R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️
A slightly different lineup this time as David is off enjoying a holiday in Spain, leaving Martin and Wallace joined by Sophia for her second appearance on the podcast!
We chatted about Sophia taking charge of the growing direct selling business while David is away, from organising produce with other farmers to managing orders, deliveries and the usual challenges with couriers. We also got into her ambitions to start growing vegetables herself, with Martin suggesting she starts small and builds from there.
There was plenty of discussion around adding value on farm too, from turning grain into flour and rapeseed into oil, through to why finding your own customers can make such a difference to the economics of farming. Martin also shared some stories from the early days of selling online, when customers were still posting cheques to pay for their orders!
We got into social media, the British Farming Awards, Sophia’s plans to enter Britain’s Fittest Farmer in 2027 and even Wallace’s plans for a home gym. There were plenty of laughs along the way, particularly when Martin started suggesting exercise demonstrations and a Brow Farm mankini 😂
We’re keeping this going fortnightly, so feel free to send us any ideas or topics you’d like us to get into.
Enjoy! 🙂
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Today I had Sam on the R2Kast 🎙️ Sam farms with her family in Northumberland and is the founder of Planning for Profit, helping farmers look beyond simply producing food and properly understand the businesses behind what they do. 🌾
We spoke about growing up around farming, studying politics, a brief look at the Foreign Office and banking before eventually spending almost nine years with AHDB, finishing as Sector Director for Beef and Lamb. From there Sam took the pretty daunting jump away from a monthly salary to build something of her own. 🍎
A big part of the conversation focused on Planning for Profit, which grew from the Ranching for Profit model in the US. We spoke about working on the business rather than always being caught working in it, understanding profit, return on capital and opportunity cost, and why farming businesses need to be treated like businesses if that’s what we expect them to be. 🌍
We also chatted about the five day Planning for Profit programme and Executive Link, which brings businesses together almost like their own board to challenge each other, share ideas and create some accountability around actually making changes.
Enjoy! 🙂
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Series three of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar continues 🎙️ This series is exploring some of the biggest challenges, innovations and conversations shaping agriculture today, and this time we’re discussing a topic that really does make my blood boil, livestock attacks 🐑
I was joined by Dan Jones, a good friend of mine and fellow Nuffield Scholar from my own cohort. Dan farms sheep on the Great Orme in North Wales, managing around 1,000 acres of incredibly important land for biodiversity and conservation, while also dealing with the challenges of having hundreds of thousands of visitors passing through the farm every year.
We spoke about Dan’s Nuffield journey, which took him across the world exploring the future of upland sheep farming and how food production, nature conservation and climate change can work together. From Brazil and Borneo to Patagonia and Japan, Dan found that farming is about far more than producing food. It also plays a huge role in protecting culture, communities and even language 🌍
There were some incredible stories from his travels too, including finding himself on horseback in southern Chile helping four shepherds move 23,000 sheep between pastures, despite barely having ridden a horse in 25 years! 🚜
But the main focus of this episode was livestock attacks, something Dan unfortunately knows far too much about. In 2024 alone, he experienced 12 separate incidents resulting in sheep deaths. We spoke about the emotional and financial impact these attacks have on farmers, the distress caused to livestock even when there are no visible injuries and why Dan believes the term livestock worrying simply does not reflect the seriousness of what happens.
We also discussed NFU Mutual’s research showing that farm animals worth an estimated £1.95 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks last year, an increase of 10%. Their survey of 1,407 dog owners also found that one in 20 admitted their dog had chased livestock, yet 72% were not actively taking steps to prevent it.
Dan shared some genuinely upsetting experiences, from sheep being chased over cliffs to dealing with dog owners who had never imagined their pet could harm another animal. We spoke about responsible countryside access, the importance of keeping dogs under proper control and how difficult it can be to educate people about the consequences of what might initially seem like harmless behaviour.
One thing that really stood out was Dan explaining how repeated attacks have almost made him accustomed to something that should never be considered normal. Behind every incident is a farmer who has spent years caring for those animals, and that emotional impact is something we really need to speak about more openly.
We finished by reflecting on his Nuffield experience and his advice to anyone thinking of applying. Find something you’re genuinely passionate about, remain open to where the journey takes you and make the most of every opportunity 🌱
Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.
Enjoy! 🙂
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Today I had Carrie on the R2Kast 🎙️ Carrie is a dietitian and nutritionist whose career has spanned research, food businesses, media and consultancy, alongside sitting on the board of Quality Meat Scotland. 🌾

We spoke about growing up in Scotland, initially wanting to become a doctor and finding dietetics almost by accident. That took Carrie through hospital work before realising her real interest was understanding food, nutrition and how what we eat affects our health. 🍎

A big part of the conversation focused on gut health, probiotics and prebiotics, food intolerances and why nutrition research is far more complicated than a headline saying one food is good or bad. We also got into the difference between dietitians and nutritionists and why Carrie believes nutrition should become a protected profession. 🌍

We also spoke about ultra processed foods and why Carrie disagrees with treating them as one blanket category. From fortified cereals and plant milks to affordability, convenience and family life, we discussed why nutrition needs to be practical and why simply making your diet a little better can be far more useful than chasing perfection.

Enjoy! 🙂
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Ahead of the Scottish Smallholding and Countryside Festival on Saturday 17 October, Wallace chats with show secretary Martin Beard, Alice Lennox from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and Siobhan MacDonald from the Farm Advisory Service.
Martin shares what visitors can expect, from livestock shows and rural skills competitions to local producers, crafts and over 40 talks.
Alice discusses protecting native breeds, while Siobhan highlights practical workshops, advice and learning opportunities for smallholders and crofters.
The conversation celebrates the importance of small farms, rural communities and preserving traditional skills.
Join us at the Royal Highland Centre on Saturday!
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