The Organic Grower Podcast

OGPod40: The Organic Growers Gathering part 1

This month we will be hearing short but sweet interviews from the Organic Growers Gathering that was hosted on Sandy Lane Farm in Oxfordshire. The themes that emerged across the weekend and across these interviews include

• The role of community in farming
• Soil health, soil testing, and why it is important
• Farming with challenges such as soil type, money, land, labour
• The climate and drought - climate change is hear, and how will growers cope. 

All the interviews were around the theme of sessions to get a brief taste of what attendees experienced. For some of the interviews Liv James had the wonderful Michael Kennard from Compost Club co-hosting.

In part 1 of the OGPod at OGG I talk to Amy Luck from the Community Supported Agriculture Network  or CSA network and Amy Cairns who is a grower at School Farm CSA in Devon about getting communities involved in farms. With Edwin Brooks we dived into farming on challenging soils but meandered around the theme of knowing your limits a farmer and your land. And finally Tony Little, a farming advisor from Wales. With Tony we covered why test your soils and why this is important. 

There are more insightful interviews for Part 2. Watch this space! 

Guests

Amy Luck - Community Supported Agriculture Network

Amy Cairns - School Farm CSA

Edwin Brooks - Ed's Veg

Tony Little - Sustainable Farming

01:13 Introduction to the Organic Grower Podcast

Amy and Amy
02:57 Introduction to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Engagement with Amy and Amy
05:36 Practical Strategies for Community Engagement on Farms
08:33 Funding and Evidence for Community Engagement
11:43 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Tony Little
12:11 Innovative Weeding Tools and Their Impact

Ed's Veg
24:04 Introduction to Ed's Veg and Soil Challenges
26:49 Soil Management Strategies and Composting Techniques
29:45 Economic Sustainability in Farming
32:43 Climate Challenges and Resilience in Agriculture
36:03 The Importance of Soil Care and Realistic Farming Practices
37:49 Overview of the Organic Growers Gathering

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

OGA Podcast host Liv James visited Taw Valley Organics in North Devon, one of only a handful of certified organic ornamental (we need a better word right?!) plant nurseries in the UK. Although growing plants with nature should be the norm, what these guys are doing seems pioneering. Some of the exciting conversation Liv had with Liz, Dave and Sam included:

• Growing without pesticides, chemical fertilisers and peat
• Reducing plastic use by using cardboard pots to sell their plants
• How they sell their plants
• Diversifying their business to include art exhibitions, farm tours, workshops and more
• Ornamental plants being a luxury product versus vegetables being an everyday product and the mindset difference in customers
• Not watering their stock garden (ever) and seeing how their plants faired in the 2026 drought

Taw Valley Organic growers are aiming for a closed loop system and it is more of this systems thinking approach to growing we need.  

Guests

Liz, Dave and Sam - Taw Valley Organics

https://www.tawvalleyorganics.com

 Episode chapters

00:00 - Setting expectations for a live-recorded conversation
 00:59 - Introducing Tall Valley Organics in North Devon
 01:55 - Why the nursery was started in the first place
 02:39 - How Dave joined the business and family links
 03:29 - Liz and Sam’s paths into plants and design
 04:45 - Dave’s horticulture background from allotments to landscape work
 05:25 - Learning on the job versus formal horticulture training
 06:38 - Why they chose organic certification
 07:25 - Why ornamental horticulture should follow organic principles
 08:00 - What organic nursery growing looks like day to day
 08:42 - How the stock garden and mother plants support propagation
 09:27 - The three-year ground period and organic plant status
 10:41 - Why growing everything in-house matters for adaptation
 11:14 - Selling plants at a better stage, not just in flower
 12:27 - Why feeding style affects rooting and drought resilience
 13:53 - How the summer drought affected watering and sales timing
 15:23 - The changes they are planning for shade, routing, and watering
 17:19 - Getting peat-free compost to rewet properly
 18:14 - Sand beds and capillary watering for pots
 19:24 - Plans for more outdoor beds and possible Efford sand beds
 21:11 - Moving from plant fairs to open days and online sales
 22:13 - Why online sales work well for small pots and plant info
 23:58 - Diversifying with tea, coffee, events, and seasonal experiences
 24:59 - Turning part of the barn into an art space
 25:24 - A sold-out foraging course and seasonal education
 26:59 - Best and worst performing plants in the heat
 28:07 - Tough-love gardening and what the display garden revealed
 29:22 - Early mistakes, water access, and how the nursery improved
 30:24 - Knowing when to throw away unsold plants
 32:50 - Rethinking how much covered space the nursery really needs
 34:03 - Why it is still just the three of them on the nursery
 34:27 - What happens to plants over winter
 35:28 - Compost costs, buying in peat-free mix, and the closed-loop dream
 38:19 - Winter slowdown, admin work, and seasonal planning
 39:44 - The difference between selling vegetables and ornamental plants
 41:57 - Using vegetables and orchard produce for value-added products
 42:57 - The VED-1 visit payment and the challenge of getting groups on site
 44:45 - Why uptake is difficult and how word of mouth helps
 46:28 - Selling plants in cardboard pots instead of plastic
 48:13 - Why the cardboard system costs more but feels right
 49:05 - Keeping prices competitive while still being organic and plastic free
 49:47 - Why the organic USP matters most online
 50:38 - Closing thoughts on the business and what the episode covered

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

In this episode, OGPod host Liv James revisits East Neuk Market Garden to explore their journey over two years of merging farms, scaling up production, seed saving, soil health, and adapting to climate challenges in Scotland.

Guests
Tom Booth
Connie Hunter
Nat Dixon

Chapters
00:00
Introduction to East Nuke Market Garden and Liv James
02:11
Background of the farm and initial farm merging
06:10
The first year of farm collaboration and shared vision
08:03
Transition from two farms to one site
11:54
Scaling up production and crop diversification
15:54
Decision-making, roles, and teamwork in farm management
20:05
Seed saving practices and crop stewardship
25:47
Crop performance and crop-specific insights
30:11
Soil health, testing results, and amendments
34:03
Climate challenges and water management
45:10
Reflections on farm success, challenges, and future plans


Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: O1QORQQUTZEZ7LOF, NCXAYLOD0RN3L9C9

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

Show summary

In this episode, OGPod host Liv James interviews from Groundswell Agricultural festival. Guests include Anne Rees, Head of Horticulture at the Soil Association, Michael Kennard, founder at Compost Club and Rebecca (Bee) Laughton, Horticulture Campaign Coordinator  at Landworkers' Alliance. The interviews cover the importance of organic farming, land access, and the role of horticulture in regenerative agriculture. They explore innovative land-sharing models, market gardens, and the significance of local produce. Bee Laughton gives an update on the current horticulture policy landscape and the hopes for the future within an ever evolving political world. Michael Kennard dives in to compost; why it is important, what makes good compost and the science behind it.

Guests
Anne Rees

Anne Rees | LinkedIn

Instagram

Michael Kennard

Instagram

Rebecca Laughton

Instagram

Resources

Soil Association - https://www.soilassociation.org/
Groundswell Festival - https://groundswell.org.uk/
Landmatch England - https://landmatchengland.org/
Organic Growers Alliance - https://organicgrowersalliance.co.uk/

Landworkers Alliance - Landworkers' Alliance

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

The Organic Growers Alliance Podcast is BACK! Join new host Liv James for a deep dive in to all things growing in the horticulture sector. Nerdy natters into growing operations from growers across the UK plus more about the people in growing...what's it like to be a UK grower in 2026? 

If you are grower with a story, we want to hear it. Get in touch [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @organicgrowersalliance 

Support our Patreon page to keep this podcast going: https://www.patreon.com/TheOrganicGrowerPodcast 

More info visit our website: https://organicgrowersalliance.co.uk/

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Your host Liv James has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. @LivJames

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

In this episode, James goes back into the archives to find some of the best deep dives on growing specific crops. This one features radicchio, herbs, celtuce, leeks, peas and beetroot. Whether you're sowing in the greenhouse, harvesting outside or driving around, there's plenty of growers and wisdom to keep you company in this one. So let's get to it.

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

In this episode, James responds to listeners questions about running a plant sale as an add-on to a vegetable growing enterprise, based on his experience of developing a profitable plant sale enterprise at Cotswold Market Garden/Conygree Farm. What are the best flower varieties to try and what perennials can you sow in the spring? What if you have limited greenhouse space? What if your site isn't suitable for holding events - how else could you sell plants? What are the labour requirements prior to the plant sale itself? Is one-day enough, a weekend or all spring long? This is a follow-up episode to episode 24 where James dives deep into 5 reasons you should consider running a plant sale and 10 tips for success.

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

In today’s episode, I talk to Dan Betterton of The Kitchen Garden People, based at FarmEd, Oxfordshire. Dan shares the challenges and advantages of operating within a mixed farm environment, the ins and outs of their community-supported agriculture (CSA) scheme, and the pros and cons of growing a business slowly and organically. The conversation also touches on the significance of volunteers, finding value beyond the financial, using caterpillar tunnels and lining up crop plans with sales. Towards the end we also discuss squash failures, strawberry successes and looking after your back. So let’s get to it.

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

James is in a reflective mood, offering up a review of the season just gone...the highs and lows, lessons learned, and areas for improvement. Hopefully you find it useful and  can use it as a springboard to think about things wherever you are growing.

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum. 

In today’s episode, I am delighted to share my conversation with Jamie Carr from Blacklands Organics in Oxfordshire. We chat about the pros and cons of taking on land already used for organic veg production, developing a library of field-scale machinery and adapting crop plans to new market streams. A large chunk of the podcast focusses on how Jamie has fostered a skilled and dedicated team, based on principles of delegation, cross-training across tasks and roles and allowing employees space to develop their own ideas and learn from their mistakes. We delve deep into growing chard in the field and aubergines in the polytunnels and finish up with some brilliant advice about the importance of keeping going through the season, maintaining and optimising crop performance after the spring and summer sprint. It was really useful for me to hear about what Jamie and his team have developed at Blacklands and has given me loads of ideas to think about over winter. I am confident you will feel the same, so let’s get to it.

This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.

Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum.