# Agroecology around Arran - Meat and Livestock Episode Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/r2kast-people-in-food-and-farming-all-in-6734636/agroecology-around-arran-meat-and-livestock-episode Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/r2kast-people-in-food-and-farming-all-in-6734636/agroecology-around-arran-meat-and-livestock-episode.md Podcast: [R2Kast - People in Food and Farming/All In](https://stenobird.com/podcast/r2kast-people-in-food-and-farming-all-in-6734636) Published: 2026-06-05T18:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/r2kast/episodes/agricology-podcast-s4e1-agroecology-around-arran-meat-and-li Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/65885e0cfa5a340016e3e287/e/6a187869847a83997eac5cc1/media.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/r2kast-people-in-food-and-farming-all-in-6734636/episodes/agroecology-around-arran-meat-and-livestock-episode Duration seconds: 3167 ## Resource From the early days of crofting and subsistence farming to the present day, animal protein has provided an essential and highly valuable source of nutrients for Arran’s population. While sheep and beef production have always been central to Arran’s farming economy, venison is now also being embraced as a sustainable protein source that can help to combat the growing threat that the wild deer population poses to island ecosystems. In this first episode of our new series  Agroecology Around Arran , we explore how the production of meat on Arran embraces the ethos of agroecology, how farmers are working together to reduce carbon emissions from livestock farming, and what we can learn from their example. Guests Alistair Currie Alistair talks to us about his livestock farm based in the Shiskine Valley. He maintains a herd of around around 30 native-breed beef cattle which are fed on pasture and home-grown silage. Colin Currie Colin Currie is an upland hill farmer who has been farming sheep and beef at Bridge Farm with his wife Laura since the 1970s. Bridge Farm is situated within a SSSI-designated site that is home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Colin uses his innate knowledge of the land to create a low-input livestock system that has allowed him to reduce reliance on external markets, maximise animal welfare, and work in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem. Zoë Hughes Zoë Hughes runs  Wild Isle Venison  with her partner Chris. Their work aims to honour the deer that are harvested alongside protecting the natural landscape on Arran and strengthening the local food chain. Zoë is passionate about sustainable, affordable meat that has a positive impact on the environment. Wild Isle Venison works to reconnect produc… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/r2kast-people-in-food-and-farming-all-in-6734636/episodes/agroecology-around-arran-meat-and-livestock-episode/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/r2kast-people-in-food-and-farming-all-in-6734636/agroecology-around-arran-meat-and-livestock-episode.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.