With the long-awaited return of the Innovation & Diversification Wales event, we took the opportunity to attend and catch-up with two of the headline speakers – Tom Pemberton and RegenBen. Tom Pemberton is a farmer, television personality, best-selling author and social media phenomenon from Lancashire, and Ben Taylor-Davies from Ross-on-Wye (aka RegenBen) is an agronomist turned regenerative agriculture consultant.

Andrew Rees of Moor Farm, near Haverfordwest, places a huge emphasis on efficiency within the business. Between 2016 and 2019, the farm was one of Farming Connect’s Demonstration Sites where he undertook a trial into the benefits of multispecies leys. Tune in to hear more about the outcome of the trial, Andrew’s thoughts on improving soil health, his experiences of using liquid fertiliser and ways of making the most out of the farm’s slurry.

With the potato planting season well underway in Pembrokeshire, we caught up with Euros Davies - a relative newcomer to the business of growing potatoes. On his family’s block of land near Milford Haven, he’s been busy planting potatoes ready for sale and marketing through Puffin Produce. Tune in to learn more about what it takes to establish a successful crop and how working in collaboration with fellow growers can reduce the cost burden of buying new equipment.

Our guest this week is the journalist, broadcaster, author and Nuffield Farming Scholar, Anna Jones. Anna grew up on her family’s upland farm on the Welsh borders and is often heard on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme. Earlier this year she published her first book – Divide – and she joins us on the podcast to talk about the cultural divisions between rural and urban communities and why there has never been a better time to bridge that divide.  

Dairy farmer, Deian Evans, has just returned from a 3-month working expedition at the Halley Research Station based in Antarctica. Having seen an advert in the farming press, Deian took up this unique opportunity, leaving his partner Jamie McCoy and his wider family in charge of the farm. Tune in to learn more about his experiences and how his family coped while he was away.