The Best in Field Podcast

Hosted by YAGRO

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Episodes

Latest episode

Sep 2025

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EN-GB

About the show

This series is all about celebrating our farming champions, awarding the lowest variable Cost of Production seen across the YAGRO platform for Harvest 2024. Along with meeting with our award-winning farmers to discuss their operations, techniques and opinions, we also met a variety of guests to cast light on less explored corners of Agriculture - The greatest industry in the UK.

Listen to episodes

23 recent

September 2, 2025Episode 125 min

Belinda Clarke | Agri-TechE

Best in Field is back for Season 3 with a new host and fresh conversations about the people and ideas shaping agriculture.In this opening episode, Rupert welcomes Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE, to explore the innovations driving the sector forward. From AI and robotics to data integration and farmer collaboration, Belinda shares her perspective on what really matters in agri-tech, and what it takes to make innovation work on-farm.She also dives into global lessons from the Netherlands to Singapore, the challenges of farmer adoption, and why the unglamorous work of data unification might just be the biggest game-changer of all.Whether you’re a farmer, agronomist, or tech developer, this is the perfect place to start a new season of insights and inspiration.

May 10, 2025Episode 734 min

Andrew Ward | Roy Ward Farms Ltd

Are you going to Cereals Event this year? Ever wondered what’s involved for the host Farm of Cereals? How does it affect his operation and rotations? We’ve sat down with Adrew Ward MBE to talk about Cereals 2025 being at his farm; Heath Farm, in Lincolnshire. Covering everything from the Cereals Event to Baked Beans, Wardy’s Waffle, to his ongoing involvement in farmer protests up and down the country. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, not one to miss!

April 11, 2025Episode 629 min

Rob Wilkinson | South EAU Farm Partnership

It’s time to discuss winter wheat! The UK’s most grown crop. Rob Wilkinson is Director of Farming at Strutt & Parker responsible for managing South EAU Farm Partnership who have won Best in Field for winter wheat 2024 – with a variable cost of production of just £54.16/t. If winter wheat is part of your rotation, this episode is essential listening, as it covers everything from input strategies to grain marketing and is full of technical and achievable ideas.

March 28, 2025Episode 519 min

Fraser Bain | A.G. & K.J. Bain

'The right data + The right time = The right decision” - in discussion with Fraser Bain of A.G. & K.J. Bain. This week, we’re in East Lothian with a fourth generation arable farmer discussing how shifting from manual record-keeping to in-season farm analytics has boosted decision-making on his farm. From varieties to gross margins, learn how Fraser dives into the details of his farm records and why he finds the insights he gains valuable for his operation.

March 21, 2025Episode 420 min

Murray Forsyth | Smiddyburn Farms

Attention to detail and efficiency have never been more important, according to Murray Forsyth – Managing Partner at Smiddyburn Farms in Aberdeenshire. Winning our award for Best Attention to Detail, Murray speaks with Gabby Hart at YAGRO about how he runs a meticulous operation, and why. From the small changes that drive big results, to a mindset of continuous improvement and the value of collaborative benchmarking.

March 15, 2025Episode 323 min

Ryan, Lawrence & James | E.W. Spink

It’s a trio discussion this week between farmers James & Lawrence Spink, joined by their agronomist, Ryan Baker of Frontier. E.W Spink won our Oilseed Rape Award for 2024 with a variable CoP/t of £112.76 and secured 4.6t yield in a high pressure Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle NVZ. This remarkable achievement is owed to many factors and superb attention to detail – listen to hear all about their methods, machinery and operation. They also won Fastest Harvest Turnaround for 2024 and explain why they value their Analytics Platform.

March 1, 2025Episode 216 min

Simon Gent | IX Ltd

Simon Gent, Farm Manager at IX Ltd has won our spring barley award for their 2024 crop of malting Laureate for a variable Cost of Production at just £40.54/t – and have grown spring barley beneath market median for the last 8 years. Listen now to hear the techniques and technology which IX Ltd are using to keep their performance consistent, including software, hardware and inputs.

February 22, 2025Episode 120 min

Dan Moore | Cranborne Farms.

Welcome to a brand new Best in Field Award Series for Harvest Year 2024. We’re travelling from Dorset to Aberdeen handing out data-backed awards to our farming champions. Celebrating key metrics like lowest variable cost of production seen across the YAGRO platform. Our winter barley Winner is Dan Moore and the Team at Cranborne Farms in Hampshire – Who landed a variable Costs of Production of £65.35/t for their crop of Marris Otter. Luke visits to learn all about their operation and how they stay ahead of the game.

January 25, 2025Episode 1527 min

Episode 15. Luke, Ross & Rupert

This final episode of Season 1 of the Best in Field Podcast reflects on some discussions with our award-winning farmers, and sets the scene for the upcoming Best in Field award series launching next month. We catch up with Ross Dawson, Customer Success Manager at YAGRO, about the value which historic farm records can bring to modern enterprises. And your host, Luke, switches seats and is interviewed by Rupert Harlow about what you can expect next month – and why you should tune in to Season 2 of The Best in Field Podcast.

December 20, 2024Episode 1428 min

Episode 14. Emma Haley of YANA, Christie Webb & Ben Martin

Mental Health Awareness and Support is our topic this week. With the gloomier months upon us, and the pressure on farmers only increasing throughout the industry, we take the time to sit down with YANA – the network supporting farmers through difficult times, reminding them they are not alone. Also joining us is Strategic Farm Manager Ben Martin, who is a meaningful advocate for mental health in farming. Visit https://www.yanahelp.org/ or contact 0300 323 0400 / helpline@yanahelp.org for free confidential support.