Toplines and Tales

There is a huge lack of clarity around the Blue Tongue Virus and its impact, spread symptoms and longer term risks on the UK livestock industry. I have a long chat with Phil Stocker, CEO of the National sheep association who is generally respected as an expert in the disease. Using questions raised on social media as well as my own inquisitiveness, Phil dispels some myths as well as providing some essential clarification on the situation.

Now in its 100th year, Willie McLaren has evolved the Netherton Angus herd to move in a slightly different direction to many of the other breeders in UK. A renown cattle judge, Willie has instigated a change towards easier fleshed and maybe smaller cattle and he now holds a successful annual female sale also utilizing online bidding, as well as supplying top genetics around the world. We also talk about his association with the Wagyu breed and how that system works, with Highland Wagyu now supplying many of UK’s restaurants with prized quality fullblood Wagyu beef which is in such high demand.  

Tom Burke is one of the giants of the World's cattle industry. Still actively conducting Angus Cattle sales throughout USA into his 80s, Tom's knowledge of the cattle industry, and particularly Angus, knows no equal. Tom chats to me about his co-authorship of the book The History of Aberdeen Angus in US, UK and Worldwide where his input has been invaluable in creating this magnificent volume that will stand as a reference point for a whole host of livestock subjects for many generations.

Vince Corbett, along with his family, from the Welsh borders has slowly risen to the top of the tree in the Charolais cattle world, being the herd to beat in the show ring. Vince chats about their easy-care sheep, his venture into Limousin cattle as well as the mechanics of his top Charolais herd. We also get into a discussion about the myostatin gene, among other things.

From someone who didn’t start with a farming background, Steve Smith’s rise to Welsh Sheep farmer of the year, now running over 1100 acres, has been a fascinating story. Best known for his Pen Parc Texel flock, an in-demand judge, Steve has had to make his farm pay with contributions from diversification into a number of areas, including falconry, photography and hydro-electricity as well as his large sheep enterprise.

A bonus episode this week, with two giants in the US livestock industry, John Dawes and Dr Jim Gibb.

John Dawes a contemporary and colleague of Herman Purdy who collaborated on an earlier successful volume called Breeds of Cattle gives an overview of his position in the US cattle world. This is followed by Dr Jim Gibb, a world leading expert in cattle genomics in USA who gives a brief history of how genomics were developed into what we have today. Both having reviewed our book, The History of Aberdeen-Angus cattle in US, UK and Around the World, they give us their honest opinion of what the book means in a modern society.

They also discuss our new book, The History of Aberdeen Angus in US, UK and Worldwide, as both have been early reviewers of it. 

As well as being a top Angus cattle breeder, Ken Howie, from Cairnton, Aberdeenshire has converted his farm into the ultimate in diversification. His Deesisde Activity park offers a whole range of outdoor pursuits including karting, fishing, shooting and even axe throwing. We chat about his business in beautiful Royal Deeside, as well as his Cairnton Angus herd. 

Megan Friel is a top Angus breeder in New Zealand, so we discuss her earlier years a major sheep farmer, her and her husband’s modern Mt Mable commercial bull stud, as well her current association with the New Zealand Angus association. Dr Bob Hough joins in as we compare the different systems and type of cattle between NZ, US and UK, discovering some surprising similarities with Scotland.  

The name Lindertis has been etched in history through the world-famous Angus bull Lindertis Evulse which sold for a record price in 1963. I speak to Tom Hopkinson, a grandson of Sir Torquil Munro and a pedigree Angus breeder in his own right, about some of those halcyon days. We discuss his even more famous Great Grand Father, Sir Hugh Munro who named all the mountains in Scotland. Tom also talks of their other business interests as well as their own top Angus herd and an upcoming dispersal sale.  

I may have been quiet on the podcast front for a while as I have been very busy writing. We can now announce that we have just competed a 2 and half year project writing the History of Aberdeen-Angus in the US, UK and worldwide. In this episode, Dr Bob Hough and I discuss what you can expect in this coffee-table styled book, as well as how it came together and the challenges this 540 page tome presented. You can find more about it at www.angushistorybook.com