• How to create place-based infrastructure
    Jun 2 2026

    The creation of bustling, thriving regional economies is an enormous opportunity to create food system resilience - and to bring wealth and wellbeing to rural areas.

    To do this we need infrastructure - and we need the finance to support the rebuilding and the re-establishing of that infrastructure.

    A new report from the Place Finance Lab addresses these issues.

    ffinlo Costain is joined by the report authors and founding partners of the Place Finance Lab: Tamara Giltsoff and Matteo Vanzini, and by report contributor Matthew Thomson, a director of Sustainable Food Cornwall.


    The Place Finance Lab has been incubated at Climate KIC, which has also supported this podcast - Climate KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, creating climate-resilient communities and fighting climate breakdown by mobilising systems change in countries, regions, cities, and businesses. Together with partners across the globe, Climate KIC orchestrates solutions and facilitates learning to bridge the gap between climate commitments and current reality, driving faster and more ambitious action.

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    58 mins
  • Nature means business
    May 28 2026

    ffinlo Costain is joined by Martin Lines (Chief Exec NFFN), Nic Renison from Renison's Farm, and by Jenna Hegarty, Head of Policy at Nature Friendly Farming Network.We find out what's happening at Papley Grove in June - we discuss farm business resilience in the face of climate change - Nic talks about her farm and what it's like living under the Helm Wind - and Jenna presents NFFN's new report, The Nature of Business: Delivering resilience, food security and economic value through nature-friendly farming.

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    54 mins
  • Pathways scenarios are plausible futures for the food system
    May 26 2026

    This is the third of our programmes investigating Pathways - a 5-year EU Horizon 2020-funded research project that's been running since 2021.

    We discuss the scenarios work that provided the foundations for Pathways.

    These were designed as plausible future storylines for how European livestock systems might evolve under different economic, environmental, technological, and social conditions. In particular, they helped researchers to test trade-offs between different sustainability goals and outcomes.

    ffinlo Costain is joined by Pierre-Marie Aubert, director of agriculture and food policies at the French think tank, IDDRI - by Dr Tom Staton, a senior research fellow at the University of Reading - and by Dr Jessica Bosseaux, a postdoctoral research associate, also at the University of Reading.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • "Mid-crisis is not the time to say, you guys can just cope."
    May 19 2026

    Topical food and farming chat - with ffinlo Costain (editor, 8point9.com), Joe Stanley (author, writer and Head of Sustainable Farming at the GWCT Allerton Project), and new co-host, Nikki Yoxall (farmer and Technical Director, Pasture for life).

    We discuss fertiliser, regenerative farming, national security, agricultural resilience, the rural economy and food system research.


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    57 mins
  • Pathways: Tools for food system transformation
    May 12 2026

    This is the second of our programmes investigating the Pathways project - a 5-year EU Horizon 2020-funded research project that's been running since 2021.

    Today we’re looking at Pathways modelling, which addressed a range of important areas including the greenhouse gas emissions and nutritional value associated with livestock and individual food products, as well as farm animal welfare and biodiversity impacts in livestock systems.

    ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) is joined by Dr David Yáñez (Spanish National Research Council), Pierrick Girad (French Institute of Pork), Dr Jenny Ygnvesson (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and Dr Tom Staton (University of Reading).

    More land use news at 8point9.com.

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    45 mins
  • Spongey landscapes, beavers and bluebells
    May 8 2026

    In this episode of Martin's Farm, ffinlo Costain and Martin Lines (farmer and chief exec of the Nature Friendly Farming Network) discuss water - and how nature and beavers work to keep it in the landscape.

    They're joined by guests, Ali Morse, the Water Policy Manager at The Wildlife Trusts, and Chris Jones from Woodland Valley Farm and the Cornwall Beaver Project.


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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Spongey landscapes, beavers & bluebells
    May 8 2026

    ffinlo Costain and Martin Lines (farmer and chief exec of the Nature Friendly Farming Network) discuss water - and how nature and beavers work to keep it in the landscape.

    They're joined by guests, Ali Morse, the Water Policy Manager at The Wildlife Trusts, and Chris Jones from Woodland Valley Farm and the Cornwall Beaver Project.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • "Lungworm larvae can surf on fungal spores"
    May 5 2026

    We're discussing the parasite burden in cattle: the life-cycle of lungworm and gutworm - how to manage your land and your herd to reduce the parasite risk - the role of vaccination - and how to work with your vet to avoid costly medical interventions.

    ffinlo Costain is joined by two Somerset farmers: Catherine Pickford from Alford Fields Farm and Lydia Partridge who manages the young stock at Drummers Farm - and by Lucy Hepworth, a vet from Friars Moor Livestock Health who have also kindly sponsored the programme.


    #livestock #parasites #veterinary #vet #farmanimals #animalhealth #landmanagement #cattle #dairy #farming

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    47 mins