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Rock & Roll Farming


May 23, 2017

Tonight I'm heading over to the South Lincolnshire Fens, and what my guest Matt Naylor describes as an 'area of natural ugliness' to talk farming flowers. Lots of flowers. 50 million stems of them in fact!

Matt and I talk about his family farm, and how it's changed in the years since he got involved from a conventional arable farm, to a multi-million pound turnover business growing potatoes and several different types of flowers for British Supermarkets.

We discuss what his role within the business is, the challenges involved with growing flowers, managing up to 180 people, and the current issue he's facing trying to build accommodation for the seasonal members of staff that work there.

We also talk about his globe trotting exploits, including his recent trips to Lebanon and Israel, and what he's learned from visiting these places, as well as his Nuffield Scholarship trips to Brazil, China & the US looking at marketing the British Brand.

Matt talks about not being the stereotypical farmer & we share our mutual love of yoga, before discussing what it's like to be a gay man within the farming community. 

I also couldn't talk to Matt without mentioning his regular Farmer's Weekly Column, and the sometimes angry reactions he gets from that.

All this and much more. Matt's a really interesting, honest and funny guy, as well as being an extremely astute businessman, and it was a real pleasure to interview him. Check it out folks..