Beyond the Echo Chamber with Silas Hedley-Lawrence

Silas is a farmer, coach, and consultant with hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture. He divides his time between the Cotswold Cattle Company, his co-owned food and farming venture, and Grass Fed Farmer, his agroecological coaching business. With a background rooted in both the UK and New Zealand, he champions lean, profitable farming systems that deliver on increasing biodiversity and soil health gains. Silas is also an Integrity Soils trained agroecological coach from the Yellowstone cohort. In this episode, we hear about... A Tale of Two Systems: The stark contrast between subsidised UK farming and New Zealand's unsubsidised, business-focused approach. The First Profit in 25 Years: How Silas's "New Zealand way" of mob grazing and cutting inputs transformed the economics of a UK farm. Direct-to-Consumer Deep Dive: The tough lessons learned from selling retail cuts and the strategic pivot to a burger-focused food brand. From Gut Feeling to Hard Data: The journey from observing changes on the farm to participating in a four-year scientific research project on adaptive grazing. Inside the Integrity Soils 'Create' Program: What it's like to train with Nicole Masters in Yellowstone, blending deep soil science with crucial coaching and personal development skills. The Power of Collaboration: The innovative model behind Cotswold Cattle Company, partnering with arable landowners to bring cattle back to the landscape. Beyond the Labels: Why Silas is passionate about breaking down the barriers between regenerative and conventional farming to create real, large-scale impact. Have a look at what Silas is doing at https://www.grassfedfarmer.com https://www.cotswoldcattle.com Thanks, as always, to our sponsors - Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association and Covers & Co. www.mfga.net https://www.coversandco.ca