornwall from Cambridgeshire to live with his grandparents and learn to farm. He now farms South Devon cattle and 350–400 ewes. James shares his passion for farming, financial challenges of farming and the mental strain it can sometimes bring. We talk about:The story of how James moved to Cornwall to farm with his grandparentsLife on the farm today and the balance between sheep and cattle.His apprenticeship on another farm and wha...
2025-08-1829 min
Meet the FarmersGlobal Shocks, Local Farms: Wars, Climate, Trade, Politics and Beyond - with Emily Norton and James BolesworthIn this big-picture episode, Ben Eagle is joined by two expert voices—Emily Norton and James Bolesworth—to unpack how global forces are shaping the future of UK farming. From the war in Ukraine and climate extremes to trade policy and political unpredictability, we examine how these shocks are influencing prices, planning, and resilience on the ground.🧭 What We Cover:Part 1: Global Forces in Flux – Wars, Trade & Market VolatilityWhich global events are driving the most pressure on UK agricultureHow the war in Ukraine disrupted grain markets and commodity flowsTrad...
2025-06-3041 min
Meet the FarmersFarming, Fashion and a £254,000 grant - an update from James and Katie AllenIn this episode of Meet the Farmers, Ben Eagle catches up with James and Katie Allen, a dynamic couple whose journey into farming began with conservation grazing and has evolved into something much bigger. Originally featured during the Meet the Farmers on Tour series in 2019, James and Katie return to the podcast with exciting updates from their new 170-acre holding near Swindon.James and Katie have built a thriving, nature-led enterprise focused on native breed cattle and sheep.Recently, their business took a major leap forward with the opening of a new on-farm tannery and...
2025-05-2637 min
Meet the FarmersHydroelectric, sheep and sustainability in Wales - with James RawWe’re in Wales for this episode and Ben's guest is James Raw - a seventh-generation farmer who runs a hill farm in the heart of the Cambrian mountains. James has implemented a range of practices and projects at his farm, including the creation of two hydro systems and a farming system that focuses on soil health and biodiversity. He was awarded the prestigious Low Impact Award in the annual M&S Select Farm Awards for England and Wales last year. In this episode Ben and James talk about James's farming journey, the changes that he has enacted on th...
2025-03-3124 min
Meet the FarmersA Farm in London - with Tom DavisBen's guest today is Tom Davis who once went on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James to talk about ducks. Tom is currently Farm Manager at Mud Chute Farm which is in the heart of London on the Isle of Dogs. He’s a trustee of the British Waterfowl Association and the poultry club of Great Britain and a former trustee of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. And he’s also no stranger to the small screen, having appeared on a number of TV programmes to chat all things farming. Born and raised on a council estat...
2025-03-2453 min
Meet the FarmersTrees On Farms Mini Series (2) - Ep2. 'Trees on Farms Question Time'Ben has teamed up with the Forestry Commission once again to make this mini-series focussed on trees on farms. In this series we are asking three questions focussed on the ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ of farm woodland management. In the first episode we were asking why we need to improve our management of farm woodlands in the UK in the first place? In this second episode we have a question time format asking ‘what farmers need to know about managing trees?’, and in the third and final episode we’ll be asking how farmers can manage their farm woodlands better, using the...
2023-10-1148 min
Meet the FarmersWhat is the future for Agroforestry? A visit to the Agroforestry ShowThe Agroforestry Show was held on 6th-7th September 2023 and was organised by The Soil Association and the Woodland Trust. Many thanks to all of the contributors to this podcast episode including Helen Browning, Ben Raskin, Rhodri Owen, Liam Armstrong, Connor Kendrew, Chris Jones, James Ramskir Gardiner and Will Simonson. For more information on the Agroforestry Show click here.For the Agroforestry Handbook click here. Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. Please note that this podcast does not const...
2023-09-1234 min