ChewintheCud Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Neil Groom, General Manager at Grainseed.

Like usual we start with a brief introduction from Neil about how he started in the industry to get to where he is today.

Then we move on to today's topic and start with a brief overview of the trials currently being run at Wiltshire College & University Centre Lackham, not only for DEFRA & NIAB but also the MGA (Maize Growers Association).

We also discuss some of the basic questions like what is the difference between "Flint" & "Dent" maizes, before heading outside to walk around the maize trial site and discuss when and how to determine the best time to harvest your maize.

This was recorded in August 2024 and all information was correct at the time of recording

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Sarah Bolt & Becky Miles, two of the co-founders of Women in Dairy.

With Sarah being a returning guest we move straight on to Becky and ask her about her background, and how she got to the multiple job titles she has today!

We then move on to discuss the ten years that "Women in Dairy" has been in existence, the hows, wheres & why is started. The successes they've seen and the upcoming celebration they have planned, and then discuss what the future might bring!

Please listen until the end for an update on location & guests.

This was recorded in June & August 2024 and all information was correct at the time of recording

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Teresa Dent, Chief Executive GWCT (Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust) & board member EFG (Environmental Farmers Group) , and Peter Shallcross, a local farmer member EFG & Chairman Nadder Valley Cluster.

Like usual we start with a little bit about the about the background of our speakers, with Teresa a farm consultant for many years before joining the then GCT, which evolved into GWCT, and Peter being a dairy farmer in the local area.

We then move on to discuss how EFG was conceived, what its goals & aims are, and how it has expanded incredibility quickly, all driven by its farmer members/owners.

We discuss the impact its had on Peter's farm, and what its meant for him practically. First having the support and back up for him to engage with outside stakeholders, in a way he never would have before, and then what the actual detail is on farm, and for Peter this has been the desire to reintroduce a tree almost lost from the British countryside 50 years ago.

This was recorded in October 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by James Geraghty, dairy farmer and former director QDO (Queensland Dairy Organisation), later eastAUSmilk, retiring from the position after 22 years at the end of 2022. He also happened to be Andrew's neighbour during his six years dairying in FNQ (Far North Queensland).

Big thanks to James Geraghty — eastAUSmilk

James talks about how his family moved to the area after it began to be cleared of virgin rainforest at the beginning of the 20th century and at the time Andrew lived there was known as the biggest tropical dairy area in the world.

Times have changed with only a quarter of the farms there from when Andrew first arrived there 25 years ago, but things are on the up with a change in owner of the local processor and younger family members returning to the industry.

When Atherton Tablelands ran out of milk, families like the Bevans provided hope for the proud dairy region - ABC News

Landline : ABC iview (This link requires you to login to watch ABS's Landline)

James also talks about Cyclones, Tree Kangaroos, Ticks, Snakes, Spiders & Stinging Trees, as well as all the stories about life in Far North Queensland!

This was recorded in October 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Andy Dodd, Farm Consultant from FCG (The Farm Consultancy Group), and Andy & Lynda Eadon from Len's Light, a legacy for Len Eadon, shining a light on mental health issues in the rural community and raising funds to support charities tackling these issues.

Like usual we start by asking all our guests how they are involved in the industry, and how they got to be where they are today.

Then we move on to the main discussion of this episode, that, "It's Good to Talk!"

This episode came about after Andy Dodd wrote an article It’s OK to Talk on the FCG website in October 2023.

From this we felt it was a good starting point for a discussion on mental health and invited Andy & Lynda to join us, who tragically lost their son Len in 2022, to talk about what they have done to help raise awareness of mental health in farming and rural communities since, including raising funds for others such as the FCN (The Farming Community Network).

Just remember "It's Good to Talk".

If you feel you need immediate help call:

NHS - 111
Samaritans - 116 123

Or for help from the charities mentioned in the podcast

Farming Community Network - Farming Community Network (fcn.org.uk)
Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide (papyrus-uk.org)
Farm Safety Foundation / Yellow Wellies - YellowWellies.org

This was recorded in October 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Janette Mathie, Head of Field Services, and Karen Reeve, Area Manager for the South of England, from CIS (Cattle Information Services).

Janette's journey starts like many looking for a part time job to work around her children going to school, and then worked her way up through the business to where she is now.

Karen originally offered relief management services, before starting milk recording, along with relief milking and then moved into milk recording full time before achieving her current position within the company.

Janette and Karen then talk a brief history of milk recording, before then taking us through a step by step process of what happens during milk recording on farm, then once the sample has been taken what happens to it once it begins its journey to and through the laboratory, including all the different information that can be obtained from just 30ml of milk!

This was recorded in September 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your host Andrew Jones & guest host Sarah Bolt based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Bronwen Pihlwret, Ruminant Technical Manager, QLF (Quality Liquid Feeds) Ltd.

Bron talks her journey from life on a beef & arable farm, via Archaeology, to her role today with QLF.

Bron then discusses sugars,  and therefore molasses, and their roles within a diet, and how the majority of UK diets are lacking sugars and the benefits these bring.

The large majority of the discussed benefits come under the umbrella of "Improving Rumen Health" and therefore have benefits to the health of the cow, not just seeing an improvement in production.

We then discuss Bron's growing interest in soil biology and the benefits to soil health adding sugars brings, as its a lot like feeding the rumen with all the different bacteria & protozoa etc.

This was recorded in September 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Farmer's Weekly Dairy Farmer of the Year 2022 Catherine Pickford and her herd manager Nathan Crocker.

Both have their own journeys to where they are now but Catherine's starts with her returning home in 1995 with 70 Black & Whites calving AYR to today with 400 spring calving cows and tells us about all the changes the business has seen in the last 28 years, including moving farms five years ago to a farm that had very very limited dairying infrastructure before the move and the work that has gone into converting the farm in this time.

We then discuss Nathan's journey from to school to agricultural college to working for Catherine fulltime, to where he is now trying to build his own equity in the business.

During our discussion we talk about them being winners of the Farmer's Weekly Dairy Farmer of the Year 2022 and how it was all a blur but then we talk about the succession plan that they have in place for Nathan so than with Catherine planning to retire in five years time he will be in a position to either succeed the current tenancy, or look for a farm of his own.

We also discuss the different markers they have in the business and also the benefit of being part of a local discussion group has brought benefits to them personally as well as the business.

This was recorded in May 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Giles Simpson , Agronomy Team Manager, Pearce Seeds LLP as well as the current Chairman of The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show.

Giles discusses his own journey into the industry from following his father around a farm, to managing farms in his own right, to joining Pearce Seeds over twenty years ago to is position now as Agronomy Team Manager before discussing the primary subject of this podcast, Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show.

Giles discusses the history of the show, what goes on behind the scenes for the rest of the year that we don't see, the affect COVID had on the show and then why the Show has decided, after much debate to move from it's traditional one day format to a two day show.

We also discuss how the local agricultural show is our industry's "Shop Window" to the general public , to show them  essentially how their food is grown, be it livestock or arable.

This was recorded in May 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Dr Laura Tennant, Young Animal Feeds Technical Manager, Trouw Nutrition GB.

Laura  discusses her own journey into the industry, from a beef & sheep farm near Harrogate in Yorkshire to studying for her degree in Bristol, her Masters in London, to her PhD in Nottingham before becoming the Head of Youngstock at Nottingham University, to where she is now at Trouw before discussing the primary subject of this podcast, Calf Milk Powders!

Laura then discusses milk powders, the dos and don'ts, the difference between skim & whey, why palm is used in milk powders, why soya shouldn't be used in milk powders, and answers all our questions along the way, and how  it is her belief that we should start using the phrase "Feed for Immunity".

This was recorded in May 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast or X/Twitter @chewinthecudpod. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can also email us at podcast@chewinthecud.com