The Highland Good Food Podcast

Bees, Moths, and More – Our Hidden Essential Farmers In this final episode of the series, we turn the spotlight onto the often-overlooked insects that quietly keep our farming systems alive. From bees to moths and beyond, these tiny creatures are under increasing pressure in modern agricultural landscapes. Unless we shift towards more organic and regenerative approaches, we risk taking them - and their vital work - for granted. To explore this, we speak with enthusiasts, experts, and growers who are making a real difference despite the challenges. Willow Lohr - A long-time resident of Scotland and skilled bushcraft practitioner, Willow shares her deep passion for bees. Ancestral Skills Course | Facebook Mike Read – A conservationist with experience from southern England to projects worldwide, Mike joins me to talk about the fascinating and often misunderstood world of moths. mikeread.org Des Kelly, Torbreck Orchard – Offering a local perspective on fruit growing, Des highlights the essential role insects play. If you’re nearby, Torbreck Orchard is well worth a visit. torbreckorchard.co.uk Seeds of Scotland – I speak to Haley Shepherd, based north of Inverness. This inspiring initiative is building a strong collection of open-pollinated seeds adapted to the Scottish climate. A resource that small-scale growers can both support and learn from. seedsofscotland.com Stay tuned for Season 5, coming this autumn! www.highlandgoodfood.scot #HighlandGoodFoodPodcast #HighlandGoodFoodPartnership

What is the Future for Community Composting in the Highlands? Composting is on the rise, and whether you're doing it at home, with council collections, or at your local community garden, many of us are eager to learn more and help nurture the soil. In this episode, we chat with Pamela Sutherland, Head Gardener at Inverness Botanic Gardens Inverness Botanic Gardens, about all things composting. Schools are doing fantastic work inspiring kids to get hands-on with dirt and worms. We spoke to Karen Henderson from Tarradale Primary to find out how they're getting children involved. After some questions about regulations, we reached out to Fiona Donaldson at SEPA for clarification. You can check out the form she mentions here: SEPA Registration Form. Next, we caught up with Brenna Anderson, Project Officer with Highland Community Waste Partnership, to chat about tips, inspiring stories, and what’s next for community composting. For more details, check out this helpful site: Highland Community Composting. Plus, there's plenty of additional information on food waste here: Keep Scotland Beautiful - Food Waste. No matter what your community composting needs are, someone’s been there and is ready to lend a hand! To find out more about what Highland Good Food Partnership is doing about food waste, then visit our website.

Regenerative Farming and Regenerative Agriculture are concepts that have been around longer than you might expect. But what do they truly mean, and how are these practices reshaping the future of farming? Could it be the transformative solution the planet needs - or is regulation required to guide this rapidly growing subsector? To find out more, we delve into the experiences and perspectives of farmers, crofters, and passionate advocates, who are driving this movement forward. Featured are Jo Hunt from Knockfarrel Produce, Ruth Ashton-Shaw from Low Auldgirth Farm, Abi Mordin from Propagate and farmers from the SW Scotland Regenerative Farming Network. - - - - For those eager to learn more, there are excellent resources available. Propagate, for example, recently hosted a knowledge exchange trip and farm walks, which the Highland Good Food Partnership participated in. Another valuable resource is the Nature Friendly Farming Network, offering a wealth of information and free membership. And don’t miss the thought-provoking documentary "Six Inches of Soil" ; a must-watch for anyone interested in sustainable farming practices. Check out the Highland Good Food Partnership here. And more podcast episodes here.

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. Join the Highland Good Food Partnership, to help shape the future of good food in the Highlands.

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.

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. https://consult.gov.scot/agriculture-and-rural-economy/national-good-food-nation-plan/ There will also be more informal “kitchen table talks” that you can join here. https://www.foodcoalition.scot/kitchen-table-talks.html https://www.nourishscotland.org/campaigns/good-food-nation-bill/kitchen-table-talks/ The Highland Good Food Partnership is organising 6 Highland-specific consultation events - each one focused on one of the 6 outcomes - visit https://highlandgoodfood.scot/gfn/ for more details.

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” – https://highlandgoodfood.scot/farmerclusters/

Creative ways 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/.

This episode is about wwoofing (worldwide opportunities on organic farms) Talking to hosts and volunteers who have benefitted from this exchange scheme, our new host Fuggo investigates 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 is a wwoofer!

In this episode we explore some of the ways education and training can contribute to teaching young people and adults how to grow food and develop skills for life and work. We speak to the manager of a small working farm on the Black Isle, the founder of the Lochaber Rural Education Trust and the Headteacher in charge of a 'Grow, Cook, Compost' primary school project.

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!

In this episode, Highland Good Food team member Laura Dorantt speaks to Yvan Biot, who was involved in the Fork to Farm Dialogues at COP26, and Highland Good Food Coordinator, Catriona Ferguson. They both went to some of the people's COP events and make some connections to the work they are doing now. This episode was 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!

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. This episode was 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!

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 system 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 in Glasgow this November. Highland Good Food Partnership

At the Highland Good Food Partnership, we aim to take a holistic overview of our food system; to embrace its diversity, complexity and its interconnectedness. And this month we meet 3 more inspiring people who are following their passion to improve the Highland 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.

This month 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, 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.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Highland Good Food Podcast. This season is all about stories, and we will be sharing food stories from folk who are already doing amazing things with food around the Highlands. 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? Highland Good Food Partnership website Facebook Instagram Twitter

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. We hear from Pete Ritchie from Nourish Scotland, Karen Davidson from Social Farms and Gardens, young crofter Robin Haig, Ana Allamand from the Soil Association, Martin Kennedy from NFU Scotland and Col Gordon from Inchindown Farm. Transcript PDF download here Highland Good Food Partnership website Facebook page

With all the innovative ideas and actions that we have explored this season, what is actually going to change in the food sector in 2021? 2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone, but in this episode we chat to Pete Ritchie from Nourish Scotland, about why he is very hopeful for the future of food in Scotland and across the world; both next year and beyond. We explore the Farming for 1.5 degrees Inquiry, the implications for COP26 (UN Climate Change Talks) in Glasgow 2021, the probable impact of Brexit, and the Glasgow Food & Climate Declaration, which is truly groundbreaking. Come join us at the Highland Good Food Conference, starting 11th Jan 2021.

We all know we need to eat more vegetables, but is it really as simple as that? We take a look at the vegetable sector in the Highlands from soil to supermarkets, from farms to our forks. This episode we chat to Simon Kenton-Lake from Peas Please, and Maggie and Iain Sutherland from the Natural Vegetable Company. Join the conversation and come along to online conference in January 2021. Tickets available here Highland Good Food Conversation website