R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Latest Episodes:

R2Kast 128 - Charlie Beaty speaks on Instagram, travelling and promoting agriculture in this country Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Charlie, who used to be branded as the globe trotting farm girl now Charlie Farms has travelled the world with agriculture and now farms at home on a mixed unit that at the time of recording was having challenges to get harvest started!Charlie is one of those people you listen to and think ‘she’ll give anything a go!’ whether that is her placement year which led to further work across the globe (hence the original name), in YF she has sailed through the ranks and acts as her regions chair, or even just the employment of progressive techniques at home!A great episode talking mules, flights, gin and…true crime!Enjoy!

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

R2Kast 127 - Gemma Wark on Genus, embryo transfer in America, her new position with QMS and her home herd Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Gemma along with her colleague at Genus talked to our 3rd year students studying Livestock Management Systems as part of their agriculture degree with SRUC. Straight away I knew she would be getting an invite to the podcast!

Gemma left the UK for a period of time after her degree heading for the US and used her dissertation knowledge on embryo transfer on a unit that used the technology. I would say that it's clear Gemma was hooked!

For the last 5 years Gemmas has been with Genus as part of their beef team and will soon be moving onto QMS!

Along with her partner Hamish, they have a farm as well!

One of those stories with someone that is clearly passionate and I don't want to ruin too much a Gemma is an amazing story teller!

Enjoy!

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

R2Kast 126 - Josh Heyneke of Parc Carreg talks about getting into farming, being the only organic duck egg producer, turmoil and now worm farming. Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

Josh, and his partner Abigail were sick of the London rat race and after seeing a billboard on a bus on the daily commute decided it was time for a change.

One, an artist and the other a mobile application developer they set their sights on Spain, Portugal or Josh's homeland South Africa. Due to circumstance that you will hear in the episode the decision was made to head for Wales where they now operate an enterprise as well as being parents to their wee one, Ada!

The first attempt was organic duck production which had reached a point where a deal was about to be made that would send the business to the next level, then disaster struck...you'll have to listen to find out what!

However the change led them to their new venture, worm farming to sell worms and also worm casts...again to find out what that is you will have to check!

Amazingly honest episode and massive kudos and respect to Josh for that!

Enjoy!

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

R2Kast 125 - Holly Atkinson of Cups on Cows talks palaeontology, veterinary and rearing 200 dairy heifers. Aug 04, 2023

Show notes

Holly, not from a farming background as a youngster had a fascination with fossils and saw a future in the sector however younger teenage years saw her direction change and the goal was set as being a vet. She chased the dream and caught it after years of weekend, holiday and uni dedication she was qualified.

Holly worked at a few practises and loved the role, almost too much really taking the job home with her, a nice evening read for Holly would be a nice disease case to research. Focussing both on large animal and small she got a comprehensive coverage of business acumen and various species.

During her time as a vet one farmer in particular, Adam asked her on a date, a boundary Holly questioned breaking at first, fast forward to today and they have 2 kids and run an organic 700 cow Friesian x Jersey herd where Holly is in charge of heifer replacements from calves.

She now posts on instagram to promote the sector and show what happens on the ground on farm as Cups.On.Cows!

Enjoy!

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

R2Kast 124 - Will Evans talks agricultural communication, being Oxford Farming Conference chair and Ryan Reynolds Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

From very near Wrexham, Will Evans laid the foundations for people like myself who have found themselves in the agricultural podcasting game. Having the struggles of having to record a Skype call to a landline it's fair to say he had it much harder than we have these days.

Will keeps himself busy running the home farm alongside his wife and father, being chair of the OFC, writes for Farmer's Weekly and much more...oh and did I mention that he has 4 girls to look after as well!...4 future employees? Will's wife Sarah has started a very successful diversification in the form of home grown veg boxes being sold direct and indirect in the local area.

Will was also one of the people on the pitch at that famous pitch invasion vs Notts County a few months back with Wrexham! Some story!

This is a discussion with a man I could learn a lot from as could you! I know I'll be doing what I can to be at the OFC next year.

Enjoy

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R2Kast 123 - Matt Styles talks his unorthodox route into farming, entrepreneurship and mental health Jul 28, 2023

Show notes

Matt, otherwise known as thehonestfarmer_ was originally from a farm and found himself following the route of working in drama. One day, in the middle of summer in a script read in a black room he decided that was no longer for him and a change was needed. I did make sure to ask him if he felt the same way stuck in a filed in December but you'll have to listen to find the answer.Matt, went to Easton College and felt like farming was his future, fast forward a few years to now where Matt is 29 works essentially full time on an arable farm, contract keeps stock over winter on said farm, runs his own flock and shears in his 'spare' time. He talks of his journey to be at one with his own mental health over the years, the struggles and the realisation of the power of actually talking about it.This, much like episode 99 with Neil Basset is a chat between two guys and we both proper open up and that to me is precious!Enjoy!

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R2Kast 122 - Duncan Pickering on rugby, injuries and deployment in Iraq as well as his future intentions with the police. Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

On an exchange Ed and his brother, Tom hosted Duncan and one other from Australia and after a few days together Ed and Duncan became good mates even though they live have the world away from each other. This was their first chat for longer than the odd Snapchat and what a chat it was between the three of them!

Duncan, who it turns out comes from a farm of around 110000 acres but that wasn't the topic of discussion for todays chat!

We were here to chat about the reality of Iraqi deployment, domestic employment and more. I don't want to give much away, I'll leave that to you to listen!

Enjoy!

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

R2Kast 121 - Vince of Picks Ups For Peace talks his career in the sector, Ukraine and the role PUFP plays in the war. Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

Sometimes you hit record and can't believe how much someone has done - this is one of them! I simply thought we'd talk pick ups for peace but I found Vince to be one of the most interesting people I have ever spoken to, an inventor, a businessmen, a philanthropist and I think maybe a genius.

He has developed precision tech for ag, he has travelled the world and helped many and now he finds himself involved in an initiative that helps the front line in Ukraine backed by his connection in that his wife is Ukrainian. Listen to the pod to hear the nicest meet cute!

Great story by a great person promoting a phenomenal initiative that I have no signed up for as a driver and will be sure to be on the next mission that time allows for heading to Ukraine.

Enjoy!

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R2Kast 120 - Damian Barson on being a new entrant at 50 and buying the most expensive unseen dog Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Damian, who has worked in finance, sales and owned businesses in those sectors too has had one constant in his life, training dogs.At 16 he took on his first client and has never looked back…fast forward 30 odd years and he found himself pacing around the room as he paid the world record fee for a dog he hadn’t seen in person! Oh did I mention the dogs he trained were exclusively gun dogs and the dog he broke the world record with was a sheep dog?At 50 Damian made the plunge to be a new entrant farmer, now almost 2 years on he is selling up and moving to a county away from what has been home his whole life! We talk mental health, the impacts, both positive and negative of farming and much more…also a bit of whisky chat that I pretended to understand 😂Enjoy!

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

R2Kast 119 - Grant and Jaclyn of GJCoaching talk young farmers, meeting at the Highland, PT'ing and West Fittest Farmer Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Grant and Jacalyn both from farms were in Avondale and Mauchline YF' respectively. At a young age they met at the Highland Show and in Grants words he was in the car home with his mum asking 'can you get a bus to Tarbolton?' - a proper meet cute, eh?They have set up as PT's under the name GJCoaching and hope one day to have a gym on their farm so they don't have to rent the one they currently do in Hamilton.Both compete at fitness competitions and have even competed at the Hyrax world championships against some Love Island competitors..much to Jacalyn happiness...and for that matter Grant's dismay! He did win the farmers carry though so it's a win really!Both play an active role at Grants farm and are involved in Young Farmers which has lead them to create the first Fittest Farmer for SAYFC members in the west region with intentions of making it national in the future.This is just a bit of craic and three people taking the piss out of each other...a personal favourite is during the love island chat I should go on to which Grant says "Oh here comes the camera man onto set"...we can't all look like Greek gods, Grant! Or maybe you can...sign up to GJCoaching now!Enjoy!

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

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