In this penultimate episode, we explore career pathways and learning opportunities in sustainable agriculture and regenerative farming, with particular focus on the unique challenges and opportunities in rural Cornwall.

Host Carl is joined by four guests bringing local, national, and international perspectives:

Katie Kirk from Bosavern Community Farm discusses their educational programs supporting people from school age through retirement, including skills development, work experience placements, and career pathway guidance for diverse participants—from teenagers seeking first jobs to mid-career switchers pursuing quality of life changes.

Luke Botterill, former Bosavern WWOOFer, shares his journey from volunteering to pursuing a professional apprenticeship at Abbey Home Farm's Organic Shop near Cirencester, illustrating how hands-on learning experiences can shape career direction in the sector.

Lisa Dunne from LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) provides insight into the wide range of specialist and well-paid salaried career paths in agriculture, moving beyond common perceptions of farm work as purely physical labor.

James Whatty, Agronomist at Hutchinsons, discusses his own journey from Cornwall to university and back, retraining as an agronomist after completing an unrelated degree, and what the role entails beyond common misconceptions.

The conversation addresses the economic context of rural Cornwall—a sea-bound, rurally dispersed region with a former mining economy, now facing high levels of child poverty and limited large employers. Despite challenges including housing shortages and historic "brain drain," the area offers growing opportunities in hospitality, care work, and particularly in sustainable farming and environmental sectors.

Key themes explored include:

This episode demonstrates that there is no single linear path into sustainable agriculture—whether you're a school leaver, graduate, career switcher, or someone seeking meaningful outdoor work, opportunities exist across a spectrum from hands-on practical roles to specialist professional positions.

Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes

What should the landscape of West Cornwall look like in the future: moorland, field or forest? How can we prepare land for an unpredictable future climate? Is the forestry practice in West Cornwall a case study for land beyond our parish borders? Our tree panel guests include Annie Surtees from the Forest for Cornwall Team, Ecologist Nick Taylor and Bosavern’s very own Tree Group volunteer leader Terry Sutcliffe. In this lively discussion hear their tips on which trees to plant where and when not to plant at all, how to get the best tree survival rates, discuss pests and diseases and share first hand experience of cardboard vs plastic tree guards. Included in the discussion is exploring  Bosavern’s own programme of shelterbelt planting, their community woodland, nature trail and tree nursery and advice on expert consultation and financial support which can be available for those wanting to enlist in a growing effort to broaden the nature network to maximise biodiversity. 

In Episode 5 we dig-in to the topic of veg from field to fork, without digging! Hugh Taylor, Head Grower, shares some tips on growing food, his favourite book references and some favourite seasonal recipes. We go bounding through the whys and wherefores of a Market Garden; becoming familiar with no dig tools, understanding the methods and the many benefits of minimal tillage, composting and basic crop rotations. We are joined by community volunteer Rebecca who has been attending the farm for 2-3 years and enjoys both the social connections and the learning gained from Hugh ‘muck-spreading his knowledge’. Her natural curiosity shines a light on Hugh’s drive, his stoic perspective and his unwavering enthusiasm for seasonal, sustainable veg. Together we reflect upon the importance of diversity, connection and balance in farming with nature and cultivating hope as well as food and habitats.

Moving from the field to the fork, we step into the cosy, wholesome vibes of the Dog & Rabbit café in St Just to hear from their owner and menu architect, We celebrate the popularity of the all-year-round salads from Bosavern and Rosie articulates the art of creating a menu tailored to the produce available in each season, how this affects pricing and why their ethos of seasonal, sustainable food, community connections and a great ambience, really matter. Rosie emphasises how she is inspired by Bosavern and by those people we meet in life who are always reaching out to make new, positive changes. ‘Keep on going… not giving up…’ those who are always looking to make positive changes, and we hear about a Falmouth based enterprise shipping coffee sustainably to Cornwall via sailboat. We observe the beauty of small, diverse, alliances; the nimble flexibility this allows, the personal contacts and how one organisation’s constant drive for increased sustainability inspires and bolsters others.

We meet the National Trust's Ash Pearson on a field overlooking the cove of Cape Cornwall. We have come here to see how the collaboration with Nick Hall and his Wildflower Project are being used. We move from the residential application as we learned in the episode with Nick and see it applied on a grand scale, in this case along the South West Coast Path. Ash takes us through a tired and overgrown paddock along the trail to show us how the "plugs" Nick supplies along with other applications the National Trust are using are revitalising the area and attracting and feeding an increasing amount and variety of insects and butterflies.

Ash reflects on the unique relationship and networks that can be formed between grassroots businesses and larger organisations to solve very local needs and challenges - The Wildflower Project being a case in point. Like Nick, they both share in caretaking of the land in such a manner that providing the best quality nutrition in the native plants they choose provide the number and variety in order support the local biodiversity.

We're hanging out at Bosavern Community Farm with Nick Hall where we are learning  about his Wildflower Project. 

We tour the polytunnel and growing area where he and his team grow a variety of quality plants which have the purpose of not only looking wonderful but maximise attracting a variety insects, invertebrates and wildlife into one's garden patch. We learn to be on the lookout for seeds and/or plants which provide quality nectar to offer the best nutrition to your garden visitors.

Nick's Wildflower Project and The National Trust work together to provide specialist plants which the National Trust uses to help in restoring meadows around West Cornwall. Nick speaks about the collaboration and how building and making a wildflower garden no matter the size of one's patch is vital to our future survival.

Tom Waters of Scythe Kernow picked up the scythe professionally in 2020. From there he started a journey into traditional skills. Scything seems counter productive at first, many think it must be archaic and outdated, but this is not the case. Tom believes that it is more efficient than a strimmer (weed wacker) or lawnmower for dealing with long grass and if you want to allow for more diversity then longer grass, sedge and wildflower is what you will be dealing with. 

Tom also is out to disprove a common misconception - that to scythe requires a great deal of strength. Through his training he has seen individuals prove his point - anyone can scythe effectively, it’s all about technique. 

Join us for this episode as we go out into a Cornish field with Tom and watch and record him practice this skill coming back into fashion. Besides the immediate efficiency of the tool, we observe and discuss the more straight-forward, practical reasons to switch to the scythe such as 

Building a community farm can take one acre or fifty. It is about first understanding what and who you have to work with which can set in motion a series of events, bureaucratic structure and networks which can take an idea and make it a reality with purpose. In Episode 2 we sit down with three people instrumental in the beginning of Bosavern Community Farm - a local councillor, a founder and the head gardener. Join us as they gather to reflect on almost 15 years dedicated to turning a once somewhat abandoned land into a community farm buzzing today with a market garden, grocery shop, workshops, allotments, veg box deliveries and a work experience hub for anyone wanting to learn how to make a community farm a reality or just chip in to see things grow. We talk about coincidences, perseverance and how a challenge like a global pandemic can highlight locally the reasons for nurturing a community farm throughout all seasons and challenges.

As a side note: In 2022, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board acknowledged that ‘providing land and support for community growing schemes’ was a TOP priority action which everyone in Cornwall (individuals, community groups, local authorities, businesses) could and should all get behind. A full report from the University of Exeter Environmental Sustainability Institute details how these groups are tackling some of the biggest challenges of our times. The findings are available from the Sustainable Food Cornwall website together with a map showing the established community growing schemes and the smaller, new schemes sprouting up right across Cornwall!

As a leadership transformation and workplace culture expert for over 20 years Yvonne Thompson, founder of www.changeinnovators.com, uses positive psychology, science and  emotional intelligence to turn companies and organisations stuck in old and tired methods of management into successful and positive working cultures. But what do these global industries share with a community market farm? "Many!" says Yvonne. Listen as we explore connections which in the end not only are adaptable but transformational for families, communities, groups, and organisations such as a market farm. Yvonne has an infectious energy which drives listeners to listen and act with intent and in doing so change their path to wellbeing if open to the journey. 

Hello!

I'm Karl and I'm the host of the Bosavern Community Farm Podcast Twist & Sprout.

This podcast is a short introduction to us here at the community market farm in West Cornwall. Here you'll find a community bursting with energy intent on transforming the huge global food and wellness issues we face by creating networks linking local solutions. It is through this podcast we aim to reach a local and global community of solution based attitudes and share our findings as we work to better our way of life on the planet and for the planet. Subscribe so we may join arms in creating positive change.