We Can Do Both
Neil Parish
To grow food or to protect nature? It often seems as if one can only be done at the expense of the other. In this podcast, farmer & ex-MP Neil Parish seeks to find out if, in fact, we can do both.Our relationship with food is on the brink of a massive shift. Global instability disrupting food security, UK farmers are being incentivised to promote biodiversity rather than grow food. And climate change is starting to transform what we grow, what we eat and how we live. As a Somerset farmer, Neil Parish is facing up to all these changes. And as an EU & UK parliamentarian, for 20 years he helped design the policies that shape our food system. Now, he has unfinished business. In this podcast, local, national & global experts join Neil to tackle crucial questions about the past, present and future relationship between food and the environment.Produced by: jakelloyd.co.ukSocial media by millyfyfe.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 7, 2024 • 26min
NFU President Tom Bradshaw on resolving the inheritance tax row
Both Neil and NFU President Tom Bradshaw were speaking at a recent agricultural conference, and after one event Neil spoke with Tom to hear the approach he is taking towards the Keir Starmer’s government, his disappointment at what’s happened but optimism for a satisfactory resolution, and his thoughts on what happens next.Also in this episode, you’ll hear Neil speak with two of the thousands of protestors that were at Westminster in November: Conservative MP for Bridgwater Ashley Fox, and Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead Rachel Gilmour.Listen and you’ll hear: Ashley Fox (1m09s); Rachel Gilmour (5m18s); Tom Bradshaw on his optimism for a resolution (7m50s); Tom’s disappointment at what feels like the breaking of a longstanding contract between government and farming (10m27s); where the NFU might go next.Follow Tom Bradshaw on X hereThis podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 28, 2024 • 39min
Harnessing what beavers can offer British farms
Neil visits a Somerset farm in which a colony of beavers have made their home. Joining him is JAN STANNARD who’s Heal Rewilding charity owns the farm, and EVA BISHOP from The Beaver Trust. In this episode the three of them talk about the evolving relationship between this ‘keystone’ species and farming practices.Listen and you’ll hear: the concerns some farmers have about beavers (2m50s); how beavers lead to increased biodiversity (6m19s); the positive role beavers play in water management (11m45s); techniques for managing the impact beavers have on farms (17m37s); conservation as a way to diversify farm income (20m52s); what farmers should do if they’d like beavers on their land (27m02s); the role of the Beaver Trust in facilitating this (31m42s).Learn more about Heal Rewilding on their websiteLearn more about The Beaver Trust on their websiteThis podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 31, 2024 • 23min
Professor David Rose on robotics, technology and behaviour change on UK farms
PROFESSOR DAVID ROSE is an expert in sustainable agricultural change, with a focus on how farmers can be supported to adopt and implement new technology that will improve outcomes for nature and for their business. In this episode he gives Neil a tour of the Harper Adams campus in Shropshire. Listen and you’ll hear: the best way of supporting farmers to adapt to change (1m45s); how technology could enable more ecological farming (9m04s); why government regulation struggles to keep pace with technological development (12m35s); using robots in the milking parlour (14m29s); how technology impacts the human-animal relationship (17m30s). Follow Professor Rose on Twitter/X hereVisit Harper Adams University website hereThis podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 26, 2024 • 1h 10min
Ben Goldsmith on UK food security, rewilding and more
Ben Goldsmith, a financier and rewilding advocate, discusses critical issues in UK food security and environmental stewardship. He shares insights about the delicate relationship between farming and conservation, emphasizing land management that supports biodiversity. Topics include reintroducing species like wildcats, the need for sustainable agricultural practices, and the innovative integration of technology in livestock management. Ben also highlights personal stories of resilience through rewilding, showcasing how nature can heal communities.
Aug 29, 2024 • 44min
The Allerton Project
JOE STANLEY is head of sustainable farming at The Allerton Project, a 320 hectare farm in Leicestershire, which researches the effects of different farming methods on wildlife and the environment. In this episode, Neil tours the farm with Joe to find out about their latest research and to hear why Joe is optimistic about the future of British agriculture.In this episode: why DEFRA’s top team visit this project (2m25s); how farmers could get a fairer price from supermarkets (10m15s); a tour of their agroforestry trials (18m02s); striking the balance between tree-planting and food production (34m55s).Visit the Allerton Project websiteThis podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 25, 2024 • 31min
In the shadow of Hinkley Point: the future of farming on Somerset’s coastal marshland
In this episode Neil and neighbouring farmer WILLIAM BARNARD chart the ups and downs of farming for food and nature in Somerset’s unique tidal landscape known as the Pawlett Hams. Top of mind for both of them: the threat now posed to their centuries-old way of managing this landscape by the energy company EDF, and its plans to create a saltmarsh by the site of nearby Hinkley Point nuclear plant, which is currently under construction.In this episode they discuss: the wildlife in the hams (2m50s); the role of cattle in the ecosystem (7m30s); EDF’s plans for the saltmarsh (8m44s); William’s reflections on the plans (18m25); and the uneasy relationship between their farming methods and corporate structures (24m05s).Visit the ‘Protect Pawlett Hams’ campaign website hereRead the EDF statement in full here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 27, 2024 • 39min
Professor Jude Capper on the evolving science of sustainable livestock production
What is the latest research on sustainable livestock production telling us? And what might the future hold for beef and sheep farmers? In this episode, Neil seeks answers to these questions and lots more, over a cider in an Oxfordshire pub with Professor JUDE CAPPER from Harper Adams University.Listen and you’ll hear: an overview of her research (1m07s); the task of making livestock production work both economically and environmentally (5m05s); assessing the carbon footprint of farms across the UK (7m10s); the challenge of creating behaviour change (12m24s); the role of retailers and consumers (15m46s); exploring the controversial role of GM crops and hormone-treated animals (18m22s); and TB vaccines - a help or a hindrance? (28m35s);Follow Jude on X here and on Instagram here.This podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 13, 2024 • 14min
Bonus episode - Neil takes a closer look at herbal leys
As part of its sustainable farming scheme, the UK government is offering farmers £382 each year for every hectare of ‘herbal leys’ they grow. This mixture of grasses, legumes, herbs and wildflowers is said to produce a high volume of food for grazing animals; greater resilience to drought; improved soil fertility; and more carbon sequestration.In this bonus episode, Neil puts these claims to the test in the company of award-winning organic farmers RACHEL and JOE HORLER. They've had herbal leys for more than ten years, and here they tell Neil: the theory behind it (2m24s); how they graze their cattle on it (4m58s); how they turn it into silage (8m21s); and the health benefits to their cattle (9m14s).More on the government scheme here: www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/csam3-herbal-leys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 30, 2024 • 28min
Neil meets the protesting Welsh farmers
Aled Jones, President of the NFU Wales, and Claire Morgan, former Welsh Woman Farmer of the Year, share insights on the heated protests by Welsh farmers against new environmental policies. They discuss the struggles between maintaining food security and adhering to sustainability guidelines, emphasizing the need for flexibility in regulations. Claire presents innovative, nature-friendly farming solutions that could enhance profitability. The duo voices concerns about the agricultural sector's future, stressing the urgency for collaboration with policymakers.
Apr 25, 2024 • 32min
‘Slow farming’ with water buffalo in Somerset
JOHNATHAN CORP runs one of the first water buffalo farms in the UK. In this episode he shows Neil around his ‘Buffalicious’ farm near Yeovil in Somerset, and explains how he rears these animals for meat and dairy in a sustainable way. On his tour, Neil also meets the farm’s enthusiastic butcher MATT DYER and in the milking parlour, MATT LONG.In this episode: the character and behaviour of water buffalo (2m00s); the taste of ‘proper’ mozzarella (4m50s); making the business sustainable (10m05s); the taste of buffalo meat (14m53); looking after the animals (17m00s); Neil meets the butcher (23m26s); and Neil visits the milking parlour (28m00s).Visit the Buffalicious website: www.buffaliciousuk.comThis podcast is produced by jakelloyd.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
