Ep083 – Barnaby Edwards, Director, The Garlic Farm | Why knowing nothing changed everything

Ep083 – Barnaby Edwards, Director, The Garlic Farm | Why knowing nothing changed everything

From Swim Against The Tide by Steve Henry

March 26, 2026 · 51 min · Episode 83

About this episode

Barnaby Edwards shares his journey of leading The Garlic Farm and how his lack of prior knowledge became his greatest asset.

Barnaby Edwards didn't set out to be a farmer. After nearly two decades as a product designer, he found himself back on the Isle of Wight - and accidentally into the leadership of his wife's family business, The Garlic Farm. With no background in food, farming or hospitality, he did the only thing that made sense: admitted he knew nothing, listened hard, and got to work. In this episode, Barnaby talks about navigating a family business turnaround, transitioning the farm from conventional to certified organic, achieving B Corp status after a five-year journey, and why not knowing anything turned out to be his biggest competitive advantage. He also reflects on the emotional complexity of leading a business that carries generations of family history — and why, given everything, he'd do it all again without hesitation. The SATT Team :) #podcast #business #swimagainstthetide #growth #entrepreneurship

People in this episode

Host: Steve Henry

Guest: Barnaby Edwards

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Garlic Farm

Places: Isle of Wight

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