Head Shepherd
Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri brings you the latest in livestock, genetics, innovation and technology. We focus on sheep and beef farming in Australia and New Zealand, and the people doing great things in those industries. To learn more about neXtgen Agri, visit www.nextgenagri.com.
Episodes
313 episodes
Breeding Better Sheep in the North Island with Dr Emma Pettigrew
In this episode of Head Shepherd, we're thrilled to introduce Dr Emma Pettigrew, our new North Island consultant at nextGen Agri. Emma brings a wealth of experience and passion for the sheep and livestock industry, having grown up on a stud she...
The Abundant Farmer: Mindset and Money in Agriculture with Hayley Grosser
Hayley Grosser is a farmer and business coach based in Victoria, Australia, who helps farmers change their relationship with money so they can create more abundance in their lives. Hayley and her partner both grew up on a farm, and they started...
Managing Pastures for Long-Term Success with Cam Nicholson
Looking to level up your pasture and crop management? This week’s guest is Cam Nicholson of Nicon Rural, an agronomist with four decades of experience. He breaks down the essentials of soil fertility, grazing management and the big impact of ge...
Foot Health Fundamentals in Sheep with MSD Animal Health
We’re talking feet on this week's podcast! Guests Jim Walsh, Veterinary Technical Advisor at MSD Animal Health Australia, and Kim Kelly, Veterinary Technical Advisor at MSD Animal Health New Zealand,join Mark in a fantastic discussion about eff...
How Genetics Shape Sheep Immunity with Dr Kelsey Bentley
What is actually occurring within a sheep with worm resistance? This week on the podcast we have a fascinating discussion with Dr Kelsey Bentley who has spent her career so far looking into the immune mechanisms of Katahdin sheep in the US. Kel...
Ontario Sheep Farming: Insights from Dr Mark Ferguson
Sophie and Ferg catch up about Ferg’s recent trip to Ontario, Canada, where he visited 14 different sheep farming enterprises on his 10-day trip with Ontario Sheep Farmers. Highlights:- The differences in production systems, ...
Strategic Farm Management with John Francis
John Francis, director of Agrista, an agricultural consultancy, discusses benchmarking, understanding optimum stocking rates, maximising pasture utilisation, feed efficiency and much more. ...
Changing the Game with Bec Malseed
Bec Malseed, who manages AWI & RIST’s Lifetime Ewe Management course, in her spare time is a female central/field umpire in her local country footy regional league. It’s fair to say that she is trailblazing a path for other women and girls ...
Shaping Aussie Agriculture with Ben Simpson
Ben Simpson from OGA Creative Agency shares his passion for the varied landscape of Australian agriculture - focusing on storytelling, ethics, and innovation. He discusses with Ferg how effective communication, AI and visual storytelling are sh...
Sheep, Salt and Beer with David Thompson of Moojepin Foods
This week we have David Thompson of Moojepin Foods on the podcast. David talks about his career breeding trait-leading Merinos, how he is addressing salinity issues in Western Australia with the exploration of saltbush and halophyte agriculture...
Future Trends in Lamb and Beef Markets: Expert Insights with Angus Gidley-Baird
Angus Gidley-Baird, Senior Analyst - Animal Proteins at Rabobank, joins us this week to share his expertise on the sheep and beef industries across Australia and New Zealand. Angus helps us understand market dynamics, global demand and the impa...
How Genetic Strategies Can Solve Farming Problems with Robert Peacock
This week on the podcast, we’re chatting all things livestock breeding with Robert Peacock from Orari Gorge Station. Robert discusses how and why they’ve been breeding for worm resistance. They have also been one of the first to measure feed ef...
Boosting Heifer Performance with Enoch Bergman’s AI Insights
Our guest this week is veterinarian Enoch Bergman. Originally from the USA, Enoch arrived in Australia in 2003. He fell in love with the people, the landscape and the agricultural innovation of Esperance, Western Australia and has been there ev...
Our 200th Episode: Live from Lambex with Dawson Bradford
This week on the podcast we’re celebrating 200 episodes! We thought we’d make a special occasion of it so we recorded our podcast live at Lambex 2024 and who better to have on as a guest than Lambex founder, Dawson Bradford. Mark a...
Navigating Change in Farming with Bill Webb of Merinotech
If you farm Merinos in Australia, it’s more than likely you will have heard of Merinotech. And if you’ve heard of Merinotech, it's likely that you know our fantastic guest this week, Bill Webb. For those that don’t know, Merinotech...
Managing Triple Drench Resistance in Cattle
As you may have heard in the media recently, triple drench resistance in cattle is quickly becoming an issue for New Zealand farmers. This week on the podcast, we are joined by Dave Leathwick and Christian Sauerman from AgResearch....
The Future of Meat Grading with Barbara Webster
Our guest on the podcast this week is Barbara Webster, co-founder of inMR. Barbara shares with Mark how inMR's Marbl™ technology uses nuclear magnetic resonance to measure intramuscular fat quickly, accurately and non-invasively, delivering a n...
Heat Stress: Impacts on Sheep Reproductive Performance with Dr William van Wettere
This week on the podcast we’re discussing heat stress during mating and pregnancy with Dr William van Wettere.Heat stress is classed as anything over 32°C, which can disrupt fertility in ewes, semen quality in rams and embryonic develop...
Resilience and Building a Sustainable Farm Business with Danielle England
Building resilience and achieving success in agriculture is an unpredictable challenge that involves continuous learning, upskilling, mentorship and adoption of innovative practices. In this episode, Mark chats with Danielle England, both a con...
Detecting Pregnancy in Cows at Day 16 with Agscent
How would you manage your cattle differently (or your sheep for that matter) if you could diagnose pregnancy at day 16? This week on the podcast, Mark chats with Bronwyn Darlington, a trailblazer in the field of disruptive innovati...
Real-Time Livestock Monitoring with Bill Mitchell of Optiweigh
This week on the podcast we have Bill Mitchell, co-founder of Optiweigh, discussing the Optiweigh system and its unexpected impacts on the farm businesses that are already using the technology. Optiweigh was founded 10 years ago by Bill...
The Benefits of EID in Commercial Sheep Farming with Richard Subtil
This week on the podcast we have Richard Subtil, from Omarama Station, a 12,000-hectare property in New Zealand's South Island. Over the last 26 years, Richard and his wife Annabelle have made incredible progress on the station, creating a sust...
The Science of Food with Dr Anneline Padayachee
As food producers, should we know more about the nutrition of the products we produce? This week on the podcast we have Dr Anneline Padayachee, a food and nutrition scientist. We dive into the fascinating world of carbs, proteins, micronutrient...
From Merinos to Marketplace Mogul with Dwain Duxson
What happens when a Merino sheep farmer turns into a digital marketplace mogul? Our guest this week, Dwain Duxson, founder of Farm Tender and The Farmers Club, shares how and why he switched career paths. While Dwain enjoyed his tim...
Mastering the Trifecta: Sheep, Beef and Dairy Management with Matt Iremonger
Join us this week and find out how Matt Iremonger manages multiple dairy, sheep and beef operations across 6,500 hectares in Canterbury, New Zealand. Matt shares the challenges and opportunities in such a diverse farming enterprise, as well as ...
