Meet the Farmers

Welsh beef farmer Nathan Jones, a Britain's Fittest Farmer finalist who left full-time dairy work to rent a 40-acre Powys County Council holding, tells host Ben Eagle what six months of learning the hard way has taught him, from calf breeds to savings, second hand kit and getting on the council tenancy ladder.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ben will be away for a little while and shares some news in this short update.