R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

In this episode we meet four inspiring guests who are championing small-scale horticulture, alternative food systems and pollinator conservation on Arran. We learn how market gardens, community growing projects and foraging initiatives are helping to celebrate local produce, reconnect people with the land and strengthen social wellbeing. We also explore the important role that bees and honey production play in supporting biodiversity and food production across the island.
Episode guests

Simon Ross-Gill
Simon is the Director and Project Coordinator of The Arran Pioneer Project CIC, a project working to regenerate Scotland’s wild and natural landscapes in a way that incorporates rural communities while securing jobs and livelihoods for young people. The Pioneer Project runs several community gardens around Arran.
Simon also works as a graphic designer specialising in books, handbooks, flyers and interpretive materials focussed on landscape, environment and community. He is passionate about working with local people to build a more sustainable and self-sufficient food system.

Robin Gray
Robin is a chef, grower and owner of Robin Gray’s Island Gourmet, a take-away food business in Whiting Bay demonstrating how sustainably produced, seasonal ingredients can be used to celebrate the unique flavours of Arran.

Zoë Hughes
Zoë is a Wild Food Educator who runs Wild Food Arran and has been teaching foraging and wild food identification for over 4 years. She is a member of the Association of Foragers and completely obsessed with mushrooms!

Andy Walker
Andy has been keeping bees on Arran for more than 20 years. He moved to the island with his family in 1999 to work for the Forestry Commission and, although now retired, continues to work part-time in timber production. Alongside producing a range of award-winning honeys, Andy also uses beeswax from his hives to create a variety of natural products sold across the island under the label of Arran Bee Products.
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Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️
This one was recorded live from Groundswell, with David, Martin and Wallace all together in person for the first time after months of recording remotely.
We covered plenty in this episode, from the atmosphere at Groundswell and why it’s become such an important event for farmers, through to regenerative farming, cover crops, soil biology and how different approaches are changing the way people think about growing food.
There was a fascinating discussion around compost, seed treatments and building healthier soils, with Martin explaining the practical side of regenerative farming while David shared what he’s learning as he starts changing parts of his own system.
We also chatted about trying new ideas, learning from other farmers, the value of collaboration and why events like Groundswell give people the confidence to take something home and have a go for themselves.
As always there were plenty of laughs along the way, from photography disasters and hats to tractors, peonies and the usual conversations that seem to appear whenever the three of us get together.
We’re going to keep this going fortnightly for now and see where it takes us. If you’ve got ideas on what we should cover or who we should bring in, send them our way.
Enjoy! 🙂

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Today I had Lauren on the R2Kast 🎙️ A food content creator, recipe developer and social media personality who has built a huge audience around cooking, local produce and great ingredients. 🌾

We spoke about growing up in Scotland, working in hospitality and then spending more than a decade with Scottish Water before eventually taking the leap into content creation full time. It was a really honest discussion about balancing a career, family life and building something from scratch online while figuring out what actually mattered to her. 🍎

A big part of the conversation focused on food. Why quality ingredients matter, supporting local producers, understanding where food comes from and the role social media can play in connecting consumers with farming. Lauren shared how her content has evolved from restaurant recommendations into something much more focused on provenance, local sourcing and telling the stories behind the food on people’s plates. 🌍

We also chatted about the realities of working in social media, the pressure of creating content, dealing with criticism online and the importance of staying authentic. It was a really interesting look at how someone outside agriculture can become such a strong advocate for British food and farming simply through a genuine passion for good food.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today on series two of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar supported by NFU Mutual we continue looking ahead to the 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships Conference in Leeds 🎙️ Across this series we’re hearing from scholars who will feature within the conference presentation groups, giving a flavour of the conversations, ideas and experiences set to shape the event 🌍

This episode focuses on the presentation group “Innovation in Modern Horticulture” with Polly Hilton and Lucy George 🌱

While the Leeds presentation group will also include Ali Warren-Walker, a change in presentation groups meant Ali had already featured in the opening episode of this series as part of “New Pathways for Land, Rivers, Carbon and Nature”, so this conversation focused on Polly and Lucy.

We spoke about two very different journeys within horticulture, from premium cider production and traditional orchards through to tea growing in Wales. What linked both conversations was a willingness to challenge convention, create value from specialist crops and build businesses around products that many people would not immediately associate with British agriculture 🚜

Polly shared how Fine Love Cider works with traditional orchards in the Wye Valley, helping to protect and restore these valuable landscapes while producing premium ciders. Through her travels she explored cider cultures across Europe, looking at everything from education and government support to the role local producers play in maintaining regional identity and rural economies 🌳

Lucy spoke about pioneering commercial tea production in Wales after a background in soft fruit growing. Her Nuffield journey has explored how innovation from across horticulture can be adapted into the tea sector, while also questioning how we define value within food production. From consumer understanding and sustainability through to community engagement and wellbeing, her work highlighted the wider role that horticulture can play beyond simply producing a crop 🍃

One of the strongest themes running throughout the episode was the importance of education and connection. Whether it was helping consumers understand where their tea comes from or encouraging support for locally grown apples and cider, both scholars highlighted the value of reconnecting people with the origins of what they eat and drink 🌾

Without giving away everything that will be shared on stage in Leeds, this episode offered another fascinating glimpse into the future of horticulture, rural enterprise and innovative crop production.

Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Do you feel you have expertise and experience to pass on? Or perhaps you’re looking for someone who can help you learn, grow and navigate the challenges ahead? 🌱

Today on the TwoCan Mentor podcast I was joined by Ian Brown and Muhammad Umar 🎙️
Ian is a third generation farmer, entrepreneur and business adviser who has spent his career building businesses across food, renewable energy and innovation. Muhammad grew up on a small livestock farm in Pakistan before studying overseas, completing a PhD focused on food systems resilience and food security in the UK.
We spoke about how they were matched through the mentoring programme despite coming from very different backgrounds. What followed was a relationship built around sharing experiences, exploring opportunities and helping each other navigate key stages of their careers. 🌍
For Muhammad, the timing could not have been better. He was finishing his PhD, applying for jobs and trying to make the transition from academia into industry. Ian provided support, perspective and connections, helping him build confidence through what can be a challenging and uncertain period. At the same time, both highlighted how mentoring is never a one way process, with each learning from the other’s experiences and outlook. 💭
A big theme throughout the conversation was resilience. From business ventures and job applications to academic challenges and career setbacks, both shared the importance of learning from failure, staying curious and continuing to move forward. 🌱
We finished by discussing the value of networks, relationships and simply having someone outside your immediate circle to challenge your thinking and support your development. Their message was clear: there is very little downside to mentoring and a huge amount to gain.
Enjoy! ☺️
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