Podcasts

The Highland Good Food Podcast is a place for us to explore the big topics around local sustainable food together.  A space for us to hear from inspiring and progressive doers and thinkers.  You can subscribe to our partnership updates to hear when each new episode is released.

Series 4
Episode 6: Can longstanding, family farms adapt to an uncertain future?

Sustaining a family farm through generations requires immense perseverance and dedication. However, what are the current and emerging challenges that long-standing farms in the Highlands are facing? And is it true that traditional farms are resistant to change, as often perceived?

In our latest episode of the Highland Good Food Podcast, we explore these questions with John and Fiona Scott of Fearn Farm and Hector Munro of Foulis Farms. These two families defy the stereotype, demonstrating that staying connected to the local community and embracing change are essential strategies for weathering future political and economic storms.

Episode 5: Alternative Business models or how to keep fresh and excited in today’s challenging food markets.

Here are some great and inspiring ideas from two different Scottish businesses. Both Macleod Organics in the Highlands and Balcaskie Estate in Fife have thrived by being creative and willing to pursue what they believe in with passion and ingenuity.

Episode 4: What is the Good Food Nation Plan?

What is the Good Food Nation Plan? What does it mean to each of us and how can we assure that this opportunity is made the most of?  In March there will be an option to join organised “consultation engagement events” Sounds a bit wordy, but it can be helpful to understand what opportunities there are to be a little more involved in the Good Food Nation plan.  There will also be more informal “kitchen table talks” that you can join here. 

Episode 3: Unveiling the Potential of Farmer Clusters with the Highland Good Food Partnership

In this episode, we delve into Farmer Clusters in Scotland. Join us as we explore the challenges, successes, and the exciting potential of what can be achieved when farmers unite on a larger scale.  Our guests include Fiona Torrance from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Kat Sharp, farmer and facilitator for the Glen Urquhart Farmer Cluster, and Fred Swift, Farmer and facilitator of the West Loch Ness Farmer Cluster.

Full report available here “Collaboration at landscape scale: Farmer Clusters in Scotland Project Report” 

 

Episode 2: Creative way to make a living on a croft

In this episode we meet three people living and making a living on croft land across the Highlands and Islands. Living close to the land and working with the seasons, their stories are individual, yet with similar threads of love of nature and a willingness to be creative and inventive. Have a listen and see if this way of life could be for you and tempt you to find a place to grow, or to buy more local food. There is a lot of information here  https://crofting.scotland.gov.uk/.

Episode 1: Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms

Fuggo King is taking up the role of interviewer in Series 4. Episode 1 is about wwoofing (worldwide opportunities on organic farms). Fuggo talks to hosts and volunteers who have benefitted from this exchange scheme, investigating why the practical experiences can help learn about food growing and inspire us to get closer to the land. Clive and Julie, hosts near Inverness have a permaculture garden. Alex is head gardener at Allangrange on the Black Isle and Liv volunteered as a wwoofer. We hope you enjoy! 

Series 3

With a whole new podcast team, series three first looks at Highland Good Food at COP26 and some of our reflections. We’ll take it back to the local level after that. Laura Dorantt, a new Highland Good Food team member will be heading up these podcasts, and we’re really excited for you to listen to them! 

Episode 3: Community Food 

Laura speaks to Anna from Planet Sutherland, Mairi from the Fearn Free Food Garden and Emma from the Auchtertyre Community Garden. They discuss the importance of community food projects, which offer a space for learning, a place to gather and grow. A very inspiring listen!

Episode 2: COP26 Reflections, Part 2

This is our second instalment to the COP26 Reflections podcast. Laura speaks to Yvan Biot, who was involved in the Fork to Farm Dialogues at COP26, and Highland Good Food Coordinator, Catriona Ferguson. The COP26 reflection episodes are inspired by the Outraged and Optimism, a podcast that explores the stories behind the headlines on climate change and is “for everyone looking to expand their understanding of the climate crisis and get inspired to take action.”. We recommend you give it a listen!

Episode 1: COP26 Reflections, Part 1

In this episode, Highland Good Food team member Laura Dorantt speaks to Diana, Nourish Scotland’s Food Justice Project Officer and Martina from a female founded collective on the outskirts of Mexico City, that has a vision for diverse and inclusive food systems. Laura asks Diana and Martina what they felt optimistic and outraged about while they were at COP26 and afterwards.

Series 1

Throughout the first series we chatted to a wide range of folk in the local food sector; exploring the challenges and highlighting the opportunities.

Episode 1: What is the role of community food?
Episode 2: Is regenerative farming the future?
Episode 3: Taking Control Of Our Bread
Episode 4: What’s Your Food Story?

Episode 5: Is Local Dairy Possible In The Highlands?

Episode 6: How Can Retailers Adapt To A Changing Food System?

Episode 7: What Does It Take To Be A New Entrant Farmer in 2020?

Episode 8: Can A Thriving Aquaculture Sector Support Healthy Communities?

Episode 9: Can We Have Successful Vegetable Enterprises In The Highlands?

Episode 10: How Can Food Policy Change in 2021?

Series 2

Season 2 of the Highland Good Food Podcast is all about stories, and we will be sharing food stories from folk who are already doing amazing things around the Highlands.

Episode 1: Salami, Seaweed & Beer

In episode 1 we hear from Anja Baak from Great Glen Charcuterie, Sam Faircliff from Cairngorm Brewery, Keith Paterson from SHØRE Seaweed and David Gass at the Highland Food & Drink Innovation Network. What drives them, and why are they so passionate about food in the Highlands.

Episode 2: How do ‘small’ individuals make a BIG impact on the Highland Food System?

This month on the Highland Good Food Podcast, we hear from five Highland women who have made a huge impact on their local food systems. Sophie from Post-tatoes, Ella from Left Coast Culture, Helen from Elphin Green Bowl and Kate and Katherine from Raasay Walled Garden. Hear how these amazing women have influenced their local food systems with their simple but extremely innovative ideas, and how their passion for food and the Highlands drives them.

Episode 3: Taking a holistic view of the food system

This episode we will hear from a diverse range of sectors across the Highlands. And although the content of each story is very different, they show how the food system is made up of a huge variety of parts. And there are people in all areas, trying to make food better for everyone.

We hear from Douglas Hardie from the Highland Food & Drink Trail, Birgit Rieck – a community paediatrician at Raigmore Hospital, and Nick Underdown from Open Seas.

Episode 4: International Climate & Food SPECIAL EPISODE

In our final episode of season 2, we are looking at the international food system as a whole, and how we need to address this holistically for us to slow down, and adapt to climate change. With special guest, Mike Berners-Lee (author of ‘How Bad Are Bananas?’), and stories from Food Tank in the USA and the Mijikenda Community in Kenya, we look at taking a ‘whole food systems approach’, and the importance of collaboration. Pablo Thorne from Nourish Scotland and Keith Masson from the Highland Council then help us to contextualise all of this, with regards to Scotland’s climate commitments at COP26 this November.

Produced by Rachel Butterworth https://www.instagram.com/runawaycrofter/
Music by https://emmabutterworthmusic.com/

Highlights from the Highland Good Food Conference 2021

We share some of the top provocations from the Highland Good Food Conference 2021, and explain the vision and actions that came out of the event. 

Credits

Series 1 and 2 were produced by Rachel Butterworth and Emma Whitham.
Series 3 is produced by Laura Dorantt and Catriona Ferguson


The beautiful music that features in all of our podcasts is by Emma Butterworth