FFINLO COSTAIN talks to ANDY CATO, who as one half of Groove Armada, gave us classic dance anthems such as I See you Baby and At The River - but who gave it all up to farm regeneratively in France, and who now, back in Britain, is the face and founder of Wildfarmed bread. A 'steward of complexity,' who has risen to become an icon of agroecological farming.

Key moments:

* Cato's time with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band

* The Miners’ Strike (1984/'85) and the Criminal Justice Bill ('94)

* The trombone, the DJ and the sound of Groove Armada?

* The decision to farm in France

* How baking bread became the answer to Cato's problems

* The genesis of Wildfarmed bread

* Defining the Wildfarmed approach?

* Fusing old knowledge with new tech

* Wildfarmed standards?

* Balancing practices and outcomes

* Scaling regenerative supply chains

* Is it possible to feed people well, at the prices they currently pay?

* Farm Gate is Britain's top-ranked regenerative agriculture podcast - globally ranked 2nd for food security; 3rd for regen.

* Farm Gate is part of 8point9.com, the land use news channel, which is sponsored by First Milk, Pelican Ag, Rural Solutions, the Usk Catchment Partnership, Agrolo and individual donors.

* To watch instead, search for 'Farm Gate podcast' on YouTube.

Towards the end of last year, the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales made a recommendation to Welsh Government: nature should have a voice in decisions about flood policy and infrastructure.

Today we ask, why? How? And what difference would it make - if nature had a voice?

ffinlo Costain is joined by Dr David Clubb, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, and Eurig Salisbury, a poet and lecturer at Aberystwyth University.

Can removing the preference for on-site biodiversity net gain (BNG) delivery accelerate market growth and nature recovery?As the government considers the future of the BNG policy, new research has identified opportunities to strengthen delivery, accelerate market growth and achieve greater benefits for nature, developers and communities.

FFINLO COSTAIN joined by the report's lead author, DAVID HILL, former Deputy Chair of Natural England and Founder of the Environment Bank, and by contributor, ROB HINDLE, the Executive Director of Rural Solutions.

* Farm Gate is Britain's top-ranked regenerative agriculture podcast - globally ranked 2nd for food security; 3rd for regen.

* Farm Gate is part of 8point9.com, the land use news channel, which is sponsored by First Milk, Pelican Ag, Rural Solutions, the Usk Catchment Partnership, Agrolo and individual donors.

* To watch instead, search for 'Farm Gate podcast' on YouTube.

Wheat from the Chaff is Farm Gate and 8point9.com's monthly discussion programme.

Regulars, ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) and Joe Stanley (GWCT Allerton Project), are joined by Nikki Yoxall, Technical Director at Pasture for Life, and Rhys Evans, NFFN Cymru's Sustainable Farming Lead.

This time:

🌳 The new Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme

🌱 A new capital fund for agroecology in Scotland

🐑 How sheep can deliver improved ecology

🧑‍🌾 And Joe and Nikki discuss their different routes and approaches to regenerative farming

To watch this podcast instead, search for 'Farm Gate podcast' on YouTube.

More land-use news at 8point9.com

A farmers' jury has found that carbon tunnel vision is alienating many farmers and slowing action to address the nature crisis.

ffinlo Costain is joined by Dr Amy Jackson (University of Nottingham), Adrian Ivory (Strathisla Farms in Perthshire), and Liz Warner (Green Shoots Farm Consultancy).

Key moments:

* The motivation behind the farmers’ jury

* Key takeaways

* Views on net zero and how it's been applied to farming

* The dangers of carbon tunnel vision

* Metric used to assess farm impact

* Changing the way that we measure methane

* The dangers of offshoring emissions reduction from food production

* Net zero has created resistance in the farming community

* Motivating farmers to address the climate and nature crises

Farm Gate is Britain's top-ranked regenerative agriculture podcast - globally ranked 2nd for food security; 3rd for regen.

To watch this podcast instead, search 'Farm gate podcast' on YouTube.

#netzero #climate #regenfarming #farming #food #methane #GWP* #AFNNetwork+

ffinlo Costain's guest today is John Kempf - an Amish farmer, entrepreneur and host of The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast. We discover what makes Kempf tick - who is he - what are his personal values? How does being Amish influence his view of the world - and what does he really think of Bobby Kennedy?

QUESTIONS INCLUDE:

What was Kempf's 'aha' moment?

How has being part of the Amish community shaped his approach to the land?

How does podcasting fit within the Amish worldview?

Why is sharing his voice different to sharing his face?

What does Kempf value most in society?

How does Kempf feel about the state of the USA today?

What does Kempf make of Bobby Kennedy and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report?

What does Kempf think are the greatest risks facing human beings today?

***

This is the fourth of our Farm Gate Leaders programmes.

Farm Gate is now Britain's top-ranked regenerative agriculture podcast - globally ranked 2nd for food security; 3rd for regen.

Watch the rough cut of this audio podcast on YouTube - search 'Farm Gate podcast'.

#johnkempf #bobbykennedy #regenfarming #regenag #robertfkennedy #amish

This programme is the last in our series of impromptu in-the-field podcasts, recorded at Groundswell 2025.

In this episode we discuss memorable sessions, what we've taken away from the regenerative farming festival.

ffinlo Costain is joined by Joe Stanley (Allerton Project) - Jez Fredenburgh (journalist) - and Rowan Phillimore (Gaia Foundation).

This programme is part of our series of impromptu in-the-field podcasts, recorded at Groundswell 2025.

In this episode we The Wildlife Trusts' new vision for the future of farming in England.

ffinlo Costain is joined by Vicki Hird (Strategic lead on agriculture, The Wildlife Trusts).

This programme is part of our series of impromptu in-the-field podcasts, recorded at Groundswell 2025.

In this episode we discuss water's role in restoring the land and managing climate extremes.

ffinlo Costain is joined by Didi Pershouse (Land and Leadership initiative and author of Ecology of Care) - and Nick Viney (Landscape Reimagineer).

This programme is part of our series of impromptu in-the-field podcasts, recorded at Groundswell 2025.

In this episode we discuss how to finish beef cattle on grass.

ffinlo Costain is joined by Johnnie Balfour (Pasture for Life; Balbirnie Home Farms) and Kate Martin (Treway Farm).