Veronica White – PhD Student, Cycling 2,000 Miles Across England: Exploring the Future of Farming Through Women's Perspectives

This week on the Tough Girl Podcast, I'm joined by Veronica White — a PhD student, photographer, and outdoor adventurer who is combining academic research with exploration in a truly unique way. For her final year at the University of Exeter, Veronica set out on an extraordinary journey: cycling more than 2,000 miles across England to explore how women envision the future of farming. Her Farming Futures Tour— meeting and interviewing 50 women along the way who are shaping the future of food and agriculture. Born in the US and raised in the Netherlands, Veronica's path into farming wasn't traditional. With a background in environmental science and food security, she's found her passion in connecting people, place, and purpose — and using adventure as both a research method and a personal challenge. In our conversation, we talk about how she planned and trained for the project, what it was like to balance the mental and physical demands of fieldwork on the move, and why she believes surrounding yourself with people who say "yes" can make all the difference.  Tune in to hear how Veronica turned her PhD into a pedal-powered exploration of England's rural landscapes — and how adventure can open new ways of seeing, learning, and connecting.  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x Show notes Who is Veronica? Final year PhD student at the University of Exeter  Cycling over 2,000 miles across England for her PhD fieldwork Being born in the US and raised in the Netherlands  Her interest in food and farming  Studying environmental science for her undergraduate degree at the University of East Anglia  Reading up more on food waste Deciding to do a Masters in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture  Not having a background in farming, but doing volunteer work on farms Doing cycling as a social activity  Starting her blog during the pandemic in 2020 Spending time exploring the South West Coast Path  Naming her blog - Coves to Cliffs  Using the blog to get away from social media  Not getting sucked into the world of SEO and affiliate marketing  Wanting the blog to be a collection of memories and stories and not just another marketing tool  What The Farming Futures Tour is  Speaking to 50 women on the tour The reasons for cycling  Being supported and encouraged by her supervisors  Spending a year planning and training for the project Finding the women to speak with What the fieldwork looked like The futures triangle  Autoethnography method - reflecting on your own personal experiences - while cycling through the landscapes  Planning and logistics for such a long trip Receiving funding from the Royal Geographical Society and a charity organisation, Act Big Live Small  Setting off on the journey  Balancing the mental and physical sides of the challenge Dealing with fatigue Finding new strategies to cope with the work load Doing voice notes instead of writing field notes The bike and gear set up  Off Cut Gear  The highlights from the trip Still having to write the PhD! Food and farming  Finding lunch in rural areas Cycling hunger How to connect with Veronica  Planning the next adventure? Final words of advice  Surround yourself with people who say yes   Social Media Blog www.covestocliffs.com  Instagram @farmingfutures_cycle Youtube: @veronicaa_white