Optimal Carrying Capacity - In Conversation With Simon Fairlie
The fifth episode of the season finds us in conversation with Simon Fairlie, recorded earlier this summer when he was still running his dairy operation at Monkton Wyld Court in Dorset. Simon, who was once described by the Guardian as “the most influential and unusual eco-activist you might not have heard of”, brings us a wide ranging conversation that looks at the micro and the macro of carrying capacity. You’ll find us discussing how he managed his herd of two as he produced a range of dairy products for the ‘intentional community’ at Monkton, and how he dealt with grazing and hay production whilst improving grasslands and considering the ecological benefits his approach brought to the 8 acres under his management. This couples with a wider food systems discussion around the role of livestock, rewilding, methane emissions, and the issues associated with an unbalanced production system where he argues the case for a return to mixed farming being required.