OGPod Episode 11: Alice Rixon a.k.a. The Veg Lady, Chettle

James speaks to Alice Rixon a.k.a. The Veg Lady, based in Chettle, Dorset. We  really wanted to hear from someone at the start of their growing journey to talk through the challenges and thinking of starting out with their own horticultural business. Alice talks about how she is setting up the growing space (where she’s combining polytunnels, market garden and field-scale from the get go), the things she’s chosen to invest in early on, the particular arrangement she has with her landlady and the vibrant food and farming scene she is helping to build, long-term financial planning, trying to build a market and learning what it wants, her involvement in the Universal Basic Income for Farmers Campaign. She is passionate about the route she has taken and hopefully you get plenty of insights and inspiration from the conversation, so let’s get to it.This podcast is brought to you by the Organic Growers Alliance, the UK's only grower-led organisation providing technical and practical advice and support on organic growing. For more information about the OGA head to www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk and become a member.Liv James is taking the reins from James Butterworth as host in 2026. Liv has been a grower for 10 years mainly at Down Farm Market Garden in Devon and is now a storyteller at Soil Association. Alongside this Liv is a plant nut, wordsmith, music lover, life enthusiast, surfer and Mum.