Max Jones on the importance of preserving traditional food practices and knowing the story behind our food
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Release Date: 06/03/2025
Max Jones on the importance of preserving traditional food practices and knowing the story behind our food
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
For this episode of the SFT podcast, Max Jones – transhumance guide and traditional foods archivist – visits our CEO, Patrick Holden, on Patrick’s farm in Wales. Alongside his work as a transhumance guide – the practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in accordance with the seasons – Max Jones is also a writer, photographer, educator and founder of , a project which aims to reconnect people with their food and educate them about the traditional food practices of the past, which still exist in some parts of the world today. From rare cheese production...
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Nic Renison on her approach to regenerative grazing
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
To coincide with the release of our new report, the latest guest on the SFT Podcast this month is Nic Renison. Nic is a regenerative farmer based in Cumbria where she farms alongside her husband, Paul (Reno), at Cannerheugh Farm. The daughter of dairy farmers, Nic grew up within the conventional, high production agricultural environment, growing food with little thought of the environment. This all changed in 2012 when Nic and Reno had a 'light bulb' moment after visiting an organic farm in Northumberland, which inspired them to start employing more regenerative farming methods. In 2018,...
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Richard Higgins on the influence of Sir Albert Howard and why we should be using human manure as fertiliser
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Richard Higgins, chairman and CEO of Good Gardeners International, is our guest on the latest episode of the SFT Podcast. Alongside being CEO of Good Gardeners International (GGI), Richard is also a philosopher, fungi specialist, holistic scientist, and Director of Sustainable Agriculture London. He grew up on a mixed farm in Somerset and studied his National Diploma in Agriculture (NDA) at the Royal Berkshire College of Agriculture on Farm and Grassland Management. He later completed a 10-year postgraduate study of the soil fertility works of Sir Albert Howard while travelling and teaching...
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Jamie Feilden on the transformational power of farm visits for young people and the value of an educated public
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Joining our CEO, Patrick Holden, for this episode of the podcast is Jamie Feilden, founder of Jamie’s Farm. Jamie Feilden founded Jamie’s Farm in 2009, a charity which seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable children through farming, food and therapy. 15 years later, Jamie’s Farm works with over 2,300 children a year across seven farms, and aims to offer as many children as possible an opportunity to improve their wellbeing, boost engagement and develop key life-skills, whilst spending time on a farm. In this episode, Jamie shares with Patrick how his experiences as a history...
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Dani Nierenberg on US agricultural policy shifts and the future of sustainable farming
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Kicking off series five of the Sustainable Food Trust podcast, Patrick Holden, SFT CEO and organic dairy farmer, catches up with Dani Nierenberg, President of Food Tank. Dani Nierenberg is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate, on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. In 2013, Dani co-founded Food Tank with Bernard Pollack, a nonprofit organisation focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank is a global convener, thought leadership organisation, and unbiased creator of original research impacting the food system. Dani has...
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Iain Tolhurst on 40 years of organic horticulture: Lessons, trials and triumphs (part two)
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst. “We need to bring farming back into society. It’s become completely divorced from society.” Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. For over 40 years, Tolly has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold...
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Iain Tolhurst on 40 years of organic horticulture: Lessons, trials and triumphs (part one)
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Bringing the fourth series of the SFT podcast to a close, Patrick Holden caught up with longtime friend and one of the pioneers of the UK’s organic farming movement, Iain ‘Tolly’ Tolhurst. Tolhurst Organic, located on the Hardwick Estate between the Chilterns and the river Thames, is a model of sustainability, and one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. For over 40 years, Iain has been producing a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, which are sold to the local community through a box scheme. His farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree...
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Julius Roberts on re-connecting people with the story behind their food
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
Julius Roberts – a first-generation farmer and chef with a passion for seasonal cooking and self-sufficiency – joins Patrick Holden for this episode of the SFT podcast. After studying sculpture at university, Julius worked as a full-time chef in London before moving to a smallholding in Dorset where he now farms. He keeps a range of livestock, including goats, sheep and pigs, and grows a wide variety of vegetables. He’s also amassed an online audience of over one million followers, where he shares delicious, seasonal recipes, inspiring people to think more about the seasonality and...
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John and Alice Pawsey on their journey from conventional to organic agriculture
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
In this episode of the SFT podcast, Patrick Holden sat down with John and Alice Pawsey, pioneering organic farmers of Shimpling Park Farm in Suffolk. As well as farming 650 hectares of arable land and 1,000 New Zealand Romney breeding ewes, Shimpling Park also farms an additional 980 hectares of land for neighbouring farmers, all of which are managed organically. Diversifications on the farm include an extensive environmental scheme to support nature-friendly farming and various renewable energy projects, and the farm regularly hosts school visits and events. During the conversation, John and...
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Prue Leith on her passion for cooking and the importance of food provenance
The Sustainable Food Trust Podcast
For this episode of the SFT podcast, Patrick Holden travelled to the Cotswolds to catch up with Dame Prue Leith – renowned restaurateur, cook, novelist and judge on the hugely popular Great British Bake Off. Prue recounts the incredible life she has led, from growing up in South Africa during Apartheid, to living in France where she discovered her passion for cooking. Prue and Patrick’s far-ranging discussion takes in everything from the value of cooking from scratch and the insidious rise of ultra-processed foods to the importance of connecting chefs with the provenance of their...
info_outlineFor this episode of the SFT podcast, Max Jones – transhumance guide and traditional foods archivist – visits our CEO, Patrick Holden, on Patrick’s farm in Wales.
Alongside his work as a transhumance guide – the practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in accordance with the seasons – Max Jones is also a writer, photographer, educator and founder of Up There The Last, a project which aims to reconnect people with their food and educate them about the traditional food practices of the past, which still exist in some parts of the world today.
From rare cheese production in the heights of the Alps, to traditional wild salmon smoking in the republic of Ireland, Max Jones’ journey to seek out and learn more about traditional food practices has taken him all over the world and led him to meet the people working hard to preserve these essential practices that are at risk of being left behind and forgotten.
In this episode, Max and Patrick talk about the threat to traditional foods including modern technology and health and safety regulations, as well as the presence of an off-the-record 'food counterculture' that exists to protect ancient practices.
To find out more about Max, follow him on Instagram, and visit the Up There The Last website and Substack page.
You can also read the article that Max wrote for the SFT about the importance of preserving traditional food practices, here: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/preserving-the-practices-of-traditional-foods/.
To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up to date with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook and Bluesky.
This conversation was recorded in August 2024.