This month we get an update from Abby’s farm in Chile a year after the huge fires burned all their crops. She and her sister have just returned from the farm and tell us what the reality is on the ground and what their next steps are.
We head to Wales, where reporter Phil Moore meets new farmer Jacqui Banks at her smallholding Pencedni in Pembrokeshire. Jacqui and her partner were able to setup their farm thanks to the One Planet Development planning policy which is opening doors for people wanting to produce, and live, sustainably. Jacqui explains why she feels the policy can be a catalyst for ecological farming and regenerative agriculture.
Then we are off to the US to speak to farmer Zach Wolf, who farms biodynamically, as part of a 230 acre secret hotel along the Hudson River, in upstate New York. The farm is a core part of the hotel and serves as a space for visitors to relax, to learn, and more generally to reflect on what “a good life” means to them. Zach tells us about his philosophical approach to sharing the practice of farming and connecting to the land.
Finally, we are back on British soil to hear from long-time soil scientist at ADAS, Lizzie Sagoo, who caught up with Annie Landless at the Agricology Field Day in January, to talk about soil health and soil organic matter for all different types of farms.
And if you listen to the very end you will hear a nice teaser from Katie Revell about an exciting opportunity in Scotland that will be featured in the next Short.
This episode of Farmerama was produced by Abby Rose, Jo Barratt and Katie Revell. There’s been additional reporting from Phil Moore in Wales, and Annie Landless, who is also the force behind our social media channels. Thank you all!