The Organic Grower podcast has been a long time coming. Jim Aplin and I spoke to James Butterworth of Cotswold Market Garden at the Organic Matters conference in Birmingham in 2022, who had the idea, in response to the lack of podcasts featuring UK growers and it developed from there. Despite the many inspiring podcasts featuring growers from North America, James felt there was a real gap in the market. He knew there was a wealth of knowledge and experience among UK growers that remained untapped and under-shared (particularly with regards to growing in UK climates and running business in the UK economic context). With a background in research/education and experience in audiovisual production he decided to fill the gap himself, and it is a very welcome addition to the podcast landscape (See: https://organicgrowersalliance.co.uk/new-organic-grower-podcast-announced/).
The Organic Grower Podcast successfully launched by OGA on March 27th and by the middle of May we’d had over 1500 downloads. Some positive comments included:
“Just listened to it and it’s brilliant. Andy (Dibben - Episode 1) drips useful knowledge everywhere!"
"Glad you went for a longer, more in-depth podcast - perfect for listening to while working.”
I was interviewed by James for Episode 5. It is fair to say that, as I'm not currently a grower, I don't fit the mould - the podcast aim being to highlight growers of different scales, different business stages and in different parts of the country. However, once a grower always a grower - it is in the blood - and throughout my career I have been focused on bridging that gap between research, advice and practical growing.
James, is a good interviewer and natural presenter, putting the interviewee at ease, so it felt like a relaxed conversation.
"In this episode, James talks to Phil Sumption, a man of many hats (grower, researcher, adviser, writer and editor). We discuss how Phil got into organic horticulture, his portfolio of roles in the sector, his reflections on the history of organics over the last few decades, as well as the development of the Organic Growers Alliance and The Organic Grower magazine. Later on in the episode we talk about his new book The Organic Vegetable Grower, his take on new entrants, issues of scale, and the importance of making space for part-time growers. Phil has a unique birds-eye view of the sector and there’s lots of ideas for you to wrap your brains around."
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