TIM MAY runs a 2,500 acre organic farm near Basingstoke. He is also the founder of ‘Pitch Up!’ – a network of UK farms that provides entrepreneurs with land and capital to get environmentally friendly businesses off the ground. In this episode Neil visits Tim to find out more about this initiative, the philosophy behind it, how it works in practice, and where its future might be headed.

Listen and you’ll hear: how Pitch Up! works (1m30s); the businesses Tim has on his farm (4m23s); the ideal businesses for a project like this (9m00s); Tim’s system of farming (13m51s); ideas or future initiatives on his farm (19m25s); Tim’s pitch to people with suitable business ideas (24m45s).

Learn more about Pitch Up! On their website: pitchupandgrow.com

Follow them on Instagram: www.instagram.com/pitchupandgrow

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a recent trip to the Netherlands Neil spoke with two men from an organisation that supports farmers to become suppliers of biobased materials to the construction industry. At the forefront of their work is the Paulownia tree – a fast-growing species from China that can be used in construction and insulation. In this episode, Neil meets Co-Founder of “Dealin.Green” MATTHIJS VAN STAALDUINEN and Agricultural Advisor HANS VAN DAM to learn more about the Paulownia tree and its potential role in carbon sequestration and offsetting in the UK.

Listen and you’ll hear: about the Paulownia tree itself (1m00s); how much carbon they can absorb (3m15s); one of the unique qualities of the Paulownia (6m55s); what Paulownia wood can and cannot be used for (8m07s); claiming carbon credits on Paulownia trees (12m13); the future of Paulownia trees (15m30s); a short tour of Dealin.Green’s Paulownia trees (22m25s).

Learn more about Dealin.Green: https://dealin.green

Learn more about carbon credits: bit.ly/3WOrmMf

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BECKY WILSON is the Technical Director for The Farm Carbon Toolkit, an independent, farmer-led organisation, supporting farms to become resilient, climate-positive businesses, with healthy soils, rich wildlife, and well-managed water resources. In this episode they discuss how this vision might be achieved across a range of different farms.

Listen and you’ll hear: how the Farm Carbon Toolkit works (1m00s); addressing the typical challenges of carbon reduction on arable farms (3m10s); how farmers can benefit from the research Becky is involved in (15m15s); addressing the typical challenges of carbon reduction on livestock farms (19m08s); the benefits of diversity in grasslands (23m43s); a focus on beef farming (30m33); a focus on sheep farming (37m26s).

Learn more about the Farm Carbon Toolkit: www.farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil becomes the interviewee in this episode, as his producer JAKE LLOYD asks the questions. They discuss Neil’s political and farming career, what they’ve learned from making this podcast, and why both Neil and young farmers feel a sense of cautious optimism about the future.

Listen and you’ll hear: why Neil began this podcast (1m34s); a short history of his farming life (2m23s); why Neil got into politics (3m16s); what he learned about farming in the European Parliament (5m14); the challenges of being both a farmer and a politician (10m30s); what it was like to be a part of creating farming policy post-Brexit (17m35s); Neil on his efforts to be a bridge-builder in the farming world (27m45s); how he feels about the current government’s farming policies (34m32s); his optimism about the future (38m00s).

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AMELIA and JASON GREENWAY only began farming in 2018, but were named Tenant Farmers of the Year at the Southwest Farming Awards in 2023. Neil recently visited them at their farm on the Killerton Estate in Devon, where they breed pedigree highland cattle, alongside rare breed pigs. They spoke about the ups and downs of tenant farming and they talked about how they look after their sensitive landscape and its soils.

Listen and you’ll hear: Amelia on the farm and her journey into farming (0m55s); Amelia on how they farm highland cattle (8m41s); their partnership with the National Trust (16m41s); Amelia on why they chose rare breed pigs (26m04s); Jason joins Neil to describe his journey from high-input farming to nature-friendly farming (33m03).

Visit Jason & Amelia’s website here

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On his recent visit to the Devon County Show, Neil took along his sound recorder to get a flavour of what’s on the minds of farmers right now. In this episode you’ll hear his conversations with President of the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs JOHN LEE OBE, as well as a specialist in recruiting, training and mentoring farming apprentices PETER REED, and the South West Regional Director of the Country Land and Business Association ANN MAIDMENT. In these conversations he encounters a surprising take on the inheritance tax row, a mixed reaction to the recent US trade deal, and optimism among the next generation of young farmers.

Listen and you’ll hear: highlights from Neil’s visit (1m10s); Peter on the trends he’s seeing amongst young people at the start of their farming career (3m00s); Ann on how the members of her organisation are feeling about farming at the moment (8m52s); and John reflecting with Neil on the ways in which the future of farming will look different to the past (12m05s).

These conversations were recorded across two days of the show which ran from the 15-17th May 2025.

Follow the Devon County Show on Instagram here

Learn more about Ann Maidment’s work at the CLA on their website here

Learn about the work of Peter Reed here

Learn more about John Lee OBE here

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year Hector Meanwell was named the UK’s ‘Young Farmer Of The Year’ by the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. In this episode, Neil visits the 25 year old on his 400-acre Lake District farm to find out why he’s been called ‘dynamite’ for the industry. They discuss food production and nature restoration on his farm, why he’s helping young people from deprived backgrounds engage in farming, the role that Young Farmers’ Clubs have played in his life, and the role YFC could play in the future of farming and politics.

Listen and you’ll hear them discuss: the make-up of his 400-acre farm (0m48s); being named Young Farmer Of The Year (4m11s); what he learned about food and farming from trips to Nepal and Kenya (5m27s); the role Young Farmers’ Clubs could play in politics (6m06); helping younger generations understand and appreciate farming and food production (09m15s); his feelings about recent government decisions (12m43s); the work he does with deprived young people (17m33s).

This conversation was recorded on 13 March 2025.

Follow the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs on Instagram here

Learn about the work of the Country Trust on their website here

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Click here to receive an email when a new episode is published.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The morning after the government announced the end of its Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, Neil visited Cumbrian organic dairy farmer JAMES ROBINSON whose passion is nature friendly farming. His 300-acre Strickley Farm has been in the family since 1875, and it's been free from artificial fertilisers or pesticides for the last twenty years. In this episode he walks Neil around the farm to explain how his style of farming has evolved in this special landscape.

Listen and you’ll hear: the history and layout of Strickley Farm (0m55s); James and Neil wade in the beck that runs through the farm (5m20s); James explains why he ‘re-wiggled’ this watercourse (8m37); hear how and why James created wetland areas on the farm (11m08); his role with the Nature Friendly Farming Network (14m50s); his journey of going organic (15m51); responding to the government’s decision to end its sustainable farming scheme (17m40s); the turning point in his approach to farming (20m55); his pond (24m30); meeting his shorthorn cattle (27m07).

This conversation was recorded on 13 March 2025.

Follow James on Instagram here

Visit his website here: strickleydairy.co.uk

Learn about the Nature Friendly Farming Network: nffn.org.uk

This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk

Click here to receive an email when a new episode is published.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.