Agonomics

Could farming be missing a trick by not bringing more former Armed Forces personnel into the industry? On this episode of The AG Show, we meet Becca Brown, who swapped life in the Royal Navy for a Scottish dairy farm, and hasn’t looked back.

We also unpack what the latest Budget could mean for farming, plus the key things to watch out for following the discovery of the Shamonda virus on UK farms.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Navy to dairy - Becca's journey from the armed forces to managing a dairy farm

Digitalising Dairy: A Future Skills Needs Assessment for Productivity and Sustainability - Digital Dairy Chain

UK Budget 2026: What you need to know | AHDB

Shamonda virus detected in Great Britain and Europe | AHDB

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Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

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Young shepherdess Zoe Prest joins The AG Show to tell us how she found her way into farming and where her love of sheep began. Coming into agriculture as an outsider, Zoe shares what’s kept her hooked and what the industry can do to inspire, train and keep the next generation.

We’re also heading back to SIAL in Paris, catching up with more of the people who were there as AHDB helped put British red meat and dairy firmly on the international menu.

Plus, we uncover a slightly embarrassing secret... which presenter can’t ride a bike?

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Training your team for business success | AHDB

Stapledon Memorial Trust – Providing awards to both individuals and organisations on all aspects of grassland use

AHDB helps British red meat take pride of place in shopwindow to the world | AHDB

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Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

This week on The AG Show, we're getting a flavour of one of the biggest food and drink events in the world. We hear what went down at SIAL in Paris, where British red meat was front and centre as we showcased the fantastic work being done by levy payers on the international stage.

With Bonfire Night just around the corner, we also catch up with RSPCA Assured for some practical tips on helping keep livestock calm and comfortable when the fireworks start popping.

Plus, there's a new push to get more active students enjoying the benefits of dairy, and we find out what's behind the campaign.

And perhaps most importantly... just what have Phil's wife and Charlotte been chatting about?

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

AHDB helps British red meat take pride of place in shopwindow to the world | AHDB

Tips to protect farmed animals during fireworks season

Milk Every Moment | AHDB

Halt decline of local UK abattoirs, government urged | News | The Grocer

How has the structure of the beef and lamb processing sector changed over time? | AHDB

Cattle could be screened for bovine TB using new AI eye technology - FarmingUK News

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Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

There’s no handbook for tackling some of farming’s biggest conversations. Whether it’s succession, family dynamics or making plans for the future, knowing where to start can be half the battle.

This week, Amy Hughes joins us to chat about how farming families can create the time and space for those important discussions. From communicating better to making big decisions together, Amy shares practical tips to help get everyone around the same table and moving in the same direction.

Plus, we revisit our brilliant conversation with Derek Banbury and Derek Gow as the documentary Derek vs Derek arrives on the big screen and sparks fresh debate around rewilding and life in the countryside.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Your life, your call – farming, family and future workshops | AHDB

GRIP Workshop for Farmers | England November 2026 | EmpowerAg

Agri Market Outlook | AHDB

Derek vs Derek Cinema Listings | UK Screenings & Tickets — Derek vs Derek

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Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

A conversation with an old school friend and a week of work experience were enough to set Tanner Breeze on the path into agriculture. Now studying at Aberystwyth University, he’s gaining valuable industry experience through the McDonald’s Progressive Young Farmers programme and developing a real appreciation for the role suckler beef plays in the UK farming sector.

Elsewhere, the AG Show team compare notes on their own placement years, looking back at the opportunities, challenges and memorable moments that helped shape their careers in agriculture.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Suckler beef: Stronger herds for stronger returns | AHDB

Agriculture : Study With Us , Aberystwyth University

Food and Farming Careers - Our Plan for Change | McDonald's UK

GET IN TOUCH

Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

Ever wondered what your soil might be trying to tell you?

This week on The AG Show, we're digging into the world beneath our feet and finding out how better soil data can help farmers make smarter decisions on farm. We hear from Soil Benchmark co-founder Tom Scrope, who explains how his work caught the attention of the European Space Agency, bringing together insights gathered from what lies below the surface and satellites far above.

We also catch up with an Oxfordshire mixed farmer to hear what he's learned from taking a closer look at his own soils, and how that knowledge is helping shape decisions back on the farm.

Plus, Charlotte and Phil round up a few of the stories that have caught their eye this week, from SFI to large record-breaking vegetables.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

About Soil Benchmark | Smarter Farm Software for UK Farms

SFI26 Window 2: an update – Farming

Sustainable Farming Incentive | AHDB

Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL) | AHDB

Giant veg Guinness World Records broken at Malvern Autumn Show - BBC News

GET IN TOUCH

Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

With bluetongue cases firmly into four digits this season, on this week's AG Show we're hearing first-hand what that can mean for farmers. Devon beef and sheep farmer Richard Stanbury joins us to share his experience after some of his livestock became infected.

Speaking candidly from his farm on the edge of Exmoor, Richard talks about losing sheep, the mental toll of the outbreak and why he's determined to help other farmers understand the reality of the disease and cut through some of the misinformation around it.

Plus, we've got the latest drought update, we explore whether hybrid meat products could take off at the supermarket and we hear about an extraordinary toy tractor collection that's heading to auction.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Bluetongue virus latest news | AHDB

Bluetongue: latest situation - GOV.UK

Bluetongue virus webinars | AHDB

Lidl launches 'first-of-its-kind' hybrid meat range | The Grocer

John Deere enthusiast puts prized 500-model collection up for sale - FarmingUK News

GET IN TOUCH

Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

Farming minister, Stephen Morgan, joins The AG Show to share his vision for the future of British farming. In a wide-ranging chat, he talks profitability, investment, food security and how government can help create the conditions for a thriving agricultural sector.

We also look ahead to the second SFI application window of the year, breaking down what's changed and how AHDB's cost-benefit tool can help you work out whether an application is the right fit for your business.

Plus, cottage-cheese bread is back on the agenda. What started as a passing mention has become something of an obsession on the show.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Stephen Morgan MP - GOV.UK

SFI cost benefit tool | AHDB Tools

SFI26: scheme rules and guidance - GOV.UK

Stacking options for SFI | AHDB

Recovering grassland and setting autumn priorities | AHDB

Tesco bans 114 ingredients as it launches UPF clampdown | The Grocer

GET IN TOUCH

Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

The AG Show dives into what Gen Z really thinks about British farming. Are younger consumers switching off from agriculture, or is it simply not showing up on their radar? New AHDB research suggests trust in British farmers is still strong, but there's a gap when it comes to understanding modern farming. So what can the industry do to better connect with the next generation?

Plus, we head back to Cumbria for an update on a rainwater harvesting project across nine farms. The systems are now installed and, after one of the driest summers in recent memory, we find out how they're bedding in and what's next for the project.

And what self-respecting podcast would be complete without talk of home-made bread, damson gin, hornets and biscuits?!?

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Bringing British farming closer to Gen Z | AHDB

Protecting the water supply for your crops | AHDB

West Cumbria Rivers Trust - Caring For West Cumbrian Rivers & Lakes

Fewer than half of British consumers trust food labels, survey finds | The Grocer

Thatchers begins earliest apple harvest in its 122-year history | Wales Online

GET IN TOUCH

Charlotte, Hannah, Phil and producers Jess and Martin would love to hear what you think! Got feedback, stories or ideas for future episodes? Drop them a message at [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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

Autumn's arrived, and to mark Love Lamb Week we're catching up with a familiar face from The Great British Bake Off who's flying the flag for British lamb.

Mike Wilkins is a sheep farmer with first-hand experience of what TV can do for farming's image. He explains why shows like Bake Off can help tell farming's story to a much wider audience, and why he's backing the long-running Make It Lamb campaign.

He also lets us in on a behind-the-scenes Bake Off secret, revealing who he couldn't resist sharing details of his TV appearances with while filming. And let's just say, it wasn't limited to the immediate family.

SOME USEFUL BITS (FROM AHDB & BEYOND)

Make it Lamb | AHDB

Search Resources Only - Food A Fact Of Life

Let's Eat Balanced | AHDB

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 [email protected].

Sign up to the AHDB Preference Centre 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