The Organic Grower Podcast
The Organic Grower Podcast aims to bring together organic growers from across the UK to share their skills and experiences with those looking to deepen their knowledge of the organic growing world. It will be practical in focus, getting straight into the nitty-gritty of people’s growing practices and business operations.
James Butterworth, co-founder and grower at Cotswold Market Garden, will be taking us on a journey through farms and gardens across the UK to speak to growers about the work they do, delving into the most relevant topics of the organic growing world.
This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become and member.
Episodes
36 episodes
OGPod Episode 36: Top of the Crops...into the OGPod Archive
In this episode, James goes back into the archives to find some of the best deep dives on growing specific crops. This one features radicchio, herbs, celtuce, leeks, peas and beetroot. Whether you're sowing in the greenhouse, harvesting outside...
OGPod Episode 35: Plant Sale Q&A
In this episode, James responds to listeners questions about running a plant sale as an add-on to a vegetable growing enterprise, based on his experience of developing a profitable plant sale enterprise at Cotswold Market Garden/Conygree Farm. ...
OGPod Episode 34: Dan Betterton and The Kitchen Garden People @ FarmEd
In today’s episode, I talk to Dan Betterton of The Kitchen Garden People, based at FarmEd, Oxfordshire. Dan shares the challenges and advantages of operating within a mixed farm environment, the ins and outs of their community-supported agri...
OGPod Episode 33: James' 2025 Season Review
James is in a reflective mood, offering up a review of the season just gone...the highs and lows, lessons learned, and areas for improvement. Hopefully you find it useful and can use it as a springboard to think about things wherever y...
OGPod Episode 32: Jamie Carr and Blacklands Organics
In today’s episode, I am delighted to share my conversation with Jamie Carr from Blacklands Organics in Oxfordshire. We chat about the pros and cons of taking on land already used for organic veg production, developing a library of field-sca...
OGPod Episode 31: Jez Taylor and Daylesford Organic
In today’s episode I’m delighted to share with you my conversation with Jez Taylor, Head Grower at the famous Daylesford Organic in Gloucestershire. It is a wide ranging conversation where you’ll get a sense of the rather atypical scale and ...
OGPod Episode 30: Sinead Fenton and Aweside Farm
I speak with Sinead Fenton of Aweside Farm about the the inspiring job she has done in building a business around organic edible flowers. We get into all the nitty gritty of production methods, market development and the various changes that...
OGPod Episode 29: James' Spring Review 2025
So today, I thought I would share with you my 2025 spring review. What’s gone well and what’s gone less well? How are sales going? What's up, what's down?What are the top crops and why? What improvements can be made for this year and next? A...
OGPod Episode 28: Jonty Brunyee on Being Enterprising and Joint Ventures
In today’s episode I speak to farmer, educator and my own business partner, Jonty Brunyee. As I was preparing to change careers 7 years ago, I approached Jonty and his wife, Mel, to see if there was scope for setting up a market garden here ...
OGPod Episode 27: James talks... Maximising Protected Cropping Space
In this episode, James dives into the topic of protected cropping and share ideas to make the most of the space that you have in an organic system. He talks about the role of protected cropping through the seasons, rotations, balancing lo...
OGPod Episode 26: Ruth Hancock and Fresh and Green Vegetables
In today’s episode, I speak to Ruth Hancock from Fresh and Green Vegetables in Devon. Ruth’s business is 22 years old so she has a huge amount of experience of organic veg production as well as earning a living from doing it. In many ways, R...
OGPod Episode 25: Michael Fitzsimmons and Cinderwood Market Garden
In today’s episode, I speaks to Michael Fitzsimmons of Cinderwood Market Garden in Cheshire. Michael is a breath of fresh air - incredibly open, honest and clear in his thinking. When I approached him I didn’t know he was about to take a ste...
OGPod Episode 24: James talks...5 reasons to run a plant sale and 10 tips for success
In this episode, James shares his thoughts on running a successful plant sale. It's jam packed with tips and tricks for you to put into practice. Buckle up, reason number 1 to run a plant sale is...
OGPod Episode 23: George Bennett and Sandy Lane Farm
James speaks to George Bennett of Sandy Lane Farm. George came back to the family farm after a career in IT and has built something pretty special. We talk about going to scale and building a growing operation and sales infrastructure that a...
OGPod Episode 22: John McCormick and Helen's Bay Organic
James speaks to John McCormick of Helen’s Bay Organic just outside Belfast. It was a real privilege to speak to John, who is entering his 34th year on the site. We speak about dealing with clay soils, particularly in spring and methods he’s ...
OGPod Episode 21: Ed's Veg
James speaks to Edwin of Ed’s Veg in Hampshire. Ed has a wide range of expertise but today the conversation focuses mainly on his year-round salad production. Ed and his team produce 150-200kg of mixed leaf salad a week, primarily for wholes...
OGPod Episode 20: Hamish Evans, Sammy Elmore and Middle Ground Growers
James speaks to Hamish Evans and Sammy Elmore of Middle Ground Growers on the edge of Bath. In four seasons, they have grown the business from nothing to a turnover of over £200,000. We discuss how they set their goals and worked backward fr...
OGPod Episode 19: Rebecca Laughton and the Landworkers Alliance
James speaks to researcher, policy expert and campaigner, Bea Laughton. Much of the conversation focuses on her work for the Landworkers Alliance. We discuss the latest Horticulture Across Four Nations report, including addressing import sub...
OGPod Episode 18: Adam Payne and Awen Organics
James speaks to Adam Payne of Awen Organics in Pembrokeshire. Adam is no novice and is now putting his experience to work in a relatively new venture in West Wales, where he has been leading in establishing a 25-acre organic veg farm from th...
OGPod Episode 17: Jim Aplin and Hotchpotch Organics
James speaks to Jim Aplin of Hotchpotch Organics in Worcestershire. We talk about Jim’s experience of developing a growing system with next to no infrastructure where crops moved every year as part of a much larger arable rotation. We discus...
OGPod Episode 16: Kate McEvoy and Real Seeds
James speaks to Kate McEvoy from Real Seeds in Pembrokeshire. We talk about the gradual growth of the business over many years, growing seed for home gardeners, the importance of open-pollinated seed and incorporating seed growing into marke...
OGPod Episode 15: Ed Hamer and Chagfood Community Market Garden
James speaks to Ed Hamer of Chagfood Community Market Garden in the Dartmoor National Park. CSAs or Community Supported Agriculture is very much the focus in this one. We talk about Ed’s split growing site, leaning into the restrictive natur...
OGPod Episode 14: Pete Dollimore and Hankham Organics + The Montessori Place
James speaks to Pete Dollimore, previously of Hankham Organics in Sussex and now an instructor at The Montesorri Place. Pete is an absolute fountain of knowledge, particularly about protected cropping, which is so important to many organic grow...
OGPod Episode 13: Rita Oldenbourg and Adam Beer and Pitney Farm Market Garden
James speak to Rita and Adam from Pitney Farm Market Garden in Somerset. Rita and Adam are fresh from winning Young Organic Grower of the Year and hopefully our conversation gives you a flavour of why. We talk about their decision to mechani...
OGPod Episode 12: Jayne Arnold and Oxton Organics
James speaks to Jayne Arnold of Oxton Organics in Worcestershire. Oxton Organics has undergone a number of transformations over the years and James and Jayne discuss this, but the bulk of the conversation focuses on Jayne’s experiments with ...