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Meet the Farmers

Ben Eagle, RuralPod Media

Meet the Farmers profiles farmers and gives you an insight into food and farming and the people behind it. Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate covers farming news, current affairs and discussion on the big issues that matter for rural people in Britain and across the world.

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30 episodes
weekly
Avg 40 min
English

Episodes 30

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#351
Monday · 40 min
Low-Input Sheep with BFA Sheep Farmer of the Year 2026 : Outdoor Lambing and a Council Starter Farm
Ben Eagle talks with Will Roobottom, British Farming Awards Sheep Farmer of the Year 2026, about how he built from scratch a business running 700 breeding ewes across two farms, his low-input, grass-based system with outdoor lambing, his new Staffordshire County Council starter tenant farm, his social media and YouTube journey, and the state of the sheep sector.
October 28 · 27 min
EMERGENCY EPISODE - Farmers React to the UK Autumn Budget
In this emergency Meet the Farmers episode recorded straight after the budget, Ally Hunter Blair, Sophie Gregory and Ben Briggs analyse the UK government's Autumn Budget from a farming and rural perspective.
October 16 · 24 min
BIG DEBATE BONUS: Biodiversity Net Gain and Natural Capital: What do Farmers Need to Know?
A Big Debate Bonus episode with Birketts. A practical conversation explaining how biodiversity net gain and natural capital agreements work, what long-term legal and financial commitments they can create, and what farmers, landowners, and tenants should consider before committing land.
October 12 · 41 min
Reviewing the farming (and podcast) year - BIG DEBATE EP24
In the final episode of series one of The Big Debate Ally, Sophie, and producer Ben look back on a year of farming discussions, reflecting on the industry’s challenges, what they’ve learned, and what could bring resilience and optimism for the future.
September 25 · 51 min
Farming Under Pressure: SFI Closes in 6 Hours (Big Debate ep23)
Sophie Gregory and Ally Hunter Blair discuss the fast-closing SFI application window, UK potato crop losses, and new investment in Scotland’s beef sector, alongside updates from their own farms. They also explore how farming films can shape public understanding of agriculture.
September 11 · 44 min
After the Drought: What Needs to Change on UK Farms? [Big Debate ep22]
The rain has returned, but after two incredibly challenging summers, can farming afford to simply move on? Ally and Sophie discuss this and more in this week's Big Debate episode.
September 4 · 33 min
Reasons to Be Confident About the Future of Farming
Big Debate hosts Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory are joined by Virgin Money's UK Head of Agriculture Brian Richardson and Head of Agriculture in Scotland Stephen Buchan to take a broad look at UK agriculture over the past few months.
August 28 · 38 min
What Would You Do With £1 Million on Your Farm? Big Debate ep21.
If someone handed you £1 million to invest in your farm, what would you spend it on? That's the question Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory tackle in this week's Big Debate. From buying land and securing the future of the business to investing in water storage and diversification, they explore whether £1 million is really enough to transform a modern farm – and whether they're investing for themselves or the next generation.
August 14 · 51 min
The Reality of Farming in Britain's Drought. Big Debate ep20
Join Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory for the first-ever in-person episode of The Big Debate. They discuss the UK's worsening drought, the spread of bluetongue, harvest pressures, life on their own farms, and the challenge of juggling farming with family life during the school holidays. They also explore how British farms are adapting through diversification and changing farming practices as the climate continues to shift.
#350
August 10 · 1 min
Ben shares some news
Ben will be away for a little while and shares some news in this short update.
#349
August 3 · 46 min
EMERGENCY EPISODE - Wild Fires, Grazing, Rewilding and the Conversation We're Not Having Enough
For this emergency episode Ben is joined by a panel to discuss wild fires and how land management can help
July 24 · 56 min
Harvest 2026 and Reviewing the Road to Farm Profitability - how do we get there? Big Debate ep19
Ally and Sophie are joined by Ben Briggs to discuss the Farming Roadmap and the government response to the Farm Profitability Review. Also chat about the dry weather, Ally's experience so far of harvest 2026 and Farm Safety Week.
#348
July 20 · 34 min
Derek vs Derek The Film - meet the Dereks
Derek v Derek is a 2026 documentary about two neighbouring Devon farmers whose opposing approaches to managing the land make sparks fly between them! Here we meet the Dereks and see how they are actually more similar in their views than may at first appear.
July 17 · 26 min
Answers to YOUR Questions on Farm Diversification and Viticulture
Do you have questions about viticulture or diversification? In this bonus episode of The Big Debate, hosts Ally Hunter Blair and Sophie Gregory put some listener questions to Annabelle Rout, a lawyer from Birketts LLP.
#347
July 13 · 44 min
Are Cover Crops Worth Planting?
Ben is joined by Sophie Gregory and Tom Gregory, Dorset farmers alongside Alex Pearson from DLF Seeds to discuss cover crops, what they are, their benefits and the trials that Tom and Sophie are undertaking on their farm.
July 10 · 40 min
Is ORGANIC FARMING the Answer? Big Debate ep18 LIVE from Groundswell
Organic farmer John Pawsey joins Ally and Sophie live at Groundswell festival to discuss the future of organic farming.
#346
July 6 · 40 min
The Thirteenth Generation Farmer on a Mission to Get Britain Growing More Nuts
A live podcast recording from Groundswell with Suffolk farmer Tom McVeigh, talking family farming, nuts and Nuffield.
June 26 · 1 hr 3 min
Starmer RESIGNS, Record Heat Hits Britain and Environment Agency Inspections set to Increase - Big Debate ep17
From record heat to the Farming Roadmap, political upheaval and the relationship between farmers and the Environment Agency - there is lots to cover in this week's Big Debate.
#345
June 22 · 58 min
Baroness Minette Batters - What was being NFU President REALLY Like and What's the future for British Farming?
Baroness Minette Batters DL is arguably one of the most influential voices in British agriculture in a generation. In 6 years as President of the NFU she worked with four Prime Ministers and six Secretaries of State at Defra. She faced Brexit, Covid, the War in Ukraine and many other challenges. But what was it really like to lead the NFU, especially as the first woman to be President? How did she get there and what's the future?
June 17 · 25 min
Smarter Farming: What is it and what's the future?
Farming has never been more complex. More decisions, more data and less time. Ally Hunter Blair headed to Cereals 2026 to ask farmers a simple question: what does smarter farming actually mean for you?

Showing 1–20 of 30 episodes