To Till or Not to Till - In Conversation with Mark Measures
This second episode with Mark Measures explores the role of tillage in organic systems, the misunderstood relationship between tillage and soil carbon, the balance between weed control and nutrient cycling, and how tillage fits into wider farming systems. Mark reflects on 40 years in organic advice, with deep roots in research, education, and farmer engagement. He argues that tillage, especially shallow and strategic, plays a crucial role in organic farming; not only for weed control and seedbed preperation, but also for stimulating nutrient release and building long-term stable carbon. He explores common misconceptions such as the oversimplified view that all tillage depletes soil organic matter, and explains that tillage can mineralise nutrients and stabilise humus, which is essential for carbon sequestration and water retention. He also challenges the belief that zero-till is the pinnacle of organic, pointing to climate and system-specific limitations. Mark advocates for strong rotations, fertility-building leys, and shallow, context-sensitive ploughing. He emphasises that tillage must be considered as part of a broader ecological, economic, and agronomic strategy - balanced, site-specific, and always evolving.
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To Till or Not to Till - In Conversation with Tom Martin
The first episode of our latest series introduces both Wallace Currie, guest podcaster from the Isle of Arran (search R2Kast), who will be chatting to guests throughout the series, and Cambridgeshire farmer Tom Martin. They discuss transitioning to no-till, the emotional and practical side of regenerative farming, redefining success through mistakes, and the value of community and biodiversity in agroecological systems. Tom shares his life journey from Universal Pictures to working back on the family farm, explaining how those soft skills transferred to his role as a regenerative farming advocate. The farm has gradually moved from full inversion tillage to almost no-till – driven by soil health, improving drainage and weed pressure, and a desire to farm more efficiently. The conversation explores how Tom integrates companion cropping, livestock grazing, and molasses and biochar to support the soil microbiome. Mimicking nature and context-driven change are key to his success and philosophy.
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Optimal Carrying Capacity - In Conversation With Dan Stevenson
The penultimate episode of this season sees us in conversation with Dan Stevenson, the Head of Integrated Farm Management (IFM) at LEAF. Dan comes to this topic with nearly 20 years’ experience as a farm animal vet. He discusses his veterinary background and the arc his career has followed; moving on to working with LEAF, and along the way starting to think more holistically about livestock production, with a focus on a whole systems approach. We explore the key role nutrition plays within livestock systems and finding the balance between nutrition and animal health. Further to this, Dan touches on mental health, we explore the challenges of adopting extensive systems, and the importance of setting objectives on farms to help support optimal carrying capacity.
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Optimal Carrying Capacity - In Conversation With Robert Barbour
We are joined by the Sustainable Food Trust's Senior Researcher Robert Barbour for our sixth episode of this season. Tune in to discussions surrounding methane, carbon footprints, and the complexities and challenges of measuring environmental impacts associated with livestock. Robert draws on his experiences as a researcher and his family farm (an upland beef and sheep farm that also produces timber in Highland Perthshire, just north of Pitlochry), to dive into the positive role livestock can play from a food systems and environmental perspective. He considers grazing strategies, livestock breeds, and the role herbal leys can play, whilst emphasising the productivity levels that can be achieved in pasture-based systems. He points out his family farm is running a system that has very low levels of inputs so what determines their carrying capacity is largely what the land can naturally support, and one limiting factor for them is a lack of early season grass growth. Show notes: Explore the two papers by Hannah Van Zanten, the paper Robert wrote with Richard Young and Michael Wilkinson that looks at the production of meat and milk from grass, the Agricology profile of his family farm, and learn more about GWP and GWP* here: https://tinyurl.com/5dr8kv75
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Optimal Carrying Capacity - In Conversation With Simon Fairlie
The fifth episode of the season finds us in conversation with Simon Fairlie, recorded earlier this summer when he was still running his dairy operation at Monkton Wyld Court in Dorset. Simon, who was once described by the Guardian as “the most influential and unusual eco-activist you might not have heard of”, brings us a wide ranging conversation that looks at the micro and the macro of carrying capacity. You’ll find us discussing how he managed his herd of two as he produced a range of dairy products for the ‘intentional community’ at Monkton, and how he dealt with grazing and hay production whilst improving grasslands and considering the ecological benefits his approach brought to the 8 acres under his management. This couples with a wider food systems discussion around the role of livestock, rewilding, methane emissions, and the issues associated with an unbalanced production system where he argues the case for a return to mixed farming being required.
www.agricology.co.uk is a hub that explores moving towards farming systems that harness ecological processes & holistic approaches to help balance productive agriculture with enhancing the wider environment. In 2020, we chatted with some of the movers & shakers in the fields, labs & food supply chains; focusing on sustainable farming practices in ‘Agroecology in focus’ & speaking with innovating farmers ‘In the field.’ We returned in 2024 ‘In conversation with’ an exciting line up of farmers, researchers, advisors & industry figures who set out to explore optimal carrying capacity; the practical, philosophical & pertinent. Our latest 2025 series brings together a diverse range of voices to explore the complex & often polarising topic of tillage - to till or not to till?
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