The Organic Grower Podcast

James speaks to Hamish Evans and Sammy Elmore of Middle Ground Growers on the edge of Bath. In four seasons, they have grown the business from nothing to a turnover of over £200,000. We discuss how they set their goals and worked backward from there to achieve their rapid scaling up. We touch on how they built up a 180-strong veg box scheme, the different production systems they have developed from small-scale no-dig to field scale mechanisation and the benefits of their collaborative farming model. There’s a fascinating conversation about their hugely successful crowd-funder, which helped to finance the project. Towards the end we discuss the merits of their unexpected turn toward producing for national wholesale. If you wait until the end, Hamish also treats us to a poem about the soil. So let’s get to it!This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.More about James Butterworth and Cotswold Market Garden: https://www.cotswoldmarketgarden.co.uk/This project is part-funded by our podcast partner Ooooby, and our show sponsors ReAgTools, Vital Seeds, and the Biodynamic Agricultural College. We also rely on the generosity of listeners to keep this project going - if you like what you hear and want to hear more of it, please consider donating to our Patreon page on a monthly basis. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/TheOrganicGrowerPodcast

James speaks to researcher, policy expert and campaigner, Bea Laughton. Much of the conversation focuses on her work for the Landworkers Alliance. We discuss the latest Horticulture Across Four Nations report, including addressing import substitution, increasing supply and consumption of UK-grown vegetables, price challenges and the true cost of production. We also discuss public sector procurement of organic veg, particularly attempts to get more organic veg into schools in Wales. We move onto identifying and overcoming the barriers to the growth of agroecology, matters of scale, including building appropriate skills, knowledge and funding for new entrants on medium and larger scales. Towards the end, we focus on the opportunities opening up in the current political context and what individual growers can do to effect change. There’s so much food for thought to mull over here over Christmas, so let’s get to it.This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.More about James Butterworth and Cotswold Market Garden: https://www.cotswoldmarketgarden.co.uk/This project is part-funded by our podcast partner Ooooby, and our show sponsors ReAgTools, Vital Seeds, and the Biodynamic Agricultural College. We also rely on the generosity of listeners to keep this project going - if you like what you hear and want to hear more of it, please consider donating to our Patreon page on a monthly basis. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/TheOrganicGrowerPodcast

James speaks to Adam Payne of Awen Organics in Pembrokeshire. Adam is no novice and is now putting his experience to work in a relatively new venture in West Wales, where he has been leading in establishing a 25-acre organic veg farm from the ground up. We talk about the farm’s long-term investments in infrastructure and machinery and attempts to scale the business quickly. We discuss developing a strong and diverse market, building a good team and designing efficient growing systems. We also discuss Adam’s dreamy pack shed, delve deep into agretti growing and end on the topic of farming with young children. It’s an inspirational story so let’s get to it.This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.More about James Butterworth and Cotswold Market Garden: https://www.cotswoldmarketgarden.co.uk/This project is part-funded by our podcast partner Ooooby, and our show sponsors ReAgTools, Vital Seeds, and the Biodynamic Agricultural College. We also rely on the generosity of listeners to keep this project going - if you like what you hear and want to hear more of it, please consider donating to our Patreon page on a monthly basis. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/TheOrganicGrowerPodcast

James speaks to Jim Aplin of Hotchpotch Organics in Worcestershire. We talk about Jim’s experience of developing a growing system with next to no infrastructure where crops moved every year as part of a much larger arable rotation. We discuss why Jim opted for a 4-wheel compact tractor over a 2-wheel tractor and how he developed spacings and techniques to suit. More recently, Jim has moved to a new site, now with buildings and protected cropping, and he talks about the challenges and lessons learnt. We also delve deep into squash production, markets and the importance of spring plant sales to his business. Towards the end we discuss Jim’s involvement in the OGA (Organic Growers Alliance) of which he is a very eloquent advocate! This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.More about James Butterworth and Cotswold Market Garden: https://www.cotswoldmarketgarden.co.uk/This project is part-funded by our podcast partner Ooooby, and our show sponsors ReAgTools, Vital Seeds, and the Biodynamic Agricultural College. We also rely on the generosity of listeners to keep this project going - if you like what you hear and want to hear more of it, please consider donating to our Patreon page on a monthly basis. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/TheOrganicGrowerPodcast