Farm Gate

White Oak Pastures is a 152-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, USA.  In 1995, Will Harris began the transition away from industrial agricultural techniques and started redesigning his farm as a living ecosystem.  Will Harris talks to ffinlo Costain about his life as a commodity cattleman and what made him change the way he farms.  He describes the dark early days and reflects on how his success brought his family back home, and breathed new life into his community.  He explains why he gets fed up with scientists, who 'bicker and fight all the time' over how to measure carbon, when the benefits are there in the ground for all to see.  Will also offers up words of wisdom for President Biden's new Agriculture Secretary. Produced by Farmwel.

In this programme, ffinlo Costain talks to Robyn O'Brien, the best-selling author of The Unhealthy Truth, who in September 2020 was named in the Forbes Impact 50, a list of the top impact investors in the USA.  Robyn's TED talks have received over a million views. The discussion centres on Robyn's new investment fund, RePlant Capital, which is based in the USA and worth $250m.  RePlant’s flagship fund, its Soil Fund, is focussed on the transition of US farmland to regenerative agriculture.  Produced by Farmwel.

Farm Gate host, ffinlo Costain, interviews Leontino Balbo Junior (Balbo Group), who produces 35% of the world's organic sugar.  Speaking direct from Brazil, Leontino explains how he transformed his farm (http://www.canaverde.com.br/) from standard agriculture to a high yield regenerative success story.  Produced by Farmwel.

The new UK Trade & Agriculture Commission was set up by the Department of International Trade to guide ministers as they develop a policy that balances the need for independent trade deals with the ambitions of the new Agriculture Act and the coming Environment Bill.   In this podcast we ask, is a progressive UK trade and agriculture policy possible? ffinlo Costain speaks to Tom West, UK Environment Lead at Client Earth, and Angela Francis, WWF UK's Chief Advisor on Economics and Economic Development. Produced by Farmwel.

It's World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, so we're doing our bit.  What is antimicrobial resistance - why is it a problem - what are the drivers  - and what can we do about it?   ffinlo Costain is joined by Laura  Higham from Vet Sustain and by Øistein Thorsen the chief executive of FAI Farms. Produced by Farmwel and FAI Farms.

Despite the early green ambitions, the new Common Agricultural Policy may end up looking rather like business as usual.  But, following policy delays, the CAP will now be delivered under the EU presidency of Ursula von der Leyen.  The new Commission has prioritised environmental action, and the Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green Deal. In this programme I'm crossing the English Channel to find out what's happening with agricultural policy in mainland Europe? ffinlo Costain speaks to Nick Jacobs, the Director of IPES Food, and to Pierre-Marie Aubert, the Coordinator of the European Agriculture Initiative for IDDRI. IPES Food's influential 2019 report, Towards a Common Food Policy for the EU, can be found here. Produced by Farmwel.

The UK Agriculture Bill has gone for Royal Assent, but much of the detail remains uncertain.  UK producers are also concerned that food imports won't meet British environmental and farm animal welfare standards.  So, where are we up to with agricultural policy reform? ffinlo Costain speaks to Shadow Farming Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP, Vicki Hird, Head of Sustainable Food and Farming Policy at Sustain, and to Simon Hoare, Conservative MP for North Dorset.  Produced by Farmwel.

This programme is for every farmer who's ever thought about transitioning to regenerative agriculture.  It's our first Regen Question Time and in it our experts set out to answer questions submitted by farmers by Twitter, email, and through the Primal Web forum.   Regenerative agriculture requires a complete mindset shift.  Instead of rules there are principles, which can make transitioning process seem daunting.  To help with this, every six or eight weeks, we'll put your questions to regen experts.  Our intention is to help you make decisions about the future of your farm business.  (The insights will also be interesting for everyone who wants to know more about regenerative agriculture.) In this first Regen Question Time, ffinlo Costain talks to Caroline Grindrod and Alex Tomlinson. Produced by Farmwel.

In this programme ffinlo Costain discusses Forum for the Future's new report, 'Growing Our Future', with report author, Lesley Mitchell, Forum's Associate Director for Sustainable Nutrition. Growing Our Future concentrates on scaling regenerative agriculture in the United States.  It describes threats and opportunities surrounding regen and makes a series of recommendations for a successful regenerative transformation.  While the report is centred on the USA its findings and recommendations are just as relevant for farmers, investors and policy-makers in other nations. Produced by Farmwel.

FAI Farms has worked with big name global food brands to embed sustainability at the heart of their supply chains for more than 20 years.  Recently the FAI brand and business was bought by the management.  In this podcast ffinlo Costain talks to Øistein Thorsen, FAI's Chief Executive, and to Carly Scott, their director of sustainable operations.