Women In Wellies Podcast

Alix is Program Director of Farmstrong Scotland, part time farmer, mother of two and at the time of recording in charge of 100 pet lambs!! Some juggle to kick us off! 

Join us as Alix shares her story - from growing up rurally to university, working for and being part of Young Farmers and then her time with the Royal Highland Education Trust and Quality Meat Scotland. We delve into the power of on farm education, sharing where food comes from and the opportunity to get hands on to facilitate a greater understanding. Alix shares highlights from that including “that’s been the best day of my life” moments - truly something special. 

We talk all things Farmstrong - the power of community, the importance of looking after your self as the number one asset on your farm and some of the pivotal moments since the launch of farmstrong in Scotland. Alix shares more about their own farm at home, the changes they have undertaken and the benefits gained. We discuss the role of women in agriculture, the burden they can carry and how Farmstrong are working to bring focus to this and support in the months ahead. 

This episode reminds us all to take time for ourselves, look after our own wellbeing and take notice. A perfect one to enjoy while taking some time for you!

The Women in Wellies Podcast is sponsored by Scottish Law firm, Gillespie Macandrew, advising on all areas of land & rural business, private client, energy and real estate.

Connect with Alix on social media : LinkedIn - Alix Ritchie and Farmstrong Scotland \\ Instagram -  @farmstrongscot \\ Facebook - Farmstrong Scotland

Episode Recorded on 25th April 2025.

All views expressed are our own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosie is a cut flower farmer and florist, and the owner of Scottish flower farm, Rosie Louise Cut Flowers. She grows on a 1/2 acre site near Edinburgh, using organic and no-dig practices. 

Join us as Rosie shares the challenges she has overcome to uncover her love for horticulture, her passion for nature and more about her beautiful flower farm. The farm focuses on producing seasonal focal flowers with fragrance and a garden style, and supplies to florists in Edinburgh, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Rosie discusses her pathway from folk musician to flower farmer, the challenges faced along the way and what inspires her to never give up. 

This is a conversation filled with joy, enthusiasm and a deep rooted love for the path Rosie has ended up on - definitely one to be enjoyed out in the sunshine if possible!

The Women in Wellies Podcast is sponsored by Scottish Law firm, Gillespie Macandrew, advising on all areas of land & rural business, private client, energy and real estate.

Connect with Rosie on social media : LinkedIn - Rosie Archbold \\ Instagram -  @rosielouisecutflowers 

Find out more about Rosemains Steading here : https://www.rosemains.co.uk/

Episode Recorded on 21st March 2025.

All views expressed are our own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Hock joins me from the beautiful surroundings of Islay. Anna runs Orsay Sea Salt and Orsay Seafood - a seafood shack alongside juggling the chaos of life as a mum and a fisherman’s wife. Our conversations takes us from sea salt production to the challenges of island life. 

Listen in as Anna shares from her childhood growing up on Jura, her move to Islay and working across a variety of industries from distilleries to social work before becoming a Mum. We go on the journey of establishing Orsay Sea Salt through three seasons of harvesting to where they are today including a mouth watering description of the crab dirty fries that you’ll be able to get from Orsay Seafood before too long! Anna’s drive and determination shines through - particularly when it comes to planning permission - alongside the power of community, the luxury of nature’s larder and her absolute passion for all she does! 

Connect with Anna and Orsay Sea Salt on social media : Instagram - @orsayseasalt and @orsayseafood \\ Facebook - Orsay Sea Salt \\ Website - https://www.orsayseasalt.co.uk/

Episode Recorded on 21st March 2025.

All views expressed are our own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steph Hepburn is a well known face across rural Scotland and joins me from our capital city, Edinburgh, which she calls home. Steph is a partner at Shepherd and Wedderburn and leads their Rural Disputes team who work across rural Scotland to avoid and resolve disputes. Our conversation takes us from a marketing degree to the working mum life balance, to becoming part of the rural sector and plenty more besides. 

Join us as Steph takes us from growing up in inner city Edinburgh - no farming families, crofters or rural landowners there - through her career. Steph has embraced opportunities, not been afraid to forge her own path and has, like many of us, ended where she is today thanks to nudges along the way from key individuals and seizing opportunities when things didn’t go the way she thought. We talk about the power of people - a theme common to the Women in Wellies Podcast - including the value of relationships in business, the connection and the use of LinkedIn (no surprise there if you know Steph!). Steph shares some memorable career moments including a herd of sheep and some horses - definitely not where she thought she’s be when she first went to Stirling Uni to study marketing! 

We round out the episode with some brilliant advice for the next generation, as always - I love these gems of wisdom! 

Connect with Stephanie on social media : LinkedIn - Stephanie Hepburn 

Episode Recorded on 14th March 2025.

All views expressed are our own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jo Morris is a farmer, mum, wife, solicitor, snug host, star of ‘This Farming Life’ and now podcast guest, just to get us started and joins me in conversation from their “new” family farm in Fife. Jo takes us on the journey of change they have been on as a family to build a resilient future through a move from Caithness where her husband’s family had farmed for 5 generations, to the heart of Fife. 

Jo provides a real perspective on the challenges of moving, the reality of learning new land, new livestock and the changes this has brought their family. She tells us more about being on BBC’s ‘This Farming Life’ with camera crews joining them on the farm and their decision to bring openness and transparency to their story in this series. We discuss the balancing act of being a practicing solicitor alongside farming and building guaranteed income into their business model as they plan for their future including the Snug’s and veg growers. Most of all, Jo’s dedication to her family first shines through our conversation. 

Connect with Jo Morris on social media : LinkedIn - Joanna Morris \\ Instagram -  @logie_farm_fife

Check out ‘This Farming Life’ on BBC iPlayer. 

Episode Recorded on 12th February 2025.

All views expressed are our own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.