Category: Farming
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181: Farming and Soil Biodiversity with Stuart Meikle
What is sustainable agriculture? Does regenerative farming mean focusing primarily on the soil biome? Is farming a leading cause of biodiversity loss? …and do we really have only 60 harvests left? To get the answers to those and other questions about farming and biodiversity, join me for a conversation with an agricultural management and policy specialist, an economist, a writer and an advisor, Stuart Meikle. In this episode, Stuart shares with us the history of his education in farming and…
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177: Nature, Farming and Politics with Saoirse McHugh
Politics is a topic that is often avoided by many nature and science communicators. They don’t want emotions, controversy and often abuse related to expressing their political views or even commenting on such. I was one of them, but I’m gradually coming to the conclusion that it is the wrong tactic. As one of the former guests on my podcast stated: “If you are interested in conservation, hunting and the future of rural communities, politics are about the most important…
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162: Sheep, Soil and Biodiversity with Suzanna Crampton
The impact of farming on nature is one of the most contested subjects. The negative impact on biodiversity and soil health is juxtaposed with food security and benefits to certain species of wildlife. But does it have to be one or the other? Join me for the conversation with Suzanna Crampton who is one of the most recognisable figures in Irish agriculture. She graduated from Sterling College in Vermont, where she studied agricultural and environmental sciences and learned about farming…
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144: How to Cut All Chemical Nitrogen on a Farm with James Foley
I always enjoy speaking with farmers, whether on my podcast or when I’m out in the fields hunting and fishing. Therefore, I welcomed an opportunity to not only talk with James Foley, a dairy farmer from Co. Waterford, but to visit him and spend the day on his farm. Yes, that means it’s one of those rare episodes where I meet my guest in person, like in the old days, shake his hand and sit down in the same room…
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143: Emergent with Miriam Kate McDonald
In conversations about nature and wildlife, we often observe an ideological divide between two groups: farmers and rewilders. This divide can be seen in their different approaches to conservation and land management. Farmers tend to prioritise the production of food and other resources, while rewilders focus on restoring natural habitats and ecosystems, with a focus on ecological processes. We often ask the question of whether farming and rewilding can coexist. Today we are going a step further and asking if…
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136: The Politics of Nature Restoration with Ariel Brunner
Successful nature restoration, species conservation and even access to hunting grounds depends on land management policies. They are the foundation of everything we do in nature and to nature. Unfortunately, this means politics. No matter how much time conservationists spend in the field, planting trees, rewetting bogs or rewiggling rivers and streams, without solid backing from policymakers the effects of these efforts will not be long-lasting. In this episode, our guest is Ariel Brunner, Head of EU Policy at the…
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The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles C. Mann – A Book Review
I’m not exactly sure who recommended this book to me but I think it was one of my followers on social media. As always in such cases, I bookmarked it for later. After a few months I finally, and I must admit reluctantly, decided to give it a try. And boy, did I not regret it! So I’m writing this short review to return the favour and recommend it to you. Given the topic of my podcast I am often…
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Apocalypse Cow – The End of Veganism | Tommy Says…
Apocalypse Cow is an anti-farming documentary heralding the end of agriculture. But I say it’s about the end of veganism and a showcase for hunting. Here is why.