AHDB Food & Farming

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a hot topic, but it's not a new idea. In this episode we find out who's doing what, and why, along the road towards integrated pest management. We hear from Warwickshire arable farmer Rob Fox, AHDB's Jon Knight, Emma Hamer from the NFU and Alison Stewart, all the way from New Zealand's Foundation for Arable Research.

View AHDB resources on IPM

The AHDB Agronomists' Conference 2019 will focus on ways to achieve integrated pest management.

Image: Natural enemy Asilidae Diotctria rufipes, by Ian Andrews. The larvae predate the larvae of other insects and the adults predate other insects on the wing. Find out more in the Encyclopaedia of pests and natural enemies

In this episode, we find out whether you can, or should, believe all that is written and claimed by those who position the future as a place away from meat in the diet.

AHDB news

Millions more people across Great Britain are being exposed to positive messaging on meat as a result of a joint project from the levy bodies in England, Scotland and Wales, now entering its second year.

To help you share that message, we've put together a number of fact-based tools with the Meat Advisory Panel (MAP) which help highlight the positive health benefits of eating red meat.

MAP is a group of healthcare professionals, scientists and researchers who provide independent and objective information about red meat and its role as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

World Cancer Research Fund UK is a UK cancer charity which funds and supports scientific research on how to prevent cancer with exercise, alcohol and diet.

WHO's primary role is to direct international health within the United Nations' system and to lead partners in global health response 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The objective of the IARC is to promote international collaboration in cancer research.

Email: [email protected] and sign up to receive the latest information from AHDB.

Steve West from our Knowledge Exchange team talks to dairy farmer Andrew Gilman about his breeding policies and goals, and how his herd has evolved over recent years.

This episode is part of AHDB's #Breed4Better campaign and covers fertility, the role of genetics, heat detection and the use of sexed semen.

In this episode we’ll be hearing from Doreen Anderson, AHDB’s Knowledge Exchange Manager for Farmbench and will share with us the key highlights from the Arable Scotland Study Tour. Doreen will explain why ‘change’ is key and the important of mind-set when farmers are exploring new business opportunities.  

We will hear from Richard and Anna Black, Arable farmers who carry multiple new and exciting enterprises as well as running their main business in arable farming. Find out how Richard and Anna began their journey as well as the change in mind-set required to take on the new venture.

Richard Orr, also an arable farmer and Northern Ireland Monitor Farmer will be on this episode to share the new opportunities he has taken. Richard farms with his father at Meadow Farm in Downpatrick. Stay tuned to find out more.

For further information please contact Doreen Anderson or visit ahdb.org.uk. 

Don't forget to listen to our next dairy focused episode. Alistair will focus on their new dairy campaign, #Breed4Better.

In this episode, Zanita Markham talks to the Environment Agency about farming rules for water and the measures you can take to manage manure, fertiliser and soil to prevent runoff, erosion and leaching, building on the good practice already in operation.

Find out more on the rules for farmers and land managers to prevent water pollution

AHDB guidance to help with farming rules for water

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Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 03708 506 506

The Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) helps you make the most of organic materials and balance the benefits of fertiliser use against the costs – both economic and environmental.

Find out more about African swine fever (AHDB)

Defra information on African swine fever 

Pork Talk market update videos

AHDB Brexit hub

Get in touch: [email protected] 

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In this episode we provide an overview of AHDB's Education team. We find out what is going on across all sectors with a look at the Education Strategy with a specific look at the Grow Your Own Potatoes scheme.

The information given in this podcast can be found on the following:

www.ahdb.org.uk/education

www.growyourownpotatoes.org.uk

www.foodafactoflife.org.uk

For any further information, please email Sue Lawton - [email protected]

In this edition Chloe McKee, Knowledge Transfer Officer talks to beef and sheep farmer, Paul Renison, on how he has gone from set stocking to rotational grazing on Cannerheugh farm in Cumbria.

Shetland farmers Kirsty and Aimee Budge of Bigton Farm; Jamie Leslie, Scholland Farm; and Monitor Farm facilitator Graham Fraser, talk to AHDB's Sarah Hunter-Argyle about their work to improve barley yields, as part of the AHDB and QMS Monitor Farm project.

John Bates talks to AHDB’s pork, beef and lamb marketing manager Liam Byrne on how levy-funded marketing campaigns are helping to promote UK farming produce to consumers. The episode includes a sneak preview of a new radio advert on lamb.

 

For more information visit: https://ahdb.org.uk/retail-and-consumer-insight and https://ahdb.org.uk/marketing

In this edition of our dairy podcast we look at the latest Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL) which aims to help farmers make informed decisions about the varieties that perform well for their system.

 

Siwan Howatson, AHDB Dairy Scientist travelled to the Royal Welsh Grassland event in Pembrokeshire and spoke with NIAB's Ellie Sweatman, Elaine Jewelled from BGS, farmer Joey Malone, Germinal's Helen Mathias and Danny from UCD.

 

The 2019/2020 edition of the RGCL sees eight new varieties of ryegrass and one red and one white clover alongside existing listings. 

 

Only grasses and clovers that have undergone at least four years of independent testing are included in the lists. Varieties are rigorously tested for factors such as total and seasonal yield, feed quality, disease and persistence before making the RGCL.

 

In addition to providing information on the varieties, the RGCL also includes a range of technical information for farmers on how they can manage their reseed and maximise the productivity of their grassland.

 

The 2019/2020 RGCL handbook and the full lists for merchants is now available to download or use the online interactive version for perennial ryegrasses.