R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

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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In this episode, we explore arable farming on Arran, tracing the journey of locally grown grain from field to fork and glass.
We begin at Bellevue Farm, where farmer Donald Currie grows malting barley on Arran’s fertile soils. From there, we follow the grain north to Lochranza Distillery, where Brand Ambassador Fred Baumgärtner explains how locally grown barley is transformed into the island’s world-renowned whisky. We finish our journey at Blackwater Bakehouse, where baker George Grassie shares his passion for artisan breadmaking, heritage grains, sustainability, health and nutrient-dense food.
The phrase “follow the grain” is often used to describe the process of working with the natural direction of a material, or within the constraints of your environment, rather than forcing a direction that leads to resistance and damage.
We learn how this ethos is reflected in the agroecological approach embraced across Arran. From the field to the distillery and bakery, we hear how farmers, bakers and distillers work with the opportunities and constraints of the island’s climate, soils and landscapes, allowing the local environment to shape their practices rather than trying to overcome it.
Episode guests

Donald Currie
Donald Currie is an arable and beef farmer who produces barley for malting at Bellevue Farm and other sites around the island.
Fred Baumgärtner
Fred Baumgärtner is the Brand Home Ambassador for the Isle of Arran Distillers, the company responsible for producing award-winning whisky at both Lagg Distillery and Lochranza Distillery.
Born and bred on Arran, Fred now leads whisky tasting tours and experiences at the distillery for hundreds of visitors each year, and travels the world showcasing the island’s products.

George Grassie
George Grassie is an artisan baker who has been running Blackwater Bakehouse for the past five years. Born and raised on Arran, George spent several years living on the mainland and abroad before returning to the island with his young family.
Today, the Bakehouse produces fresh artisan bread using high-quality Scottish-grown organic flour and heritage grains, and has recently expanded into a new site in Brodick.
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Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️

David, Martin and Wallace catching up after a busy few weeks of events, farm work and plenty of challenges along the way.

A big focus of this episode was peony season and the reality of trying to get thousands of stems picked, packed and delivered at exactly the right stage. We got into subscription boxes, customer expectations, delivery headaches and the challenge of managing fresh produce when timing is everything.

We also spoke about Cereals, what stood out from the event, regenerative farming, agronomists showing interest in lower input systems and some of the conversations happening around soil health and biological approaches to crop production.

There was plenty of discussion around direct selling too, from heritage apples and specialist grains through to why farmers often receive such a small share of the final value of what they produce. The conversation kept coming back to understanding your market, building relationships with customers and finding ways to keep more value on farm.

Alongside all of that we chatted about Britain’s Fittest Farmer, tractor runs, Highland Show, Groundswell and why sometimes the biggest opportunities come from simply putting yourself out there and trying something different.

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 Kate on the R2Kast 🎙️ Kate is Marketing Director at Cultura Connect and works at the heart of agricultural recruitment, helping connect businesses with the people they need while championing careers across the sector. 🌾

We spoke about growing up on a dairy farm, studying Agricultural Economics at Reading and how her career took her through PR, events, retail and marketing before eventually leading into recruitment. It was a really interesting conversation about how varied agricultural careers can be and how often the path you end up on isn’t the one you originally planned. 🍎

A big part of the discussion focused on recruitment and the importance of understanding people rather than simply matching CVs to job descriptions. We talked about transferable skills, employer reputation, attracting talent into agriculture and why the industry needs to stay open to people coming in from different backgrounds and sectors. 🌍

We also chatted about running a farm alongside a business, rearing Wagyu cattle, setting up a farm shop and butchery, building a company with her husband Hugh and how marketing continues to evolve as new platforms and technologies emerge.

Enjoy! 🙂

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