R2Kast 428 – Cora Cooper on hill farming, biodiversity and changing the conversation around sheep
About this episode
Cora Cooper discusses her journey into hill farming, sustainability, and the role of women in agriculture.
Today I had Cora on the R2Kast 🎙️ A first generation farmer who, alongside her husband David, now runs a large hill sheep enterprise in East Ayrshire while also becoming a leading voice around sustainability, biodiversity and women in agriculture. 🌾 We spoke about her route into farming from a background in law, PR and events with absolutely no agricultural connection before meeting David and gradually becoming part of the business. It was a really honest discussion about learning on the job, questioning everything and finding her own place within the farm rather than simply fitting into what was already there. 🍎 A big part of the conversation focused on hill sheep farming and the role it can play in nature recovery. We discussed adaptive grazing, peatland restoration, biodiversity and why food production and environmental improvement should not be treated as opposing ideas. Cora explained how their system works with the landscape rather than against it and why she feels hill farming is often misunderstood in wider conversations around sustainability. 🌍 We also spoke about Women in Agriculture Scotland, mentoring, confidence building and creating better connections…
People in this episode
Host: Wallace Currie
Guest: Cora Cooper
Topics covered
- hill farming
- biodiversity
- sustainability
- women in agriculture
- food production
- environmental improvement
Keywords
- hill sheep farming
- adaptive grazing
- peatland restoration
- biodiversity
- sustainability champion
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Women in Agriculture Scotland, Farmers Weekly, National Women in Agriculture Awards
Places: East Ayrshire
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- Agricology Podcast S4E1 - Agroecology around Arran Meat and Livestock
- Tales of a Nuffield Scholar with Awal Fuseini, Alex Crawley and Laura Eden
- R2Kast 427 – Iain McDonell on farming across the world, environmental regulation and mentoring
- Field to Front Door – Episode 7 on peonies, social media, regenerative farming and finding value in what you grow
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