I'm joined by Chris Whitelock, author of Growing Fruit, to explore how modern varieties are reshaping the way we grow fruit at home. We discuss everything from choosing space-saving or container-friendly trees to tackling pests, diseases, and even the challenge of keeping birds off your harvest.

Links

Growing Fruit: A Practical Guide to Growing Top and Soft Fruit

Chris Whitelock - Learning with Experts

Please support the podcast on Patreon

And follow Roots and All:

On Instagram @rootsandallpod

On Facebook @rootsandalluk

On LinkedIn @rootsandall

I'm speaking with Karen Hall, Program Director of Ecological Education at the Institute for Applied Ecology, about an inspiring initiative that connects conservation with social rehabilitation. We explore what ecological education involves, the features of the landscape and ecology of the region where Karen works and how changes to funding have affected these conservation in the efforts.

Links

Staff profile at IAE: Karen Hall – Institute for Applied Ecology — her bio, role description and contact information.

Curriculum materials she oversaw: Ecological Education Curriculum – Institute for Applied Ecology — downloadable education-units with her listed as Program Director.

Article on the prison-conservation work mentioning her: "When Gardening is a Lifeline and Game-Changer" (in Pacific Horticulture) — includes direct quotes from her about the prison-based conservation programme. Pacific Horticulture

A podcast featuring her and the prison conservation programme: Seeds for Change: An Institute for Applied Ecology Podcast — she appears discussing the "Sagebrush in Prisons" / conservation-in-prisons initiative.

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Episode 333: Designing for Habitat & Biodiversity

Ecological designer and waterway whisperer Emmaline Bowman talks about her mission to heal landscapes through nature-led design at her practice Stem Landscape Architecture & Design.

Episode 247: Botanical Education

I speak with Seb Stroud (Leeds University) about the state of botanical education, its implications for biodiversity & climate, and what is being done to revive it.

Please support the podcast on Patreon

And follow Roots and All

On Instagram @rootsandallpod

On Facebook @rootsandalluk

On LinkedIn @rootsandall

Nancy Matsumoto discusses her new book Reaping What She Sows, an exploration of the women transforming our broken food system from the ground up. We talk about what an alternative food system really looks like, why women are at the forefront of this movement, and how they're reimagining the way we grow, distribute, and consume food could offer a more just, sustainable, and human-centric future.

Links

Reaping What She Sows by Nancy Matsumoto

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Episode 263: Ooooby – Out of Our Own Back Yard
In this episode, Pete Russell discusses how the platform Ooooby links customers with small‑scale local growers, promoting a shift away from the large industrial system and toward local, independent food supply chains.

Episode 338: Real Organic vs Regenerative Farming
This episode features Dave Chapman and delves into the broader food‑system issues: corporate consolidation in agriculture, how "regenerative" is being used (or misused) as a buzzword, and how the choice of farming systems impacts equity, transparency and consumer trust.

Please support the podcast on Patreon

And follow Roots and All:

On Instagram @rootsandallpod

On Facebook @rootsandalluk

On LinkedIn @rootsandall