From Rapeseed to Pulses: Broighter Gold Joins BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Programme
A few weeks ago, something a little different happened here at Broighter Gold. Julian Fowler from BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Programme came to visit our farm at Myroe, near Limavady, to record a segment for a special week of programming dedicated to pulses - and what they could mean for the future of farming in the NI.
For seven generations, our family has farmed this land, and for the last chapter of that story, we've been known for cold-pressing, bottling and blending rapeseed oil entirely on-farm. But agriculture never stands still, and we're always looking at what comes next - both for our business and for the wider farming community here in Northern Ireland.
That's what made this such an exciting conversation to be part of. We joined Josiah from Hodmedod's - the UK's leading grower and supplier of pulses and beans - alongside celebrated chef Paula McIntyre and Helen Keys, to talk about a new project looking at growing pulses on our own farm.
Why pulses, and why now?
Pulses - crops like beans, peas and lentils - are having a moment. They're nutritious, they fix nitrogen naturally in the soil (reducing the need for artificial fertiliser), and they offer a home-grown, sustainable source of protein at a time when the whole industry is thinking hard about food security and environmental impact. For a farm like ours, already rooted in careful, on-farm processing and quality, pulses feel like a natural next step to explore.
What's next
This is very much the start of the conversation rather than the end of it. We'll be sharing more as the project develops - from what we're trialling in the ground to how it might one day find its way onto shelves alongside our rapeseed oil.
In the meantime, you can hear the full programme on BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Programme - tune in to hear more from Julian, Josiah, Paula, and myself and to find out why we think pulses could be an exciting part of Broighter Gold's future.
I have attached the link below, but we cant confirm what day it will be aired, so tune in all week and find out more about pulses!Â
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Farming Today - 22/09/26 Potato yields, Pulse growing - BBC Sounds
