Growing Solo

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

One Million Calories

20240422

20260406 (BBC7)
20240727 (R4)
20240728 (R4)

This first episode sees him prepare for the challenge. Why is he doing this? What has inspired him, and how much food does one person need for a year? He is helped and ridiculed in equal measure by his family. We hear from them, from Guy Singh Watson, the founder of Riverford, and Max's farming friend Tommy Allen. And we're introduced to the star of this series - Max's cow, Brenda.

This first episode sees him prepare for the challenge. He needs to produce more than one million calories to survive. Why is he doing this? What has inspired him, and how much food does one person need for a year? He is helped and ridiculed in equal measure by his family. We hear from them, from Guy Singh Watson, the founder of Riverford, and Max's farming friend Tommy Allen. And we're introduced to the star of this series - Max's cow, Brenda.

A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024.

Max Cotton tries to complete a year of food self-sufficiency and explores ideas of eating seasonally and locally. From 2024.

[LISTEN NOW]

The Harvest

20240423

20260407 (BBC7)
20240803 (R4)
20240804 (R4)

This second episode gets off to a bad start as getting the wheat in is hampered by badgers and a pre-Stone Age harvesting system. Max explores making bread from the wheat he's grown, discusses having a house cow and making cheese, and deals with the shock of going without tea and coffee.

A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024.

On Max's farm, badgers ruin the wheat crop. Max makes bread from his own wheat and cheese. Plus a calf is born. From 2024.

[LISTEN NOW]

Winter Solstice Feast

20240424

20260408 (BBC7)
20240810 (R4)
20240811 (R4)

In this third episode, Max gets to grips with the grisly process of turning farm animals into meat, and he has to come to terms with a disastrous potato harvest that could threaten the viability of the project. Max and his neighbours also gather in grapes for winemaking and we learn how best to pluck a Christmas turkey.

In this episode, Max gets to grips with the grisly process of turning his farm animals into meat, and he has to come to terms with a disastrous potato harvest that could threaten the viability of the project. Max and his neighbours also gather in grapes for winemaking, and we learn how best to pluck a Christmas turkey.

A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024.

Max deals with potato blight and plans a self-sufficient lunch for 30 people. A cow is slaughtered on the farm. From 2024.

[LISTEN NOW]

Hungry Gap

20240425

20260409 (BBC7)
20240817 (R4)
20240818 (R4)

In this episode, life on the farm starts getting hard as the reality of seasonal food production in England begins to bite. Early spring is the hardest time to produce fresh vegetables - it's called the hungry gap. We hear how Max is trying to bridge that gap. The irony is that the news has been full of stories about shortages in supermarkets while Max is living off swedes, milk and rationed potatoes.

Max discovers dairy is his new staple in food self-sufficiency and tries his hand at butter making.

A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Max struggles with lack of fresh produce to eat and discovers dairy is his new staple in food self-sufficiency. From 2024.

[LISTEN NOW]

05 LAST

Year's End

20240426

20260410 (BBC7)
20240824 (R4)
20240825 (R4)

This is the final episode and marks the end of Max's food self-sufficient year. Did he make it? Did he cheat? Did he lose weight? Was it too hard to be fun? All these questions are answered. This episode also explores some of the issues of trying to eat locally and seasonally.

This is the final episode and marks the end of Max's food self-sufficient year. Did he make it? Did he cheat? Did he lose weight? Was it too hard to be fun? All these questions are answered as Max evaluates his experiment. This episode also explores some of the issues of trying to eat locally and seasonally.

A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024.

Max Cotton completes a year of food self-sufficiency and shares his experiences and important lessons learnt. From 2024.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	One Million Calories	20240422	20260406 (BBC7) 20240727 (R4) 20240728 (R4)	This first episode sees him prepare for the challenge. Why is he doing this? What has inspired him, and how much food does one person need for a year? He is helped and ridiculed in equal measure by his family. We hear from them, from Guy Singh Watson, the founder of Riverford, and Max's farming friend Tommy Allen. And we're introduced to the star of this series - Max's cow, Brenda. This first episode sees him prepare for the challenge. He needs to produce more than one million calories to survive. Why is he doing this? What has inspired him, and how much food does one person need for a year? He is helped and ridiculed in equal measure by his family. We hear from them, from Guy Singh Watson, the founder of Riverford, and Max's farming friend Tommy Allen. And we're introduced to the star of this series - Max's cow, Brenda. A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024. Max Cotton tries to complete a year of food self-sufficiency and explores ideas of eating seasonally and locally. From 2024. [LISTEN NOW]
02	The Harvest	20240423	20260407 (BBC7) 20240803 (R4) 20240804 (R4)	This second episode gets off to a bad start as getting the wheat in is hampered by badgers and a pre-Stone Age harvesting system. Max explores making bread from the wheat he's grown, discusses having a house cow and making cheese, and deals with the shock of going without tea and coffee. A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024. On Max's farm, badgers ruin the wheat crop. Max makes bread from his own wheat and cheese. Plus a calf is born. From 2024. [LISTEN NOW]
03	Winter Solstice Feast	20240424	20260408 (BBC7) 20240810 (R4) 20240811 (R4)	In this third episode, Max gets to grips with the grisly process of turning farm animals into meat, and he has to come to terms with a disastrous potato harvest that could threaten the viability of the project. Max and his neighbours also gather in grapes for winemaking and we learn how best to pluck a Christmas turkey. In this episode, Max gets to grips with the grisly process of turning his farm animals into meat, and he has to come to terms with a disastrous potato harvest that could threaten the viability of the project. Max and his neighbours also gather in grapes for winemaking, and we learn how best to pluck a Christmas turkey. A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024. Max deals with potato blight and plans a self-sufficient lunch for 30 people. A cow is slaughtered on the farm. From 2024. [LISTEN NOW]
04	Hungry Gap	20240425	20260409 (BBC7) 20240817 (R4) 20240818 (R4)	In this episode, life on the farm starts getting hard as the reality of seasonal food production in England begins to bite. Early spring is the hardest time to produce fresh vegetables - it's called the hungry gap. We hear how Max is trying to bridge that gap. The irony is that the news has been full of stories about shortages in supermarkets while Max is living off swedes, milk and rationed potatoes. Max discovers dairy is his new staple in food self-sufficiency and tries his hand at butter making. A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Max struggles with lack of fresh produce to eat and discovers dairy is his new staple in food self-sufficiency. From 2024. [LISTEN NOW]
05 LAST	Year's End	20240426	20260410 (BBC7) 20240824 (R4) 20240825 (R4)	This is the final episode and marks the end of Max's food self-sufficient year. Did he make it? Did he cheat? Did he lose weight? Was it too hard to be fun? All these questions are answered. This episode also explores some of the issues of trying to eat locally and seasonally. This is the final episode and marks the end of Max's food self-sufficient year. Did he make it? Did he cheat? Did he lose weight? Was it too hard to be fun? All these questions are answered as Max evaluates his experiment. This episode also explores some of the issues of trying to eat locally and seasonally. A Good Egg production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024. Max Cotton completes a year of food self-sufficiency and shares his experiences and important lessons learnt. From 2024. [LISTEN NOW]