Ahead Of The Field

Will meets Hayley Adkins and Ian Kemp who run Owl Farm. They chat about the challenges of keeping a number of rare breeds as pets and running a small farm, and offering holidays where guests are able to learn about the animals and farm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will chats to Harry Metcalfe, a farmer in the Cotswolds who is also a successful motoring journalist having founded Evo Magazine. They talk about Harry’s early farming education and agricultural career, getting into cars and how he’s now using his skills in creating videos to try and help explain to a wider audience what happens on his farm day-to-day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a worrying spike in incidents of ‘Livestock Worrying’. To understand this better and talk about what’s being done to combat it Will talks to Rob Taylor from North Wales Police rural crime team, Debs Roberts, a Scottish farmer and co-founder of ‘Ladies who Lamb’ and NFU Mutual farming specialist, David Harrison. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will is joined by Milly  Fyfe,  who  farms  in  Northamptonshire  and  has  been  through  the  succession planning process  with  her  own  family,  Heather  Wildman  from  Saviour  Associates,  who  specializes  in  facilitating  succession  planning,  and  Sean  McCann,  a  chartered  financial  planner  from  NFU  Mutual. Together they discuss this challenging subject and offer their thoughts and advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will is joined by Ian Maddever, an agricultural contracting expert, and Charlie Yorke from NFU Mutual to talk about agricultural contracting, how the industry has changed and the role it now plays in the farming industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will talks to Ruth Poulten from NFU Mutual, Jan Welch from RSABI, Mark Thomas from the Farming Community Network and Jason Alexandra from the Samaritans. They discuss how the farming community has been affected over the last few months and what is being done by charities to help.

As the farming community gears up for harvest this year, Will speaks to one of NFU Mutual’s experts on rural affairs, David Harrison, on how to keep yourself, your employees and friends and family safe

Will records an interview with Evita Van Gestel from NFU Mutual Risk Management Services, to understand what the health and safety challenges are for farmers as a result of Coronavirus and find out about NFU Mutual’s new, free health and safety service

Nicky and John Bevan have developed two luxury treehouses for paying guests. Will hears the story of how they had the idea and the hard work that went into them, and restoring the old parsonage and tithe barn, as well as the challenges of running a small farm and building up the Hereford herd.

Catherine Cunningham set herself the challenge of creating an online business from the family farm in County Antrim with a small initial investment. 5 years later, The Present Tree sells thousands of tree gifts every year, and are planning further expansion. Will Evans is in Northern Ireland to discover the secrets behind Catherine's success, and explore the benefits and challenges of diversifying without potential customers coming onto the farm.

How could your pension help your plans to diversify your farming business? Will Evans talks to Sean McCann, a Chartered Financial Planner with NFU Mutual.

The Rhug Estate in North Wales has diversified from traditional farming to create a successful organic farm shop and take-away, including a thriving export business and the UK's first farm drive-through. Will Evans meets the owner, Lord Newborough, and his staff to hear how they did it and what other farmers could learn from their experience.

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