AHDB Food & Farming

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

44 min · 27. mai 2026
episode Can understanding body condition optimise sheep flock performance? Plus, rewilding with Derek Gow cover

Beskrivelse

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

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Alle episoder

514 Episoder

episode Groundswell 2026: What's Next for Farming? cover

Groundswell 2026: What's Next for Farming?

The AG Show heads to Groundswell as the regenerative farming festival marks its 10th birthday, to find out what's getting farmers talking. First, we catch up with Groundswell co-founder John Cherry to look back at how the event has grown over the past decade and hear what he's learned from a mob grazing project he's been involved in. If you're a wheat grower looking to boost margins, don't miss our chat with a farmer who's transformed his business by turning his grain into flour and selling direct to bakeries. Plus, Charlotte puts her emergency first aid skills to the test in a farm accident scenario, and we get some practical tips on how to better understand what's going on beneath your feet by taking a closer look at your soil. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Groundswell Festival 2027 [https://www.groundswellag.com/] Agrileader Circle at Groundswell [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5rKO0JvR9E&t=608s] Milling at Bruern – Bruern Farms [https://bruernfarms.co.uk/pages/milling-at-bruern] Farmers Aid – from RABI [https://farmersaid.org.uk/] The soil health scorecard | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/the-soil-health-scorecard] 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

8. juli 202635 min
episode Can your farm handle the heat? Climate resilience guide cover

Can your farm handle the heat? Climate resilience guide

After that record-breaking June heatwave, The AG Show is diving into what it really means for farming. We’re joined by Tom from the Met Office to break down what’s going on with our weather - and why extreme events are becoming more of the norm. We also catch up with AHDB’s climate resilience lead, Alice, to talk through how you can actually protect your farm, using the Climate Resilience Action Planner. Plus, there's details of the Farming Roadmap 2050, we hear how one farmer’s giving his hedgerows some extra attention and Stasha’s back with more Dad jokes… brace yourselves. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Climate resilience on-farm action planner | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/climate-resilience-on-farm-action-planner] Weather and climate change - Met Office [https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/] Farming Roadmap 2050: Growing England’s Future (accessible version) - GOV.UK [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-roadmap-2050/farming-roadmap-2050-growing-englands-future-accessible-version] 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

1. juli 202641 min
episode Breeding low-methane sheep - can it be done without compromising performance? cover

Breeding low-methane sheep - can it be done without compromising performance?

On this episode of The AG Show, we’re getting stuck into low‑carbon lamb - where big science meets real‑world farming. It’s all off the back of the three‑year Breed For CH4nge project, and now it’s wrapped up, we’re hearing straight from the people involved and asking the big question: will this actually work on UK sheep farms? We’re also catching up with a CEVAS‑trained dairy farmer who’s been opening the farm gates to school visits – and why it’s not just the kids who get something out of it. And with the football World Cup in full swing, we’ll take a lighter look at what might be fuelling the teams on the pitch. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Sheep Breeding UK | Low Carbon Lamb | Low Methane Sheep [https://www.breedforch4nge.co.uk/] Innovis Sheep - Leading UK Sheep Breeding Services & Sales [https://www.innovis.org.uk/] Signet Breeding Services | Signet Breeding [https://signetdata.com/] Lancashire Farm Education Centre – Home Farm – Croston [https://farmeducationcentre.co.uk/] Access To Farms Home Page | Access To Farms [https://visitmyfarm.org/] 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

24. juni 202642 min
episode Five non-negotiables for dairy resilience cover

Five non-negotiables for dairy resilience

US dairy couple Rodney and Dorothy Elliott jump on The AG Show to break down the five non-negotiables of a resilient dairy business - with their UK roadshow just around the corner. Originally from Northern Ireland, the pair headed stateside in 2006 and started out with a 1,400-cow setup. Fast forward 20 years, and Drumgoon Dairy is now a multi-barn operation milking around 6,500 cows - so they’ve definitely learned a thing or two along the way. We also take a look behind the scenes at how AHDB works with retailers to get red meat and dairy on the supermarket shelves. Plus, we’ve got the latest from the Planting and Variety Survey, and an update on our environmental baselining pilot - which suggests we could be seriously underestimating just how much carbon is actually stored in soils. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) Drumgoon Dairy: The 5 non-negotiables of a resilient dairy business | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/drumgoon-dairy-the-5-non-negotiables-of-a-resilient-dairy-business] GB barley area hits 16-year low as growers rethink cropping strategies | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/news/gb-barley-area-hits-16-year-low-as-growers-rethink-cropping-strategies] AHDB-led pilot shows current soil carbon measurement methodologies may be underestimating carbon stocks by a third or more | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/news/ahdb-led-pilot-shows-current-soil-carbon-measurement-methodologies-may-be-underestimating-carbon-stocks-by-a-third-or-more] Consumer Insights: Improving shopper engagement with the meat aisle | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/consumer-insights-improving-shopper-engagement-with-the-meat-aisle] 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

17. juni 202643 min
episode SFI made simple? Inside AHDB’s new cost/benefit tool for farmers cover

SFI made simple? Inside AHDB’s new cost/benefit tool for farmers

The AG Show might’ve just stumbled on something genuinely handy for farmers ahead of the next round of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. We’re joined by one of the brains at AHDB behind a new tool that helps you see what different SFI actions could actually mean for your own farm - so you can make smarter calls. Plus, we hear from a farmer who’s already put it to the test. We’ll also be chatting to the head of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers as AIMS hits a big milestone - 25 years. And we’ll get into herbal leys too, catching up with organisers from a recent event focused on growing and managing multi-species swards. SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND) SFI cost benefit tool | AHDB Tools [https://tools.ahdb.org.uk/SfiCalculator] Sustainable Farming Incentive | AHDB [https://ahdb.org.uk/trade-and-policy/elms/sfi] The Garlic Farm Isle of Wight | Farm Shop | Restaurant | Café [https://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/] Association of Independent Meat Suppliers [https://www.aims2001.co.uk/] FarmED - FarmED - Farm & Food Education England [https://www.farm-ed.co.uk/] Home | Niab [https://www.niab.com/] 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

10. juni 202639 min