Advertise on podcast: Meet the Farmers

Host Ben Eagle talks to Will Roobottom, a Staffordshire farmer who runs 700 breeding ewes and hogs across two farms and won Sheep Farmer of the Year at the British Farming Awards. Will explains how he went from a farm with no livestock to a low-input, grass-based system, and why he took on a new Staffordshire County Council starter farm. 🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TikTok @mtf_podcast for more content.  Link to newsletter sign up - https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/newsletter/ Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below. Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the specialist rural podcast production agency. Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the presenters, guests and any other contributors to this podcast are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

In this emergency Meet the Farmers episode recorded straight after the budget, Ally Hunter Blair, Sophie Gregory and Ben Briggs analyse the UK government's Autumn Budget from a farming and rural perspective.  🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media. Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors make no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors assume no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues

In this bonus episode of The Big Debate hosts Ally and Sophie put listener questions to Jack Royall and Edward Long from Birketts LLP on the topic of biodiversity net gain and natural capital. They unpack the legal and practical questions farmers, landowners, and tenants may ask about long-term agreements, enforcement, flexibility, and tax treatment. 🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below. With thanks to Birketts, who are an associate partner this year for Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate. Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/sector/agriculture/ Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors make no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors assume no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

In this series one finale of The Big Debate, Ally and Sophie join producer Ben to reflect on a year of conversations about farming, from profitability and challenging weather to young farmers, technology, and the future of the industry. They share how podcasting broadened their perspectives and helped them find resilience and optimism through a challenging year. Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair. Link to newsletter sign up - https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/newsletter/ 🎧 Please subscribe to the show and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below. With thanks to our podcast partners (AD): Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit https://uk.virginmoney.com/business/agriculture/ Associate Partner: TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: https://www.telus.com/BigDebate Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/sector/agriculture/ Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. ContactPlease email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

In episode 23 of The Big Debate Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory discuss a busy week in UK agriculture, from the rapid closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive application window and the pressures it created for farmers and agents to drought-related potato losses and new investment in Scotland’s beef sector. They share updates from their own farms, consider how funding and food production fit alongside environmental goals, and finish by exploring how farming films can help audiences understand farming and its place in society. Also...some very exciting podcast news! Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair. Link to newsletter sign up - https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/newsletter/ 🎧 Please subscribe to the show and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below. With thanks to our podcast partners (AD): Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit https://uk.virginmoney.com/business/agriculture/ Associate Partner: TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: https://www.telus.com/BigDebate Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/sector/agriculture/ Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. ContactPlease email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

The rain has returned, but after two incredibly challenging summers, can farming afford to simply move on? In our latest episode of The Big Debate, Ally and Sophie discuss what the drought could mean for the decisions they make on their own farms - from forage and future cropping choices to water security, land availability and reducing their reliance on the weather.  And there's plenty more in the episode. They revisit your responses to the £1 million question, discuss the potential feed and forage crunch across Europe, look ahead to UK Dairy Day and reflect on this week's #BackBritishFarmingDay.  Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair. Link to newsletter sign up - https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/newsletter/ 🎧 Please subscribe to the show and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast  Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media.  Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.  With thanks to our podcast partners (AD):  Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money  Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit https://uk.virginmoney.com/business/agriculture/ Associate Partner: TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods  Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: https://www.telus.com/BigDebate Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/sector/agriculture/ Podcast Disclaimer  By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited.  Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

Big Debate hosts Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory are joined by Virgin Money's UK Head of Agriculture Brian Richardson and Head of Agriculture in Scotland Stephen Buchan to take a broad look at UK agriculture over the past few months.  🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below. With thanks to our Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money. Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit Agriculture | Business | Virgin Money UK  Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

If someone handed you £1 million to invest in your farm, what would you spend it on? That's the question Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory tackle in this week's Big Debate. From buying land and securing the future of the business to investing in water storage and diversification, they explore whether £1 million is really enough to transform a modern farm – and whether they're investing for themselves or the next generation. Also in this episode, they discuss the latest dairy market news and RABI's emergency drought support grants. Ally also shares his experience of tackling two major field fires during the recent heatwave. And finally... why are Italian banks lending millions against wheels of Parmesan cheese? Link to newsletter sign up -Sign-up to our newsletter – RuralPod Media 🎧 Please subscribe to the show and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.   With thanks to our podcast sponsors: Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit  Agriculture | Business | Virgin Money UK Associate Partner: TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods  Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/BigDebate Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website:  Agricultural Lawyers | Agricultural Law Solicitors — Birketts Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

Join Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory for the first-ever in-person episode of The Big Debate. They discuss the UK's worsening drought, the spread of bluetongue, harvest pressures, life on their own farms, and the challenge of juggling farming with family life during the school holidays. They also explore how British farms are adapting through diversification and changing farming practices as the climate continues to shift. Link to newsletter sign up -Sign-up to our newsletter – RuralPod Media 🎧 Please subscribe to the show and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.   With thanks to our podcast sponsors: Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit  Agriculture | Business | Virgin Money UK Associate Partner: TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods  Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/BigDebate Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website:  Agricultural Lawyers | Agricultural Law Solicitors — Birketts With thanks also to episode sponsor DLF Seeds. Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

Ben shares some news in this short episode.  🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @mtf_podcast for more content. Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found at https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/podca... By accessing this Podcast, you acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. The views of the presenters, guests and any other contributors to this podcast are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. Please subscribe to the show and leave us a review wherever you are listening. Follow us on social media Instagram @mtf_podcast X @mtf_podcast TikTok Meet the Farmers Podcast Please join our mailing list at  https://www.ruralpodmedia.co.uk/newsl...

Summer wildfires are happening all over the UK, France, Spain, Europe and the rest of the world. Can anything be done to prevent or manage them? In this emergency podcast episode Ben is joined by Alex Crawley (Director, Grazing Management Ltd), Michael Priestley (Policy Manager, National Sheep Association), Craig Hope (National Resilience Wildfire Capability Advisor for the National Fire Chiefs Council) and Emma Douglas (grazier from the Gower Peninsula in south Wales) to debate whether grazing or rewilding parts of the landscape could be part of the solution in the uplands. We also hear from Eleanor Gilbert (Berkshire farmer; 'aka Berkshire Farm Girl') about an experience with fire she had recently while harvesting in Berkshire.  🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @mtf_podcast for more content.  Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency.  Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found here. By accessing this Podcast, you acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. The views of the presenters, guests and any other contributors to this podcast are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. Please subscribe to the show and leave us a review wherever you are listening. Follow us on social media Instagram @mtf_podcast X @mtf_podcast TikTok Meet the Farmers Podcast Please join our mailing list at Sign-up to our newsletter – RuralPod Media

In this episode of Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate Ally and Sophie are joined by Ben Briggs to discuss politics, the new Burnham government, the Farming Roadmap and the response to the Farm Profitability Review. Ally also gives his thoughts on his harvest experience so far and they discuss the weather and Farm Safety Week 2026. Hosted as always by farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair. Link to newsletter sign up -Sign-up to our newsletter – RuralPod Media 🎧 Please subscribe to the show and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice. Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.   With thanks to our podcast partners: Headline Sponsor: Virgin Money Virgin Money is proud to support the launch of The Big Debate with Rural Pod Media, a timely initiative for British agriculture. Virgin Money is a trading name of Nationwide Building Society. To discover more about Virgin Money visit  Agriculture | Business | Virgin Money UK Associate Partner: TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods  Explore smarter farming tools from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods: telus.com/BigDebate Associate Partner: Birketts LLP You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website:  Agricultural Lawyers | Agricultural Law Solicitors — Birketts Podcast Disclaimer By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

In this episode Ben speaks to Derek Banbury and Derek Gow - two Devon farmers who star in a new documentary film called Derek v Derek, made by James Dawson. Each Derek takes a different approach to managing their land - Derek Banbury is a dairy farmer and Derek Gow a rewilding and species reintroduction advocate. However as we see in this interview there is more that brings them together than may at first appear. Ben also speaks to the film's producer James Dawson.  🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @mtf_podcast for more content.  Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency. Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice and the . Our podcast disclaimer can be found here. By accessing this Podcast, you acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. About Ben and RuralPod Media Ben Eagle is the founder and Head of Podcasts at RuralPod Media, a specialist rural podcast production agency. You can find out more at ruralpodmedia.co.uk Please subscribe to the show and leave us a review wherever you are listening. Follow us on social media Instagram @mtf_podcast Twitter @mtf_podcast Watch us on Youtube Please join our mailing list here.

In this episode, host farmers Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair put some listener questions about farm diversification and viticulture, to Annabelle Rout, a lawyer from Birketts LLP. Annabelle is also Birkett's Head of Viticulture.  🎧 Subscribe to Meet the Farmers wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us on social media @MTF_podcast  Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate is produced by RuralPod Media.  Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice.  Our podcast disclaimer can be found below.  With thanks to Birketts, who are an associate partner this year for Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate.  Associate Partner: Birketts You can find out more about Birketts and their leading agriculture team by heading to their website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/sector/agriculture/  Podcast Disclaimer  By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors make no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, RuralPod Media Limited does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. Any third-party materials or content of any third-party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of RuralPod Media Limited. RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors assume no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. The views of the hosts and guests are personal and RuralPod Media Limited or its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors, does not take any responsibility for these views. Such views are not the views of RuralPod Media Limited or any of its sponsors, affiliates, employees or contractors. RuralPod Media Limited does not verify the accuracy of the information contained in the podcast, and RuralPod Media Limited takes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the podcast. The information contained on the podcast is provided on an ‘’as is’’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Any action you take based on the information contained in the podcast is strictly at your own risk, and RuralPod Media Limited and its contributors will not be liable for any losses of damages in connection with the use of the podcast. None of the hosts, guests or contributors to the podcast will be responsible for your use of the information contained therein. The inclusion of third-party advertisements does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation of, and the author makes no representations and/or warranties about, any product or service contained therein. Under no circumstances will RuralPod Media Limited or their affiliates, partners, suppliers, licensors or guests appearing on the podcast be liable any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) suffered as a result of your doing (or not doing) anything as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. Neither RuralPod Media Limited nor any of its hosts or guests appearing on the podcast shall at any time be liable for any content covered causing offence, distress or any other unforeseeable reaction suffered as a result of listening or viewing (or inability to access) the podcast. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of RuralPod Media Limited. Contact Please email us at [email protected] to contact us about any issues.

Ben is joined by Sophie Gregory and Tom Gregory, Dorset farmers alongside Alex Pearson from DLF Seeds to discuss cover crops and the trials that Tom and Sophie are undertaking on their farm.  This episode was sponsored by DLF Seeds. #AD  🎧 If you enjoyed this episode and want us to make more, please subscribe to the show and follow us on socials @MTF_podcast.  Meet the Farmers is produced by RuralPod Media, the only specialist rural podcast production agency.  Please note that this podcast does not constitute advice.  Our podcast disclaimer can be found at Podcasts Disclaimer – RuralPod Media By accessing this Podcast, you acknowledge that RuralPod Media Limited makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general informational purposes only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.  Please join our mailing list at Sign-up to our newsletter – RuralPod Media