ChewintheCud Podcast

A hard truth: UK farming employs a tiny slice of the workforce yet carries a heavy share of workplace deaths. We don’t say that to point fingers—we say it to spark action. This conversation gets practical about first aid on farms: what the law expects, what good looks like for a working farm, and how to build skills that actually stick when seconds matter. Emma Hann joins us with a rare blend of A...

Discover how the GB Calf Strategy is transforming British farming by creating purposeful connections between dairy and beef sectors. Join AHDB experts Sarah Tomlinson, Laura Awdry, and Harriet Bunning as they reveal the remarkable progress already made and outline an ambitious five-year vision built on three foundational pillars: Right Calf, Right Start, and Right Route. The podcast takes you on a...

What if your cows could tell you exactly what they need to thrive? That's the groundbreaking promise of epigenetics, where the frontier of dairy science meets practical farm management.  In this fascinating deep dive, Ian Garner, Head of R&D at Antler Bio, reveals how gene expression technology is revolutionizing dairy farming by unlocking hidden potential beyond traditional genetics. Whi...

What happens to your dairy heifers between weaning and calving? This question reveals a critical blind spot on many UK dairy farms. While we meticulously monitor pre-weaning calves and track age at first calving, those crucial months in between often become a forgotten period where potential growth, health, and future productivity can be compromised. Farm veterinarian Emily Linton takes us through...

Amino acids may be the most underrated nutritional tool for transforming heifer development and health on your dairy farm. In this eye-opening episode, Ken March takes us through his remarkable journey from East London to becoming a dairy nutrition specialist in West Wales, where his thirst for knowledge led him to the cutting edge of amino acid nutrition. Ken shares results from a ground breaking...

The transition period is the highest-risk window in a dairy cow's life, with far-reaching consequences for health, productivity, and farm profitability. In this comprehensive episode, we speak with Donald Lawson, head of the ruminant team at Premier Nutrition, who shares invaluable insights from his extensive experience managing transition cow nutrition. Donald reveals how approximately 80% o...

What does the UK's third-highest PLI Holstein herd discover when they test every calf born on their farm? Stuart and Helen Rogers of Longmoor Farm reveal how genomic testing transformed not just their breeding decisions, but their entire approach to dairy farming. When the Rogers family moved their pedigree Holstein herd from Oxfordshire to Dorset in 2011, they wanted to push their genetics f...

This time Simon Reeves, Managing Director, Pangea Insurance joins the team. Like usual we start with both their backgrounds, to get them to where they are today with their respective businesses. Like usual we start with Simon's background to get to where he is today as Managing Director of his own insurance brokering business. Then we move on to discuss today's topic of how's your i...

This time Conner Smith, Product Lead for Diagnostic & Ruminant Specialist, Bimeda and Rachel Hayton, Vet & Research Lead, Synergy Farm Health join the team. Like usual we start with both their backgrounds, to get them to where they are today with their respective businesses. Then we move on to today's topic of Calf Immune Status, and more specifically the development of the ImmunIGY B...

This time Robert Morrison, Head of Farms, UK Agri-Tech Centre and Mike Jones, Dairy Technical Manager, UK Agri-Tech Centre join the team. Like usual we start with both their backgrounds, to get them to where they are today with UK Agri-Tech Centre. It's been a year since we visited the South West Dairy Development Centre (SWDDC) with Mike, and so we have a little catch up with how the herd is...

This time Neil Adams, former Managing Director, Promar International, joins the team. Like usual we start with Neil's background from a small dairy farm in Shropshire, to (now retired) Managing Director of Promar International. Then we move on to today's subject of Pursuing Wealth. We discuss what is wealth? Is it money in the bank? Is it time with your family? Or being happy in what you...

This time Jade Toone, Key Account Manager, Buitelaar Group and Jessica Tomley, Buying Manager Livestock, Elite Beef join the team. Like usual we start with both their backgrounds to get them to where they are today with Buitelaar Group & Elite Beef. Then we move on to today's subject of Elite Beef.  Elite Beef is an integrated beef scheme set up in partnership between Buitelaar Group and...

This time Eric Dorr, Founder, Silage Consulting International joins the team. Like usual we start with Eric's background, having been in the industry and worked for several companies that are household names within the industry, including Lallemand Animal Nutrition & Chr. Hansen Animal Health. Eric was also the original importer of Silostop into North America before founding his own busin...

This time Ollie Simons, Crew Manager, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service joins the team. Like usual we start with Ollie's background, on the periphery of agriculture before joining Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service to be where he is today. Then we move on to today's subject of fire & rescue! While we have an expectation of Ollie & his colleagues to de...

This time Sarah Tomlinson, Technical Director, TB Advisory Service (TBAS), joins the team for an episode of the podcast. Like usual we start with Sarah's background, graduating as a farm vet to where she is today with TBAS. Then we discuss the history of TB, and how you used to be rewarded for the voluntarily testing your herd! We discuss the different skin tests, and why we use the one we do...

This time the team are joined by Gabby Emery, Customer Success Manager, HerdVision. Like usual we start with Gabby's background, from growing up on a farm in Somerset, to where she is today with HerdVision before we move on to today's topic of HerdVision. Listen as we discuss how HerdVision went from a proof of concept to be developed into the commercial product it is today. We talk abou...

This time the team are joined by Kathryn Rowland, Senior Farm Services Manager, Kingshay Farming & Conservation Ltd. Like usual we start with Kathryn's background, from a dairy farm in West Dorset, to where she is today with Kingshay before we move on to today's topic of the Antimicrobial Focus Report. We take a look at different aspects and discuss the trends of the report, and look...

This time the team are joined by Claire Winson, Head of Animal & Environmental Sciences and George Stickly, Farm Manager of Rodway Farm, from Bridgewater & Taunton College - Cannington Campus. Like usual we start with both Claire & George's backgrounds, before we move on to today's topic of Educational Opportunities in Agriculture. We discuss the different education options a...

This time the team are joined by Paul Harris, Founder & CEO of Real Success Ltd. Like usual we start with Paul's background, which was outside the agricultural industry, how he began Real Success and then how he became involved with agriculture to the role he plays within it today. Then we move on to the main topic of today's episode, People Management. We discuss the challenges we f...

This time the team, based in the South West of England, are joined by Neil Parish, farmer, former MEP & MP and now podcaster. Neil started life on the family farm, not far outside Bridgewater, in Somerset and so we initially discuss his life in farming, and how his farm has changed over the years to where it is today. Then we move on to politics and discuss Neil's time as an MEP in Brusse...

This time the team, based in the South West of England, are joined by Paul Morris, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Oxi-Tech Solutions Limited. As usual we start with a brief overview of our guest's background to get to where they are today. Then we move on to the main topic of today's episode, the Oxi-Tech system that uses pulse oxidation to offer a chemical free solution to cleaning y...

This time the team, based in the South West of England, are joined by Mickie Blackett, Supply Chain Business Growth Manager & James Taylor, Farm Manager from the Buitelaar Group. As usual we start with a brief over view of both of our guests' backgrounds to get to where they are today. Then we move on to today topic of Evidence Based Calf Rearing. Not only do we take a tour of the farm, b...

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Sarah Bolt, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Dr James Wilson, Hoof Health Consultant & PDRA (Post Doctoral Research Associate) at Liverpool University. As usual we start with a brief over view both of our guest's background from herdsman to where he is today. Then we move on to today topic of Feet & Mobility. We first discuss th...

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Sarah Bolt, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Richard Tunnicliffe, Analytical Services Manager and Isabelle England, Technical Account Manager both from Trouw Nutrition. As usual we start with a brief over view both of our guests backgrounds to get them to where they are today. Then we move on to today's main topic which is silage sampli...

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Anthony Marsh, Director at Hoofcount Ltd As usual we start with a brief over view of Anthony's background and how he started Hoofcount. We then move on to today's main topic which is the development of the PediVue, from Hoofcount. The product was recently Winner of the "Best New P...