R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In

Today we welcome Sarah Jane to the R2Kast 🎙️ Chief Executive of Scottish Land and Estates and someone who has spent two decades shaping rural policy in Scotland. 🌾

We spoke about her background growing up in Kelso, her route from studying philosophy and psychology into rural policy, and how a summer job with the local authority set the direction for her career. From joining SLE in 2004 to becoming Chief Executive just months before Covid hit, she shared what it was like leading a national membership organisation through one of the most turbulent periods in recent history. 🍎

A big part of the conversation focused on what SLE actually does. Representing land based businesses across Scotland, from smallholders to large estates, influencing legislation on housing, agriculture, natural capital and land reform. Sarah Jane explained how policy positions are shaped by members, how influence works in practice, and why future land management has to balance people, jobs and nature.

We also discussed farming support, natural capital, land reform, political ideology, and the importance of evidence over belief when shaping rural legislation. It was an honest conversation about the realities of working in policy and the responsibility that comes with representing a diverse rural membership. 🌍

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today on the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar series I had the pleasure of chatting with Ben Taylor Davies 🎙️ Ben is a regenerative agriculture consultant, farmer, and Nuffield Scholar whose story spans family farming, global travel, and a very honest journey through challenge, change and curiosity 🌾

We spoke about Ben’s early life on the family farm in Herefordshire, how the business narrowed into conventional arable systems over time, and how a deeply personal family tragedy forced him to stop, reassess, and question everything he thought he knew about farming and success. That moment ultimately led him towards a Nuffield Scholarship, even though he admits he didn’t want one right up until the moment he left 🚜

Ben’s Nuffield journey took him across North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia, including solo travel by train from the UK to China. Along the way he encountered regenerative thinkers, different production systems, and a completely new way of understanding soils, weeds, biology and farming economics. A chance meeting in North Dakota became a turning point, shifting his focus from fighting weeds to understanding what they are telling us 🌍

We also talked about neurodiversity, ADHD, and how finally understanding how his brain works unlocked confidence, clarity and purpose. That perspective now underpins both his consulting work around the world and the radical diversification of the family farm, from livestock and agroforestry to food processing, education, hospitality and energy production 🌱

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

Enjoy! 🙂
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Today on the All In series of the R2Kast I was joined by Devin 🎙️ The series where we share the stories of people with no ties to food or farming but who still have something powerful to say about life, ambition and what drives them 🌍

Devin is the founder of Dev Aviation and someone I’ve known for years, back to our time working together at SRUC. We started by chatting about that journey, from milking cows and working in education to finding herself deep in the world of aviation, student recruitment and skills development ✈️

We talked about how she first got into aviation, what drew her to it, and why the industry needs new ways of connecting with young people. A big part of the conversation was around Dev Aviation and the community she’s building to help Gen Z understand what careers in aviation actually look like, not just on paper but in real life

There was a lot in there about confidence, communication, soft skills and how many young people have the ability but just need someone to open the door and show them what’s possible. We also got into gaming, education and why meeting people where they already are online can be a positive thing when it’s done properly 🎮

We finished up talking about home, balance and why being able to travel, do exciting work and still come back to somewhere familiar really matters. It was one of those chats that just flowed and could easily have gone on for another hour

A proper All In episode about backing yourself, building something meaningful and not waiting for permission

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today we welcome Russ to the R2Kast 🎙️ Someone whose career spans farming, engineering, regenerative agriculture, mentoring and rural youth leadership at a European level. 🌾

We talked about growing up on a family farm, studying engineering, travelling extensively, and how seeing farming systems around the world shaped his focus on change in agriculture. Russ explained his role in setting up farmer led organisations, his work on regenerative systems, and why mindset and context matter just as much as techniques. 🍎

A big part of the discussion focused on mentoring and coaching. How supporting farmers through change works best when it’s collaborative rather than prescriptive, and why succession, communication and family dynamics are central to long term resilience. We also spoke about his leadership with Rural Youth Europe, representing hundreds of thousands of rural young people across the continent.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today we welcome Sandy to the R2Kast 🎙️ A marketer who grew up on a farm in south west Scotland, trained as an engineer, and then took a very different route through the drinks industry before landing in agricultural marketing. 🌾

We spoke about his move away from engineering, working in brand development, launching products, and realising that how you sell something often matters more than the product itself. Sandy explained how those lessons translate into agriculture, why risk matters in marketing, and why playing it safe often means being invisible. 🍎

The conversation covered storytelling, positioning, standing out in a crowded sector, and why agriculture sometimes struggles to back itself when communicating with the outside world.

Enjoy! 🙂

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