AHDB Food & Farming

Our world feels out of balance. The decisions we make about food are often loaded with implications, for our health or the environment.

On 4 January 2021, we'll be launching a £1.5 million TV led marketing campaign, to protect meat and dairy’s reputation in a healthy balanced diet aired across terrestrial and digital channels. With numerous fad diets swimming around social media, we’re finally taking a stance to represent an authentic, positive and healthy image of pork, dairy, beef and lamb.

John Bates invites Christine Watts, Liam Byrne and Susie Stannard to discuss how they aim to change consumers hearts and minds by providing them with the facts and reassuring our audience that the foods they enjoy – red meat and dairy – can play a role in a healthy and sustainable balanced diet.

 

For further information, please visit ahdb.org.uk/weeatbalanced. 

In this podcast we explore the potential benefits of introducing beef systems into arable rotations. An AHDB research project which investigates just that, is now five years in and the farmers involved with the study have seen noticeable improvements. With the new Environmental Land Management (ELMS) scheme coming into effect, set to incentivise sustainable farming practices, it begs the question 'would your business benefit economically and environmentally from bringing livestock and arable together?'

Our speakers include; Dr Lizzie Sagoo Principal soil scientist for ADAS, who is involved in the research side of the project. Peter Lord who runs the host farm down near Bath in Somerset, and Joe Howard who is an AHDB Beef & Lamb Strategic Farmer who has introduced livestock back into his arable system after a period of intensive irrigation. Combining the two systems has positive benefits by improving soil structure and content, introducing herbal leys and achieving better utilisation of land. Take a listen to find out if this could benefit your business and for advice on how to get started.

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Nicholas Saphir, AHDB Chair: "We have listened carefully to our levy payers, and we will now embark on major change at AHDB. Our new change and strategy programme puts farmers and growers at the heart of what we do, and we want to hear from you. Together we can make the most of the opportunities which lie ahead for British food and farming"

Find out more and have your say by visiting ahdb.org.uk/strategy

Feedback survey: We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis.

In this episode Knowledge Exchange Manager Shirley Macmillan talks to Strategic Dairy Farmer Dan Burdett and Andersons’ Business consultant Tony Evans about the modern pressures of dairy farming, and how to set up and manage your dairy farm around a sound business structure.

 

You can find more information on our dedicated Business change and succession webpage.

 

Feedback survey: We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis.

Northern Ireland's AHDB Monitor Farm host Richard Orr interviews new Cereals & Oilseeds Board member David Walston.

Did you know almost 70% of consumers say the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme, positively influences their shopping? Jim Mosely, the Red Tractor Assurance CEO,  states 73% of consumers trust the Red Tractor Scheme and that’s just the beginning. It’s safe to say, the little red tractor is a key player in the farming industry and its journey to our consumer's dinner table. 

John Bates talks to the CEO of one of the largest farming assurance schemes, Red Tractor – about the nitty-gritty details and the importance of the scheme and how this helps farmers. 

Find out how the organisation deals with bad publicity and how Red Tractor is preparing in light of the current economic stress caused by the pandemic and as we plan to leave the EU - discussing what this means for Britain’s food producers. 

Would you like to know more about The Red Tractor Assurance Scheme? Visit, assurance.redtractor.org.uk

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Created in the aftermath of the BSE and Salmonella disasters two decades ago. Red Tractor’s core purpose was to reassure consumers at a time when trust in our industry was at an all-time low. It has since grown to become the UK's biggest farm and food standards scheme, with almost 50,000 members. Covering all of animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection, this not for profit company, has helped to establish British food and farming as the benchmark for quality across the world.

For this week's horticulture podcast we are looking at poinsettias and AHDB's trials and research work into new varieties of non-red poinsettias. In this episode, Wayne Brough, AHDB's Knowledge Exchange Manager for Ornamentals , leads the conversation and chats to poinsettia growers Andrew Fuller, Graeme Edwards and James Lisher for their thoughts on the findings from these AHDB trials.

For more information on these trials and this research, please visit: https://ahdb.org.uk/PoinsettiaVarieties

It’s Strategic Farm Week at AHDB! In this special edition of the podcast, we’ll discuss the research taking place at our host farms across the UK.

Strategic Cereal Farm East host Brian Barker hosts a panel of researchers responsible for overseeing the harvest 2021 trials. Tune in to listen to:

For more information about Strategic Farm Week – Winter 2020 visit: ahdb.org.uk/sfweek-winter-2020.

You can find results from all this years’ trials at ahdb.org.uk/sfweek-winter-2020/results. 

You can watch recordings by visiting ahdb.org.uk/cerealswebinars  

To learn more about our three Strategic Cereal Farms, please find links to each farm below:

Strategic Cereal Farm Scotland (David Aglen - Balbirnie Home Farms)

You can find key AHDB publications visiting the AHDB Knowledge Library: https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library 

In this episode we speak to Brendon Rockey, who will be the key note speaker at the Potato Industry Conference Day, which will be held online on 24th of November. He will speak about the way he farms and what made him choose a non-chemical way of farming. 

In the second part of this episode we speak to Claire Hodge, Senior Arable Knowledge Exchange Manager for Scotland. Claire will speak about the morning session at the Potato Conference as well as offering a preview of the SPot Winter Results Events.

Maria Covlea 

REGISTER FOR THE POTATO INDUSTRY CONFERENCE DAY

Let us know what you think about this podcast episode: We'd love to hear your feedback 

Emily Boyce, Knowledge Exchange Manager

Lauren Dimmack, Animal Health & Welfare Scientist

Charlie Reeve, Market Analyst

Our principles of pig production webinar series is aimed at anyone looking to upskill or refresh their knowledge on pig production, both small-scale producers and stockpeople alike.

Register for the next webinar on 24 November

AHDB event archive: https://ahdb.org.uk/pork-events-archive 

Have you got a contingency plan? Think about your options for alternative/temporary accommodation now and speak to your key suppliers e.g. feed and bedding.

If concerned, speak to your vet and, if you need to, speak to your assurance scheme as early as possible.

Download our contingency planning guide

 

An overview of the latest developments for pig meat markets both globally and in the domestic market.

Contact our analysts: [email protected]

Pork market analysis: https://ahdb.org.uk/pork/market-analysis  

Feedback survey

We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis.