86: Ben Raskin - The Cooperation Beneath Our Feet "Something Darwin knew all about is the power of diversity - crops are more successful when they're grown as part of a mix." On this episode of Survival of the Kindest, Julian speaks to Ben Raskin, Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry at the Soil Association. Ben has been working in horticulture for over 25 years, since he helped out at a vineyard in Italy to say thank you to the owners who had invited him for dinner. Ben co-chairs the Edibles Horticulture Roundtable within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; sits on the boards of the Organic Growers Alliance and the UK's Community Supported Agriculture Network. He set up and ran the 10-acre horticultural production at Daylesford Organic Farm, before moving to the Welsh College of Horticulture as commercial manager. Now living in Sussex, the produce from his walled garden supplies a Michelin-starred restaurant. In his conversation with Julian, they talk about the similarities between the ecology of healthy soil and that of strong communities; evidence of co-operation and interdependence between the millions of organisms within soil; and why Ben is optimistic about regenerative, sustainable farming.

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