If you're looking for Christmas present inspiration, look no further!

This week's guest is Arabella Harvey from Raven Botanicals, the Scottish skincare brand known for its nature-led products.

Arabella shares how she and her sister Charlotte built the business - drawing on botanical knowledge, creativity, and a strong connection to the landscape.

She and Anna chat about the realities of growing a rural brand, from sourcing ingredients to staying sustainable.

Ara also tells a lovely story about the family pet which inspired the name of the business…

We hope you enjoy this episode. It's only possible thanks to our brilliant sponsors Scottish legal firm Gillespie Macandrew.

Mentioned in this episode:

Podcast producers Bespoken Media

All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast production specialists Bespoken Media. Find Bespoken at www.bespoken.media

Lorna Dawson was a student in Edinburgh in 1977, when 17-year-olds Helen Scott and Christine Eadie were murdered after a night out at the World's End pub.

Decades later, she helped to convict the women's killer - using pioneering techniques to identify soil samples that had been taken and retained from Helen Scott's bare feet.

Lorna has since reported and advised on over 150 court cases, as professor and head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute.

She also talks to Anna - in this fascinating episode of OnFARM - about how soil forensics can be used to help fight rural crime such as machinery or metal theft.

Huge thanks to episode sponsors, Scottish legal firm Gillespie Macandrew.

Further links:

The James Hutton Institute

SEFARI Gateway - Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Knowledge Exchange and Innovation.

Mentioned in this episode:

Podcast producers Bespoken Media

All episodes of OnFARM are produced and edited by Scottish podcast production specialists Bespoken Media. Find Bespoken at www.bespoken.media

Most of us in farming - unfortunately - know someone who’s been in an argument or a dispute.

It could be between relatives over an inheritance, over a business relationship, or any number of different circumstances that have led to conflict.

You may not realise you can call on support from professional mediators - or even, in some cases, offer to step in as a mediator yourself.

This episode is all about the power of mediation – hearing from Gillespie Macandrew's dispute resolution team lead Fiona Cameron, and Gordon Davies, a mediator working for - among others - rural support charity RSABI. (Full disclosure: Gordon is also OnFARM host Anna's dad!)

This is a repeat of an episode from June 2023 - hosted by Monty, who it's good to hear on the pod again.