AHDB Food & Farming

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515

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Our Food & Farming podcast is for levy payers and those in the food supply chain – bringing together key players in the agriculture industry to talk about the things which really matter. You’ll hear from farmers, special guests and AHDB specialists sharing their experiences and opinions. Join our conversations about technical information, data, market intelligence, exports and updates on our multimillion consumer marketing campaigns and of course, the latest news on farming issues that impact your business. The AHDB Food & Farming podcast – worth a listen.

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60 recent

July 22, 202643 min

'I landed on the floor minus my left arm' - Farm Safety Week

This week on The AG Show, farmer Jim Chapman joins the team to share his powerful story of losing an arm in a PTO shaft accident, and how that life-changing moment continues to shape his day-to-day life. With agriculture still one of the UK's most dangerous industries, we're proudly backing Farm Safety Week and helping shine a light on the risks farmers face every day.We'll also be hearing from a former farmer turned firefighter about the real fire risks that come with the recent spell of hot, dry weather, and what farmers can do to stay safe during harvest and beyond.Plus, we take a look at Open Your Gate, a joint campaign from AHDB and LEAF that's encouraging farmers to welcome more young people onto farms, with an ambitious goal of delivering one million on-farm experiences by 2031.It's a packed episode full of honest conversations, practical advice and plenty of reasons to get involved.SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)The Impact – safety in numbers - YellowWellies.orgSupport for farmers | AHDBDry weather and drought – fire prevention | AHDBHow have the recent heatwaves impacted GB milk production? | AHDBRABDF launches dairy entrepreneurs club | AHDBAHDB and LEAF launch drive to inspire the next generation through on-farm experiences | AHDBHome Page | LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)GET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

July 15, 202645 min

GB Calf Week, bovine TB and the farmer who ran the length of the UK

It's a packed episode of The AG Show this week. We're giving a shout-out to GB Calf Week, the industry-wide campaign shining a spotlight on the latest thinking and fresh ideas in youngstock care.We'll also be tackling one of farming's biggest talking points right now - bovine TB. It's back in the spotlight following the latest series of Clarkson's Farm, so we'll dig into what's being said and what it means for the industry.Elsewhere, we explore why sustainability sits at the heart of the newly launched Beef and Lamb Environmental Roadmap and hear why rehydrating grain before it leaves the farm might not be the best move.And finally, we catch up with young farmer Will Sercombe, fresh from the incredible challenge of running the length of the UK in less than three weeks.Plenty to get stuck into, so what are you waiting for? Go and press play....SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)GB Calf Week | AHDBThe Beef and Lamb Environmental Roadmap | AHDBLength of the UK runBovine tuberculosis | AHDBSupport for farmers | AHDBGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

July 8, 202635 min

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 2027Agrileader Circle at GroundswellMilling at Bruern – Bruern FarmsFarmers Aid – from RABIThe soil health scorecard | AHDBGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

July 1, 202641 min

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 | AHDBWeather and climate change - Met OfficeFarming Roadmap 2050: Growing England’s Future (accessible version) - GOV.UKGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

June 24, 202642 min

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 SheepInnovis Sheep - Leading UK Sheep Breeding Services & SalesSignet Breeding Services | Signet BreedingLancashire Farm Education Centre – Home Farm – CrostonAccess To Farms Home Page | Access To FarmsGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

June 17, 202643 min

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 | AHDBGB barley area hits 16-year low as growers rethink cropping strategies | AHDBAHDB-led pilot shows current soil carbon measurement methodologies may be underestimating carbon stocks by a third or more | AHDBConsumer Insights: Improving shopper engagement with the meat aisle | AHDBGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

June 10, 202643 min

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 ToolsSustainable Farming Incentive | AHDBThe Garlic Farm Isle of Wight | Farm Shop | Restaurant | CaféAssociation of Independent Meat SuppliersFarmED - FarmED - Farm & Food Education EnglandHome | NiabGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

June 3, 202643 min

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 GuideAn introduction to cover crops | AHDBFrontier AgricultureWhy are finished cattle prices falling and will this continue? Beef market update | AHDBRed meat in foodservice: The trends shaping today’s menus | AHDBDairy in foodservice: The trends shaping today’s menus | AHDBGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

May 27, 202645 min

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 | AHDBwww.derekvsderek.com/screeningsGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts

May 20, 202633 min

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 | AHDBThe British Pig & Poultry FairPig Farming in Ireland - McAuliffe Pig FarmsGET IN TOUCHCharlotte, 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.Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre so that you can:Easily update your preferences and contact informationGet information on the latest AHDB events, webinars, market insights and moreReceive important updates such as disease alerts