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
Genetic selection for lower methane in ruminants with Dr Suzanne Rowe
This week we have a fantastic podcast for you discussing a very hot topic, Methane emissions in ruminants.We have Dr Suzanne Rowe, Senior Scientist at AgResearch talking about the history of recording methane in sheep, what the industry...
Ferg's thoughts: New Year Special
This week we have another episode in our "Ferg's Thoughts" series. Seeing as it's the start of a new year, Mark chats about what we can achieve in the future. "How can we set ourselves up for success in 2023?" Mark asks "We ...
Implementing a genomics program in a stud context with James Lines
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have our freshest recruit, James Lines.After only 9 days on the job, Mark got James onto the head shepherd podcast to talk about his upbringing and what lead to him applying for a job at a genet...
The story of the incredible Elizabeth Macarthur with Michelle Scott Tucker
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast, we're changing gears a little and chatting with author Michelle Scott Tucker.Having an audience of mostly sheep tragics, Mark thought the parallels between Michelles book, Elizabeth Macarthur:...
Understanding problems in Ag with Sarah Adams
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Sarah talking about genetics, technology and solving problems in the Agricultural industry. Sarah is currently Global Strategy and New Ventures Manager at
Success with sexed semen with Professor Simon de Graaf
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Professor Simon de Graaf, a fellow podcaster and a world expert in sheep reproduction, sperm sexing and AI.Simon is currently a Professor of Animal Reproduction at The University of Sydney,...
The benefits of supply chain security with Jason Strong
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Jason Strong, Managing Director of Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd. (MLA)Jason grew up on a farm and says "I can never remember not wanting to be a cow farmer." He says that winning a sc...
The key to lamb survival with Cathy Dwyer
This week on the Head Shepherd Podcast, we head over to Europe to chat with Cathy Dwyer.Cathy is based in Edinburgh and splits her time between two roles. One at Scotlands Rural College, leading a team of researchers in Animal Welfare a...
Sub-Clover and beyond with Charlie de Fegely
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Charlie de Fegely chatting about things all things sub clover and beyond.Charlie farms in Western Victoria in the foothills of The Grampians. They average around 550mm of rainfall per year ...
Bonus Episode. Head Shepherd Premium
This week, to tide you over between seasons, we've released two of our Head Shepherd Premium podcasts for you. Mark recently uploaded a series on different traits that might be important for our clients. In the "Breeding Series", M...
Season 8 Q&A with Dr Mark Ferguson
We've reached the end of season 8 and we've got a great Q&A podcast for you. We have questions from “What's your opinion on Australia’s LEQ index compared to focusing solely on IMF and shear force figures if your number one bre...
Improving reproductive performance in maiden ewes, with Charlie Wootton
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Charlie Wootton.Charlie is currently based in Adelaide but is originally from Jigsaw Farms in South West Victoria.Charlie is doing his hono...
Thinking outside of the box with Duncan Humm
This week on the podcast we have Duncan Humm. Duncan farms Deer for venison and velvet and is also one of the minds behind NZ Farming on Facebook. Mark and Duncan discuss deer farming, a topic not often covered on the Head Shepherd podc...
Preparing for the future Agtech innovation, with Georgia Pugh
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have our newest recruit at neXtgen Agri, Georgia Pugh. Georgia comes from a background of farming in Western Australia on a mixed family farm farming around 4,500 Ha. Georgia went on to st...
Ferg's thoughts: EID and replacement ewe selection
This week, we have another in our 'Ferg's thoughts' series. Dr Mark Ferguson talks us through the benefits of using EID and how it can help you make better decisions when selecting replacement ewes for your flock. Weaning weight, c...
Actual to Ideal. Achieving Operational Excellence with Neville Brady
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Neville Brady of Browsup Consulting, a consultancy company "...providing management support for groups, organisations and corporate businesses seekin...
Meeting Export Market Demands with Atkins Ranch
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Pat Maher, CEO of Atkins Ranch. Atkins Ranch supplies premium New Zealand Lamb to Whole Foods in North America and Canada, supplying 95% of their lamb, plus they supply a handful of other t...
50 years of breeding seedstock at Lawson Angus with Harry Lawson
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Harry Lawson of Lawson Angus.Harry goes through the progression of the Lawson Angus business, a pioneering family for performance recording cattle. His parents started performance recording...
Building successful farm teams with Drover Ag.
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we are discussing employment in the Ag sector. Mark chats with John Boote, CEO of Drover Ag, specialists in Ag recruitment.John has been involved in Agriculture his entire life working his way up t...
What does success look like to you? with Nathan Scott
This week on the podcast we have Nathan Scott. With a background in Prime Lamb production, Nathan started his own consultancy firm, Achieve Ag Solutions, eight years ago. "We work with a range of producers, looking f...
Profit from pasture allocation with Tom Fraser
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have a guest from our recent event, the neXtgen Agri Muster. Tom Fraser is a scientist at AgResearch. Tom spoke at the Muster about pasture allocation and making the most of your genetics. ...
Successful weaning practices with Rob Bell
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have Rob Bell, co-founder and CTO at ProAgni and CEO and Principal Consultant at Formula Ag. In this episode, we're focusing on weaning, a process not too far away in parts of Australia. Rob ini...
The factors of success in a large scale farming enterprise with Julie McDonald
Welcome back to season 8 of the Head Shepherd podcast. As ever, we're starting off with a bang and have the fantastic Julie McDonald as our first guest. Julie is the CFO of McDonalds Holdings- 3.36 million hectares based in Queensland...