The AG Show

Why grow cover crops? Plus, falling cattle price and menu trends for red meat and dairy

It’s a Cover Crops 101 special on The AG Show - and we’ve got a couple of proper experts on hand to help. Clive Wood from Frontier and AHDB’s Bek Hirstman join us to break it all down, getting you up to speed on the basics of cover crops (yes, all those non-harvested plants that can provide benefits to a rotation). We dig into what they actually do, the different types out there and - crucially - how to choose the right ones without causing yourself headaches further down the line. We're also asking what’s going on with finished cattle prices - why are they dropping and is there more to come? And we check in on how red meat and dairy are performing on foodservice menus right now. Plus, who could have been part of the farmers choir that won Britain's Got Talent? SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Home - Cover Crops Guide [https://covercropsguide.co.uk/] An introduction to cover crops | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/cover-crops] Frontier Agriculture [https://www.frontierag.co.uk/] Why are finished cattle prices falling and will this continue? Beef market update | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/news/why-are-finished-cattle-prices-falling-and-will-this-continue-beef-market-update] Red meat in foodservice: The trends shaping today’s menus | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/news/consumer-insight-red-meat-in-foodservice-the-trends-shaping-today-s-menus] Dairy in foodservice: The trends shaping today’s menus | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/news/consumer-insight-dairy-in-foodservice-the-trends-shaping-today-s-menus] GET IN TOUCH Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and Producer Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories, or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at agshow@ahdb.org.uk [agshow@ahdb.org.uk]. Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre [https://preferencecentre.ahdb.org.uk/en-gb/Home/Index] so that you can: * Easily update your preferences and contact information * Get information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and more * Receive important updates such as disease alerts

Can understanding body condition optimise sheep flock performance? Plus, rewilding with Derek Gow

This week’s AG Show is absolutely stacked. We’re diving into a huge project that’s been seven years in the making - Challenge Sheep - and hearing what farmers Ian and Anna Wilson have actually taken from it. It’s all about body condition, breeding ewes younger, and what that really means for lifetime performance. Then… it gets interesting. Never mind the bullocks, here comes the rewilder. Derek Gow joins us to explain why he ditched conventional farming to hand his land back to nature. But will any of that thinking rub off on his neighbour, Devon farmer and previous AG Show guest Derek Banbury? Perfect timing, too - because both Dereks are about to hit the big screen in a brand new film: Derek vs Derek. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Challenge Sheep | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/challenge-sheep] www.derekvsderek.com/screenings [https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.derekvsderek.com%2Fscreenings&data=05%7C02%7Cmartin.winch%40ahdb.org.uk%7Ca90105e57147440dec1908deb7284ccc%7Ca12ce54b3d3d434695efff13ca5dd47d%7C0%7C0%7C639149580930370671%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7%2B%2BiRS%2B%2FazNwWAQBVkBSkGH%2BYXod0k7XYZLYHzl4rlQ%3D&reserved=0] GET IN TOUCH Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and Producer Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories, or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at agshow@ahdb.org.uk [agshow@ahdb.org.uk]. Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre [https://preferencecentre.ahdb.org.uk/en-gb/Home/Index] so that you can: * Easily update your preferences and contact information * Get information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and more * Receive important updates such as disease alerts

Is there much demand for pork in Dubai? Plus, why farmers need to tell their story

The AG Show hit the ground running at the Pig & Poultry Fair, catching up with some of the UK’s pig meat exporters and hearing how producer Fergus Howie got his start trading overseas in Dubai. AHDB trade butcher Martin Eccles also breaks down why offal is such a big deal in certain global markets – and how its value can really stack up. Plus, Irish pig producer Shane McAuliffe shares some top tips on owning your farm’s story, whether that’s making the most of social media or getting stuck into your local community. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Exports | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/exports] The British Pig & Poultry Fair [https://pigandpoultry.org.uk/] Pig Farming in Ireland - McAuliffe Pig Farms [https://mcauliffefarms.ie/pig-farming-in-ireland/] GET IN TOUCH Charlotte, Hannah and Producer Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories, or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at agshow@ahdb.org.uk [agshow@ahdb.org.uk]. Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre [https://preferencecentre.ahdb.org.uk/en-gb/Home/Index] so that you can: * Easily update your preferences and contact information * Get information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and more * Receive important updates such as disease alerts

Milk championed by student athletes, Let's Eat Balanced continues and the 200-acre gamble

The AG Show is hitting its half-year mark, and we’re kicking things off with the BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championships - where student athletes are getting a proper look at why dairy still earns its place on the team sheet. Turns out, milk’s doing a lot more than just filling your tea mug. We also break down what an Advertising Standards Authority ruling means for AHDB’s Let’s Eat Balanced campaign - and why it’s sticking around. And we’re back with part two of our chat with Cornish beef and sheep farmer Will Whiting, as he shares what it’s really been like taking on the 200-acre farm next door. Missed the first half? Go and catch up in the revious episode - trust us, it’s worth it. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Milk Every Moment | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/milk-every-moment] BUCS British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) [https://www.bucs.org.uk/] Home - Let's Eat Balanced [https://letseatbalanced.com/] Fursdon Farming - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FursdonFarming] GET IN TOUCH Charlotte, Hannah and Producer Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories, or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at agshow@ahdb.org.uk [agshow@ahdb.org.uk]. Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre [https://preferencecentre.ahdb.org.uk/en-gb/Home/Index] so that you can: * Easily update your preferences and contact information * Get information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and more * Receive important updates such as disease alerts

Would you buy the farm next door? Plus, African swine fever contingency and sweet potato imports

It’s a 200‑acre leap of faith for one of our guests on this episode of The AG Show, after they took the plunge and snapped up the neighbouring land and buildings. Cornish sheep and beef farmer Will Whiting joins us to talk about what tipped him over the edge - and how a friendly wager with fellow YouTuber Cammy Wilson is spurring him on. We also dig into how pig producers, vets, processors and everyone in between can get the most out of AHDB’s Workshop in a Box – a handy digital toolkit designed to help build a solid African swine fever contingency plan. Plus, why does the UK look so tempting to sweet potato growers over in North Carolina, USA? And is there anything British exporters could nick from their playbook? SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Fursdon Farming - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FursdonFarming] ASF contingency planning: Workshop in a box for pig farms and vets | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/asf-contingency-planning-workshop-in-a-box] North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission | Home [https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/] GET IN TOUCH Charlotte, Hannah and Producer Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories, or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at agshow@ahdb.org.uk [agshow@ahdb.org.uk]. Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre [https://preferencecentre.ahdb.org.uk/en-gb/Home/Index] so that you can: * Easily update your preferences and contact information * Get information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and more * Receive important updates such as disease alerts