Is it possible to farm profitably and have abundant wildlife on your land? George and Elaine Morris take us on a tour of their mixed farm in Buckinghamshire where they raise cattle, Wiltshire horned sheep as well as oats and barley but where over 10 per cent of the land is devoted to wildflowers, insects, birds and other creatures. Due to a deal with Jordans Cereals, the Morris's are, essentially, paid to farm wildlife, too. Does it work? Listen on for a magical insight into how our farmland sho...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Boarding a small passenger ferry at Tenby, you set sail for Caldey Island through a swell that rocks the boat like a toy in the bath. Before long, you reach the holy island. A 1,000-year-old Catholic monastery sits hidden within its wooded heart, but your first instinct is to walk the beach that stretches east from the tiny harbour wall. The sand is soft, warmed by the summer sun, and the breeze gentle. You find a spot to sit, down by the waves. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a wee...
Jul 22, 2022•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a glorious summer's day in Dorset and Plodcast regular Kevin Parr heads to the village of Cerne Abbas to visit the local brewery. Meet Vic, Jodie and Matt who run the brewery hear their wonderful tales. Kevin also meets local farmer Will who grows barley for the brewing process and shares his deep love of the wildlife that thrives on his farm. Later, Kevin joins the Plodcast team in the studio to discuss beer, Dorset eagles, Chesney Hawkes and what's the best food to pack for a country walk...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast You're climbing an oak tree and its rough, weathered branches reach down like the arms of an aiding grandfather to pull you up. The coarse, lichen-dusted bark coats your hands, your nostrils fill with the subtle scent of decay and before you know it you’ve emerged through the dark-leaved canopy to a scene of wind and light. Carmarthenshire’s pastoral hills fold out to the west. Cattle on the move. A dog barks. A wren sings. And all the while the wind whips through. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sou...
Jul 15, 2022•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Could hydroponics be the future of farming? Ex-chef Antonio Paladino welcomes Annabel Ross onto Bioaqua Farm, his smallholding in the Somerset Levels, where he farms trout and vegetables within a mutually supportive system that has very few costs, produces no pollution and creates delicious nutritious food. Is this a blueprint for more sustainable farming or an unattainable dream? Listen on for a fascinating adventure into food. Plus, the Annabel joins the Plodcast team to reveals some secrets f...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast You hear the waves on Eigg’s rocky shores, a distant breeze, perhaps. But lazing silently on one of the tiny island’s floating in the tiny harbour there a seals; two eiders rise and fall on the turquoise swell, so loyal to one another it’s as if they’re tethered by an invisible thread. A cloud drifts by; a fishing boat nods. All is silent, save the lapping waves that meet the rocks. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a weekly audio postcard from the countryside to help you relax and tr...
Jul 08, 2022•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Explore a magical wildlife haven tucked in a fold on the edge of Dartmoor. Meet Tony Bayliss of the Langaford Farm Charitable Trust who manages the site; soil scientist Tim Harrod (pictured) and Hannah Bowley of the British Society of Soils Science – and hear how the more we understand about soil, the better we can plan farming to be both profitable and sensitive to wildlife. Plus we hunt for the magical marsh fritillary butterfly and wander through meadows of stunning orchids. Back in the studi...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast You're in a canoe, paddling slowly upstream against a gentle current. The sounds of the oars dipping and sweeping is mesmeric – while birds sing from the tangles of scrub, willow and reeds that flank the waterway. Recorded by Annabel Ross, presented by Hannah Tribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 01, 2022•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every year, the British Pie Awards judges meet for one day in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire to taste hundreds of pies in order to crown a supreme pie champion. The Plodcast's Maria Hodson was invited to be a judge in 2022 and in this episode she meets the judges, tastes the pies and discovers the long and rather marvellous history of what has now become a staple of British cuisine. The Plodcast is the PPA Podcast of the Year. As ever, you can contact the Plodcast team at editor@countryfile.co...
Jun 28, 2022•49 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Enjoy an audio escape into the British countryside, wherever you are. It's a summer evening in a Dorset coomb near the coast. The shadows are long but the dusky sun will be short-lived as clouds threaten. For several days the earth has baked and leaves have sagged. But behind the plume of heat is a wall of electricity – a mighty storm. Building over the English Channel to the south, a distant rumble and faint patter builds into tempest. Recorded by Kevin Parr. Image from Getty. Hosted on Acast. ...
Jun 24, 2022•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Smell the hay, meets the cows and hear the skylarks on Quicke's farm in Devon where they produce award-winning cheddar cheese using traditional methods. Tanya Jackson meets farmer and cheesemaker Mary Quicke and discovers that some of the secrets to producing great-tasting cheese lie in the way Mary works with nature and her landscape. Image from Getty. Later in the Plodcast, the team test whether Devon's method of eating scones (cream first then jam) is superior to that of Cornwall (where the j...
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Wandering deep into the oak wood, you find yourself serenaded by a magical trinity of birds. First a wood warbler, then a redstart and finally a pied flycatcher. All three have migrated here from Africa for a brief season of courtship and nesting among the ancient trees. Recorded by Fergus Collins, presented by Hannah Tribe. Image from Getty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 17, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Plodcast team head to Assynt in Sutherland in the far north of Scotland to fish for brown trout on remote lochs and forage for edible treats on wild beaches. To a backdrop of cuckoos and black-throated divers, Plodcast host Fergus Collins tries his hand at flyfishing and, with friends, enjoys a feast of wild trout before a few less palatable food samples from the nearby coast. Back in the studio, the Plodcast team sample a Scottish legendary food – and we hear a wonderful Sound of the Week. ...
Jun 14, 2022•1 hr•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Be transported to the wild cliffs of Handa, off the coast of Sutherland, and the swirling whirling city of seabirds. It's the beginning of the breeding season and guillemots, razorbills and fulmars jostle for the best spots to nest while puffins makes themselves at home in borrows at the top of the sea stacks. The noise is constant as birds constantly commute between cliffs and the wider ocean to feed. Recorded by Fergus Collins, introduced by Hannah Tribe. Image from Getty. Hosted on Acast. See...
Jun 10, 2022•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Introducing a new season of plodcasts exploring food and farming across the countryside. We'll be foraging in northern Scotland, meeting farmers who work alongside nature to produce fabulous cheese, honey, wine and wheat. We'll be learning about the importance of soil, learning how gin is made and even discovering the winner of the Great British Pie awards. The team will also be sharing their own grow-your-own experiences throughout the season… The Plodcast is hosted by Countryfile Magazine edit...
Jun 07, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mid May in Wales largest ancient woodland – Wentwood in Gwent – and the birds are singing in the morning sunshine. Enjoy the excitable song flight of the male tree pipit as he flies from his perch at the top of a tree high into the air before circling down like a paper aeroplane, singing all the while. Recorded by Fergus Collins, presented by Hannah Tribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 03, 2022•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Beavers are being spotted more frequently in the wild in Britain. In this adventure, Annabel Ross joins beaver expert Bevis Watts at dawn on the River Avon near Bath in north-east Somerset to paddle a canoe in search of a small population of beavers that have mysteriously appeared on the river. Enjoy fabulous birdsong and curious encounters. Bevis is also CEO of Triodos Bank UK and has written a book River Journey about his adventures with beavers on the river. Image from Getty. Hosted on Acast....
May 31, 2022•1 hr•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Be charmed and relaxed by a few minutes on a blissful shore in Arisaig, Scotland. The road to the Isles squeezes between Lochaber’s high mountains like a burn in spate, bending this way and that past stone byres and pine woods and tortuous lochs. It’s not long before the road delivers its promise. Islands. Eigg and Rum, and the hazy, elevated profile of Skye. Yet despite the drama of the horizon, it’s the peace and humility of the foreshore that tempts the senses. The lapping waves, the piping o...
May 27, 2022•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Once upon a time, millions of fish would migrate up the River Severn to spawning grounds – including the beautiful twaite shad or mayfish. But weirs built for navigation meant that fish routes were blocked and fish numbers have declined drastically. Now the Unlocking the Severn project has built fish passes around the biggest obstacles. Jenny Hermolle and her team reveal how things are already improving for the river and its fish – plus, we get to explore the astonishing window into the fishes' ...
May 24, 2022•57 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast As the scrubby hillside hawthorns burst into burst into bloom, the musky vanilla perfume of the white mayflowers encourages a male garden warbler into his fluted song. This little-known migrant's song is often overlooked (or overlistened) so take this chance to get to know a charming, if rather frenetic, spring song. Recorded by Fergus Collins, presented by Hannah Tribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
May 20, 2022•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Enjoy a delightful wander around one of the naturally richest corners of the New Forest in early spring with naturalist and writer Dominic Couzens. Discover how to identify common birdsongs with Dominic's clever and very simple guides – and enjoy a couple of encounters with birds of prey that surprise Dominic himself. Dominic also talks about his latest book with Gail Ashton: Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast A still morning on the hill, the strange aniseed scent of cow parsley rises as the lane to the woods is warmed by the sun. Among the ancient, twisted oaks, the wood warblers have arrived, the male's song dripping from the canopy like molten silver and offering competition to a resident song thrush. A redstart chortles in the background. Recorded by Fergus Collins, presented by Hannah Tribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...
May 13, 2022•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Wrap up warm, wear your softest clothes and step out into the night with folk singer Sam Lee and violinist Anna Phoebe to listen to nightingales singing in a Sussex woodland. Sam and Anna Phoebe sing and play while the birds respond with bursts of incredible natural music. A spellbinding experience. Presented by Tanya Jackson with Maria Hodson. Photo by Maria Hodson Find out more with Sam's superb book on Nightingales Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about ...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast A damp and dank May morning. Mild and mizzled. A robin feeds its young while the song of blackbird, song thrush and chiffchaff fills the air. There is a gentle buzz of insects, the chatter of house sparrows and goldfinches. While from the faint mist of the valley comes the unmistakable call of a cuckoo. Recorded by Kevin Parr and presented by Hannah Tribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 06, 2022•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the cusp between winter and spring, Plodcast regular Kevin Parr meets his friend and legendary angler-naturalist Chris Yates to explore a little visited but wild corner of the Wiltshire and Dorset downs. Here, at Chris's favourite spot, they attempt to find one of Britain's most beautiful and controversial birds of prey: the hen harrier. Plus unmissable discussions about tea, harrier poetry, adders and warbler song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast It’s an hour after dawn when the sun finally rises above the head of the valley. There’s an eagerness to the light, keen to get going after its slow start, and within moments the entire valley – the trees, the river and the banks of snow-white blackthorn – is a cauldron of light and life. Birdsong bubbles from the woods, the conversation of herons and their newly hatched young staccato from the melodious tones of wrens, great tits, and blackbirds. Recorded by Daniel Graham and presented by Hanna...
Apr 29, 2022•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the first of a new season of Plodcasts celebrating audibly beautiful landscapes – the songs of Wild Britain, Plodcast host Fergus takes us into a little visited valley near his home in the Brecon Beacons to explore oak woods and meadows off the beaten track – and meet spring birds in full voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast An inviting path winds through an oak woodland high on the slopes of a hill in the Brecon Beacons. As morning sun slants into the valley below, a host of birds sing lustily and seem to stir the ancient trees into life. Chiffchaffs, great tits, coal tits, goldcrests, song thrushes, blackcaps, robins, chaffinches, redstarts and even a green woodpecker provide the chorus. At the bottom of a valley, a stream sings its soft backing vocals. Recorded by Fergus Collins, presented by Hannah Tribe. Hosted...
Apr 22, 2022•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Plodcast team introduce Season 12 of the Plodcast: The Wild Sounds of Britain. This is an opportunity to capture audibly beautiful landscapes, gorgeous birdsong and the wise words of nature lovers as explore glorious countryside in spring and summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 19, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Deep in a Wiltshire vale, the comforting tang of woodsmoke hangs over a slumbering village. It's 5am and still dark but a magical chorus of blackbirds, robins, dunnocks and great tits greets the coming dawn. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a gentle postcard from the British countryside each week that allows you a soothing few minutes escape into the wild, wherever you are. Recorded by Tanya Jackson, presented by Hannah Tribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...
Apr 15, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
