Natasha Edwards - Featured on 'The Island Stories Podcast'

The next generation of garlic farmers on the Island

Natasha Edwards - born and raised on The Garlic Farm. Now running the family business with her husband Barnes; we chat about her Island childhood, how she's unexpectedly landed a role in a Shanklin stage show and her great love of garlic.

Hosted by journalist Harriet Hadfield and produced by Alex Warren, episodes from the first series of The Island Stories Podcast were downloaded more than 3,000 times - by listeners across the UK and from around the world.

Guests on Season 2 so far have included Mountbatten Hospice chief Nigel Hartley from St Lawrence and double-olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson who lives in Cowes.

Describing her childhood growing up on The Garlic Farm as 'amazing', Natasha's love of garlic shines through her interview.

She says: "Growing up on a Garlic Farm, being so much part of the family business, we couldn't have escaped it, not that we would have wanted to. It was right there, it was the backdrop of our lives, it was part of our daily lives and we are so grateful to this amazing plant. And it is an incredible plant because it spurs conversations, it's mysterious, it can do so many things, it can taste so many ways. "This has never been put to the test, no-one dare say they don't like garlic!"

On sustainability at the farm, Natasha talks passionately about their new organic status: "This is a journey we've been on since the beginning, it's something that's been close to our hearts for a very long time and driving the way that we look after our land, the way we look after people, the way we interact with the community.

"And more recently we have been working towards having some accreditations to go with these things, which has also driven us to these goals much faster. We have just achieved our organic status for the land that we own, so the land that we own at the Garlic Farm is now fully organic, so our first crop of organic garlic will be harvested this year."