The Pasture Pod

Claire can be found on Instagram as dr_dowhittle The Regenerative Vet website: https://theregenvet.co.uk/ The Carbon Calling Panel session with Claire, Nikki, Amy and Sarah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3APZqJpHwbQ&t=3007s Become a Patron on Patreon ("It's quite good actually"): patreon.com/thepasturepod Farmax website: https://www.farmax.co.nz/ Cows and Effect on Apple Podcasts: https://podcas...

Working Cows Episode on leased cows: https://workingcows.net/ep-063-aaron-berger-leased-land-and-cow-herds/

A blatant misuse of the Pasture Pod platform means I'm plugging this Cows and Effect project again. Episode 1 dives into the science with an Irish research paper that looks at the yields of multi species pastures (along with the various different plant species that go into them) at several levels of Nitrogen (including zero). Which grasses work best in different systems? Why bother with Plantain a...

Link to this one and it's show notes: Cows and Effect: Prologue Link to next episode:   Cows and Effect: Episode 1      

Elaine is coming to England at the invitation of AHDB with workshops between 21st October 2024 and 30th October. See: Discuss the Undiscussabull Not that I'm pushing this at all .... but .... Patreon link is: The Pasture Pod's Patreon link  

Many moons and almost an equal amount of suns ago, our anti-hero MC Swardstick set off on his pilgrimage to find a mythical being. A dairy farmer who didn't work 90 hours a week.  He found this creature and he was well cool and interesting. They spoke for almost 3 hours and MC left with his sound recorder full of wisdom.  Unfortuneately, MC was very lazy and no where near committed enough and didn...

A Canadian themed episode to bring "Season 2" to an end. Arron came over to the UK in January 2023 and spoke to loads of people over the course of a week. I went to see him at the AHDB meeting in Northumberland at George Burrell's and it was such a refreshing and positive experience. Even though he has such a different environment to contend with, the principle of system first is such a powerful t...

After 12 years apart, two acquaintences meet. Everything has changed, Michael is even fatter and has less hair; Chris seems to have given Michael his extra body mass - he's lighter and fitter.  Chris is also more self aware and intimidates Michael slightly less than in 2010. They talk for a long time and record some of it.  Michael likes to think he and Chris have become friends whereas Chris does...

It's About Time was not on time this week - not perfect but at least it's definitely done! This is the last in the series and I want to thank everyone that was involved and everyone that is listened. Thanks to all those that took the trouble to message.   Special, special thanks to the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust. This simply wouldn't exist without their help. Best book on time ever is Oliv...

If in doubt seek expert help.  My quest gets closer to an inconvenient truth as I speak to coaches, consultants and, big potato grower with normal sized potatoes, Robin Griffiths.  This is the proper time management episode and was a bit of a revelation to me. Mention is given to the pomodoro technique with insufficient explanation until closer to the end. The pomodoro technique is simply using a...

I spent most of this episode in my pants watching YouTube.  Clips used are for educational purposes. The series up to this point was on a roll with reviews like "I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would" - but this was a big test to keep the underwhelming momentum up.  Systems is such a monster of a subject but I hope you get something from it. Additional thanks to James Sills ( @JRDSills)...

Episode 3 sees me continue haphazardly like King Arthur in Monty Python's Holy Grail ... no horse and just coconuts as a sound effect.  I eventually take my brave tablets and speak to "The Australian", then spend the rest of the episode trying to translate things to a UK Context. Luckily I have some sensible people helping.  Can we nail down what is possible in terms of labour efficiencies in UK f...

The quest for answers continues.  Is our use of time the invisible handbrake on our lives and businesses that we leave on without realising?  I visit three dairy farms and hear about their experiences and challenges, within them there are parables and wisdom and glimpses of the answer. Warning: may contain poor analogies. Books mentioned in this episode: Yes I Can: Achieve Success with the Life-Pl...

A departure from the normal Pasture Pod, I do my best attempt at being a poundshop Louis Theroux and go on a quest to find answers on how time affects farming and how we can use time to affect our lives and businesses for good. Episode one contains a record breaking number of metaphors per minute of narration ... so be prepared. Thankfully all is saved by those that were interviewed. Profound than...

Once apon a time soil was less cool than flares (when they weren't trendy) and plastic shoes.  I may have been forced to wear the latter two items of clothing as a young adult but at least I wasn't studying soil science!!  BUT times have changed, a revolution has happened and soil science might be - quite possibly - one of the coolest things going.  Joel Williams is one of the people that have mad...

Gus and Duncan are full siblings with impressive EBVs for 3 Hour Bantz; Low CoP and Positive Mental Attitude. They are both structurally correct with good locomotion and teeth but increasingly bare heads.   The Pasture Pod returns to its roots with this episode - hardore farming chat and a glimpse into the motivation of a couple of awesome individuals.

If Nikki is a human being, I am a slug.  By this I mean - we share 80% of our farming DNA but it still seems we see things differently.  This was a theraputic conversation that allowed me to accept the final 20%.  "It is what it is" as they say in Love Island. It's OK not to think exactly the same way and maybe there's wisdom in other opinions.  Now I feel like Jerry Springer. I mentioned "Scotlan...

Holly Beckett could possibly change your life. Quietly and without a lot of fuss she has been helping people become more focussed,  less stressed and have a renewed appreciation of life.  She has been introducing mindfulness to the UK farming industry and its making a difference to people. Keep an open mind.  Even if mindfulness is not for you, I think this interview is full of wisdom and great st...

This is enormous.  Its the biggest and longest.  Don't be scared. Alex Brewster is a fascinating chap whatever your own farming philosophy.  In my opinion he is one of the best communicators in UK agriculture. A Soil Farmer of the Year, a Nuffield Scholar and someone who stole the show at the Oxford Farming Conference. You will soon know him as Beanie due to some sort of mystical unexplained force...

Daniel has grown a beard that provides more biodiversity habitat than Knepp Estate. He cares for it deeply, sometimes with product.  He has scanned many sheep in his career but his true destiny is to be the biggest sheep nerd in either hemisphere.  He is from a place called New Zealand and if he was on a cruise liner his favourite deck would be deck six. I honestly know of few people with such str...

With his long torso and teeny, tiny legs Graham Lofthouse and his family own 109.99999999999999 Hectares in Galawater in the Scottish Borders.  A man driven by the knowledge that nothing is ever perfect but there's always hope that one day it might be, we speak about all sorts - sport, psychology, decimal points and obsessive attention to farming detail.  I make a big enough mistake to probably ge...

If a life lived in fear is a life half lived then Tim has a double life #pasturearithmetic.  One of the founders and drivers of the Exlana breed he loves breeding and statistics .... what are the chances of that?  The Exlana sale is on Tuesday 3rd August. Checkout their website  https://www.exlana.co.uk/sales Link to register for the Farmax 'The Benefits of Pasture Monitoring and Data Collection'...

Recorded when Jamie was 38 years old, this week Jamie has his 40th birthday.  We didn't talk that long rather the editor is well rubbish. Jamie is from Shetland and has made great strides in his farming business despite being in a challenging environment.  He is also the most northerly Fodder Beet grower in the world though his friend Matthew from up the road is wrestling this crown from him as we...

Not all heroes wear capes some have a buzz cut and speak Welsh.  Rhys may be the most succesful first generation farmer I know but I still want to be a little vague just in case any of the other first generation farmers I know think it might be them instead. There are around five people in this world I've learnt most from in terms of pasture.  Rhys is one of the five.  I hope you learn as much. I'...

Five months later than it should have been but Murray is worth waiting for.  A New Zealander of great enthusiasm, I got up with him the night before a Soil Association Scotland "Paddock Grazing for Profit" day. The Soil Association Scotland do a whole range of days on lots of topics (see here) Murray was a key person in pumping people up about pasture in Scotland and those on The Farming Forum mig...