R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Today on the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar series I had the pleasure of chatting with Gordon Whiteford 🎙️ Gordon is a farmer based in Moray running a diverse business built around free range and organic egg production, alongside dairy, sheep and a strong direct to consumer focus through his farm shop 🌾

We spoke about Gordon’s early life growing up on a dairy farm in Ayrshire before his family moved away from farming when he was young. That shift created a real drive in him to build something of his own, which eventually led to starting a poultry enterprise from scratch and growing it into the core of his business today 🚜

Gordon’s Nuffield Scholarship focused on welfare in free range laying hens, but his journey quickly expanded into wider thinking around systems, soil health and regenerative approaches. His travels took him across Europe, the USA, Africa and beyond, shaping how he now views farming as a whole system rather than individual enterprises. One of the standout themes was how much can be learned by stepping outside your own sector and challenging how things have always been done 🌍

We also got into some brilliant detail around his egg business, from switching to white hens and pushing production far beyond industry norms, to building a direct relationship with customers through milk, eggs and added value products. It was a great example of combining technical performance with storytelling and connection back to the consumer 🌱

There were also some cracking moments from his travels, including a proper introduction to how things work on the roads in Kenya, which definitely added a bit of perspective to the whole experience. It all tied back to how Nuffield opens doors, builds confidence and gives you the mindset to try things you maybe would not have done otherwise

We wrapped up talking about growth, family and what comes next for the business, alongside his advice to anyone thinking about applying. Back yourself, take the opportunity and see where it leads.

Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today we’re back with Field to Front Door 🎙️

David, Martin and Wallace picking things straight back up where we left off, still very much figuring out what this is and where it could go.

This one was a proper deep dive into farming realities. We got into everything from sugar beet and margins through to regen, inputs and whether it’s actually possible to grow without sprays. There’s a real honesty in it, especially around trying things, getting them wrong, and learning as you go.

A big part of the chat was about working out what farming looks like going forward. Not just how we grow, but how we sell, how we add value, and how we actually make a living from it. Direct selling, milling, flowers, different markets, it all came into it.

What I liked most is there’s no pretending we’ve got the answers. It’s just a conversation trying to figure things out in real time, with a few laughs along the way.

We’re going to keep this going fortnightly for now and see where it takes us. If you’ve got ideas on what we should cover or who we should bring in, send them our way.

Enjoy! 🙂
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Today we welcome Julie McLaren to the R2Kast 🎙️ Julie is Relationship Director, Agriculture & Landed Estates, and currently serves as Vice Chair of Women in Agriculture Scotland.

Julie joined me to discuss her journey into the agricultural sector after more than two decades working in business and rural finance. We spoke about the importance of relationships in agricultural finance, the role financial partners play beyond simply lending money, and why communication between farmers and their professional teams is more important than ever in a volatile global market.

A big part of the conversation focused on Women in Agriculture Scotland, the voluntary organisation working to connect and support women across the sector. Julie explained how the group aims to reach rural communities across the country, create opportunities for people to get involved, and ensure voices from across the industry are heard.

We also explored Julie’s passion project, the Women in Agriculture Scotland mentoring programme, designed to match mentors and mentees across the industry and help build confidence, networks and careers through simple conversations and shared experience.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today on the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar series I had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Hughes 🎙️ Sarah works with Syngenta leading their amenity business across the UK and Ireland, covering sectors such as turf, forestry, pest management and ornamentals. She is also a 2017 Nuffield Scholar whose study explored the economics of vertical farming and whether controlled environment agriculture could offer viable opportunities for food production 🌾

We spoke about Sarah’s unusual career path through agriculture, from training as an agronomist and working in arable crops to later running her own edible flower business supplying high end restaurants and hotels. That experience of producing high value crops sparked her interest in vertical farming and ultimately shaped the focus of her Nuffield study 🚜

Sarah’s travels took her across the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Dubai and the United States, alongside the global Nuffield group on the CSC in Brazil. She reflected on how much excitement surrounded vertical farming at the time and how her research quickly showed the real challenge was the economics behind it. The technology could work, but the costs of energy, labour and infrastructure often made the model incredibly difficult to sustain 🌍

We also spoke about balancing Nuffield with family life, running a business and raising two children at the same time. Sarah made a really important point that there is no single way to complete a Nuffield Scholarship. Everyone’s circumstances are different and sometimes the best approach is simply finding a way to make it work around the life you already have 🌱

Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.

Enjoy! 🙂

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

In this opening episode of Field to Front Door, Martin Caunce and David Wheatley sit down with Wallace Currie to test an idea that has been brewing for just 24 hours. From arable crops and flour milling to peonies, orchards and social media, the conversation explores what it really takes to sell direct and rebuild trust between farmer and consumer. Honest, off the cuff and unfiltered, this sets the tone for what could come next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.