The FarmED Podcast

FarmED

The FarmED Podcast is chaired by Kate, Danielle, Fiona or Ian who will talk to some of the inspirational visitors to the centre, our partners and thought leaders about a wide range of subjects relating to regenerative farming and sustainable food systems. Topics include routes to market for local produce, eco-architecture and knowledge transfer through books. It’s all about sharing great ideas, discussion, debate, innovation and ground-breaking research. The FarmED Podcast is available on the full range of platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on the FarmED website.

  1. Jul 30

    Katie Ward from Microbz

    This month Alex is talking to Katie Ward, MD of Microbz, a unique family business that’s on a mission to encourage everyone to reconnect with the power of microbes by embracing a probiotic life, not just using them in our bodies but also for our pets, in our homes and gardens, and on our farms. It all began when Katie’s dad, Jeff, returned from a trip to Europe and Australia where he’d seen a new technology that excited him: Microbial Balancing Technology. He saw a solution for the planet and started brewing jars in his kitchen. Katie talks to Alex about why microbes are the ‘foundations of health’, the amazing results from using Microbz probiotics on fields of oats where the yield increased by 50% and why we all need to ‘move away from a 1980s’ culture of using products in our home to kill 99.9% of microbes. She also explains what ‘swing voter’ microbes are. ‘There are good microbes and there are bad microbes, but there's only about 10% of microbes that are good and 10% of microbes that are bad. The rest we call swing voters. So in an ecosystem that is more pathogenic, your swing voters go to that side. So if you have food poisoning, you get it very quickly because of the swing voters. If you create an environment that has more beneficial microbes, the swing voters kind of go to that side and create an ecosystem which is balanced. Microbz are offering FarmED Podcast listeners 15% off all their products with the code: FarmEd15 www.microbz.co.uk @microbzprobiotics You can also catch Katie at this event in September https://microbz.co.uk/pages/the-microbial-revolution

  2. Jun 25

    Minette Batters, The First Woman of British Farming

    In this episode of The FarmED Podcast, guest host, Lydia Smith from NIAB talks to Minette Batters, the first woman to be President of the National Farmers Union, in advance of the publication of her autobiography and farming manifesto, Harvest. The wide-ranging conversation covers everything from how to command respect as the first woman President of the NFU and juggling a high-pressure job with motherhood. Minette talks about the challenges of leading the NFU through Brexit and the pandemic, why she was so angered, on behalf of British farmers, by the trade deal with Australia, the difficult debate around glyphosate and difficult interviews with politicians! She also gets a chance to taste hemp milk and talk about the legal complexities of growing this high carbon capture crop in the UK.

  3. May 29

    The FarmED Podcast with Entomologist and Hawkstone Choir Member, Sally-Ann Spence

    This month, Alex is joined by science communicator Sally-Ann Spence who has spent many years enthusing people about the wonders of the natural world. Her boundless and passionate enthusiasm for the earth sciences has taken her from being a dung beetle expert to ecology, archaeology, paleontology and travelling to fourteen different countries last year exploring sustainable farming. She’s also a member of the fabulous Hawkstone Choir who we hosted at FarmED for rehearsals ahead of their next big day on Britain's Got Talent!

  4. Apr 30

    Crops in Construction with with Architect, Tim Tasker

    Award-winning architect, Tim Tasker, who designed the FarmED Conference Barn and Cafe, has recently been working on a new building at Honeydale Farm which is constructed of hempcrete, a hugely versatile, breathable and sustainable building material that captures carbon.  Tim has been working with UK Hempcrete and the Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping and on this episode of the FarmED Podcast, Tim talks to Alex about why he is so excited about the opportunities of hempcrete. He discusses what makes a healthy building and how hemp could potentially revolutionise the construction industry, offering opportunities for farmers and creating sustainable, affordable building materials with could also make self-builds easier.  Tim also talks about his vision for the future -  why we need more beauty in house building and his ‘big aim’ to encourage a ‘network of small businesses’ around the country that could supply localised construction as ‘an alternative to commercial construction techniques.’ Links: https://www.ttarchitects.co.uk/ https://www.ukhempcrete.com/ https://www.carboncapturecropping.com/

  5. Mar 26

    The FarmED Podcast with FarmED Co-Founder, Ian Wilkinson

    Co-founder of FarmED, Ian Wilkinson has been on sabbatical to Australia and New Zealand. In this episode of The FarmED Podcast he talks to Alex about his original journey from agricultural college to seed merchant, as owner of Cotswold Seeds, and then the decision to buy Honeydale Farm with his wife, Celene, and fulfill a dream of being a farmer. Ian and Celene founded FarmED as a regenerative demonstration and place for debate, discussion and inspiration and Ian talks to Alex about his inspiring experiences in Australia and New Zealand - covering everything from kiwis to kangaroos, cattle to cover crops, agroforestry and logging, and the observations he made about the differences and similarities in farming in New Zealand compared to the UK. ‘New Zealand and Australia are made up of people that have often been there for two or three generations from Europe, a huge number of European families in New Zealand, and a lot of those are farming families,’ comments Ian. ‘The importance of agriculture is valued in society more than I would suggest it is currently in the UK.’ Listen to The FarmED Podcast wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts. Please give us a rating, like or follow.

  6. Feb 26

    The FarmED Podcast with Wildfarmed’s Andy Cato

    In this month’s episode of The FarmED Podcast, co-founder of Wildfarmed, Andy Cato, talks to co-founder of FarmED, Ian Wilkinson. Andy famously found fame as part of Groove Armada and then sold his music publishing rights to buy a farm in France, before going on to establish Wildfarmed and starring on Clarkson’s Farm.  Andy talks to Ian about his inspiration, the tough lessons he learned in France, and why he is so passionate about growing regenerative wheat to make flour and bread for the supermarkets. Hear about everything from how he measured nature uplift, ‘such a key indicator of ecosystem recovery,’ by bribing neighbours with pain au chocolats, his views on the use of glyphosate and how he set up Wildfarmed because actions bring about change, and  ‘how can you act in a world of anonymous food?’ His message is ultimately hopeful. ‘I think that based on incoming messages, the idea of agency and purpose and hope, particularly amongst young people, really, really does resonate. And there's this sort of sensation that people are on a kind of slow motion train crash that they can't do anything about, and that there is a way to act through their food choices, is definitely a thing that I think has huge potential. It's not easy to communicate it, but where we have landed it, the response to that has been amazing.’ Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on FarmED’s YouTube channel. Please subscribe, like and leave us a review. They really do help.  Links  https://wildfarmed.com/

  7. Jan 29

    The FarmED Podcast: Holistic Planned Grazing with Rob Havard

    Our guest this month is cattle farmer, ecologist, Nuffield scholar and trainer Rob Havard, who will be running a course on Holistic Planned Grazing at FarmED on 11th March.  After working for various wildlife trusts and conservation organisations, Rob returned to his family’s farm and now he and his wife, Lizzie, run Phepson Angus, a 100% grass-fed suckler herd of Pedigree Aberdeen Angus across 1,200 acres of diverse pasture in Worcestershire and Shropshire.  Rob talks to Alex Dye about his passion for combining productivity with ecological gain. ’I do think we can get to industry standard suckler cow stocking rates with probably at least a third if not quarter of the costs and  at that point an ecological cattle system becomes more profitable than a conventional system,’ he says.  Rob describes his eureka moment and how holistic management provides a ‘framework’ for farming. He explains why he was so inspired by the bison on the Great Plains in America and how he convinced his farmer father to embrace farming more regeneratively. Rob also talks about travelling to Argentina and Uruguay as part of the research for his Nuffield Scholarship and closer to home, discussed the delights of involving his whole family in spotting the orchids on his farm, which have increased as a result of their farming systems.  Listen wherever you usually get your podcasts or watch on the FarmED YouTube channel. Please subscribe, like and leave us a review. They really help to get the word out.  Links https://www.phepsonangus.com/ https://www.farm-ed.co.uk/events/220/holistic-planned-grazing-with-rob-havard

  8. 12/18/2025

    The FarmED Podcast with Adam Henson

    For many people for many years, Adam Henson, presenter of the BBC’s flagship programme, Countryfile, has been the face and voice of British farming so it was a delight to welcome him to The FarmED Podcast studio to record our Christmas Special.  As well as talking about Christmas at the Cotswold Farm Park, founded by Adam’s father over forty years ago, Adam talks to presenter, Alex Dye, about his career both in the field and in front of the camera. He discusses the changes he’s witnessed in agriculture and why he does not describe his own farm as regenerative.  Adam talks about everything from measuring carbon footprints and exciting innovations in technology to challenges facing farming in terms of mental health and why he is hopeful for the future but as a tenant farmer, ‘cannot live on hope.’  Having visited farms and agricultural businesses all over the country with the BBC, Adam has some fascinating anecdotes and views on how education should engage young people in farming - perhaps by borrowing from the British Army’s advertising campaigns. He is passionate about the importance of communicating farming stories.

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About

The FarmED Podcast is chaired by Kate, Danielle, Fiona or Ian who will talk to some of the inspirational visitors to the centre, our partners and thought leaders about a wide range of subjects relating to regenerative farming and sustainable food systems. Topics include routes to market for local produce, eco-architecture and knowledge transfer through books. It’s all about sharing great ideas, discussion, debate, innovation and ground-breaking research. The FarmED Podcast is available on the full range of platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on the FarmED website.

Information

  • Creator
    FarmED
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © FarmED
  • Show Website
    The FarmED Podcast