GrassCheck Podcast

Hosted by AgriSearch & AFBI

Business Science

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Latest episode

Dec 2025

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EN-GB

About the show

The GrassCheck podcast is brought to you by AgriSearch and AFBI. We are bringing you the latest information, insights and opinion to improve grazing management on your farm.

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17 recent

December 1, 2025Episode 148 min

GrassCheck 2026 - 2028 Farmer Recruitment

AgriSearch recently opened recruitment for a new cohort of farmers for its refreshed GrassCheck Farm Network, a key initiative aimed at improving grassland management and performance across Northern Ireland. Providing farmers with current and predicted grass growth and quality information to assist farmers to improve their grassland management and performance.AgriSearch held a webinar for farmers interested in participating in the next phase of the GrassCheck programme. The webinar outlined what will be involved in participating in the new network, including enhanced technical support, expanded training opportunities, and improved data capture to provide a deeper understanding of the economic and environmental benefits of effective grassland management. We have included an audio recording of the webinar in this podcast. The video version can be viewed on the AgriSearch YouTube channel.

July 31, 2024Episode 318 min

Making the most of a difficult year

This week we are joined by David Patterson from AFBI to discuss the latest information from the GrassCheck plots and farms. Robert Patterson from CAFRE, Geoffrey Malcolmson a dairy farmer from Newry and Declan Rafferty a Beef & Farmer from Pomeroy.We discuss current grass growth and quality and the growth forecast for the coming fortnight. We also discuss how to make the most of late season silage and setting up your grazing platform for the coming autumn.Finally the farmers discuss how they have made the most of a challenging year for grass growth and utilisation and their plans for the next few weeks.

May 10, 2024Episode 235 min

Springing Forward

This week we are joined by David Patterson from AFBI to discuss the latest information from the GrassCheck plots and farms. Robert Patterson from CAFRE, Andrew Dale a dairy farmer from Limavady and John & William Egerton who are Beef & Farmers from Rosslea, County Fermanagh.Topics discussed include managing the spring surge in growth, first cut silage, stitching in clover and reseeding.

April 24, 2024Episode 126 min

Getting back on track after a very challenging spring

This week we are joined by David Patterson from AFBI to discuss the latest information from the GrassCheck plots and farms. Robert Patterson from CAFRE, Josh Morton a dairy farmer from County Armagh and Gregg O’Boyle a Sheep Farmer from County Antrim.

March 31, 20241 hr 15 min

Red Clover Establishment

We are bringing you the audio recording of a webinar we held recently on establishing red clover silage swards.The webinar was held as part of the ZeroNsile project which has established red clover swards on 12 farms across Northern Ireland and Lucerne on three farms in County Down.Dr David Patterson (Grassland Agronomist from AFBI) started by looking at the results of previous Red Clover research carried out by AFBI and Teagasc. This highlighted the ability of red clover to grow high yields with no inputs of manufactured N fertilisers. He then discussed the key steps needed to successfully establish red clover silage swards. This included seed bed preparation, timing of sowing, having a soil pH of at least 6.5 and the P & K requirements of a clover reseed. He also discussed sowing rates for different sward types and variety selection.Two farmers from the ZeroNsile project (Stephen Maguire a Beef farmer from County Fermanagh and David Clarke, a dairy farmer from County Tyrone) discussed their experiences of establishing red clover silage swards on their farms as part of the ZeroNsile Project. 2023 was a particularly challenging year for reseeding due to the adverse weather conditions. Nevertheless, both farms said they were planning to establish additional red clover swards in the future.

October 13, 2023Episode 21 hr 26 min

Autumn Options for Dairy

In this episode we are bringing you the audio recording of a webinar we held recently on “Autumn Options for Dairy”.As you will be well aware the summer of 2023 has been particularly challenging for Northern Ireland's dairy, beef and sheep farmers. After a dry May and June, there has been almost incessant rain which has affected grass quality and hampered silage making. Ground conditions in many areas have been challenging with stock having to be housed at times. These conditions have not been conducive to livestock health and performance and it is likely that many of the silages being fed to livestock this winter will be sub-optimal. At the same time farmers are facing a cost / price squeeze with the cost of a kilogram or purchased feed now well below the price received for a litre of milk. Many dairy farms are now experiencing cashflow issues.With these issues in mind AgriSearch, in partnership with CAFRE and AFBI, organised a webinar for Northern Ireland dairy farmers which looked at options that farmers can take this autumn to help mitigate the challenges they are facing.

August 31, 2023Episode 11 hr 22 min

Autumn Options for Beef

Hello and welcome to the GrassCheck Podcast. Today we are bringing you the audio recording of a webinar we held recently on “Autumn Options for Beef”.As you will be well aware the summer of 2023 has been particularly challenging for Northern Ireland's dairy, beef and sheep farmers. After a dry May and June, there has been almost incessant rain which has affected grass quality and hampered silage making. Ground conditions in many areas have been challenging with stock having to be housed at times. These conditions have not been conducive to livestock health and performance and it is likely that many of the silages being fed to livestock this winter will be sub-optimal. At the same time farmers are facing a cost / price squeeze with the cost of purchased feed remaining near historical highs and beef prices are under pressure.With these issues in mind AgriSearch, in partnership with CAFRE and AFBI, organised a webinar for Northern Ireland beef farmers which looked at options that farmers can take this autumn to help mitigate the challenges they are facing.

October 21, 2021Episode 219 min

Making the most of a mild autumn

This week we are joined by Kat Huson from AFBI to discuss the latest information from the GrassCheck plots and farms, Robert Patterson and Noel Lavery from CAFRE as well as Martin Craig a GrassCheck Beef farmer from Crumlin and Hugh Harbison as GrassCheck Dairy Farmer from Aghadowey.

July 21, 2021Episode 127 min

Grassland management in dry weather conditions

This week we are joined by Kat Huson from AFBI to discuss the latest information from the GrassCheck plots and farms, Noel Lavery and Robert Patterson from CAFRE, Geoffrey Malcolmson a GrassCheck dairy farmer who farms near Newry and Trevor Sommerville a GrassCheck Beef Farmer who farms near Dungannon.

October 23, 2020Episode 820 min

Episode 8 - Planning for the Spring

This week we are joined by Kat Huson from AFBI to discuss the latest information from the GrassCheck plots and farms, Conail Keown from CAFRE and Ryan Carr a GrassCheck dairy farmer who farms near Downpatrick.