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PODCAST

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.

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All Episodes

61:58

Understanding IMF, Shear Force and Marbling with Dr...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/10/19

Want to know more about meat-eating quality traits like IMF, shear force and marbling? Our guest this week, Dr Peter McGilchrist, is a leading meat scientist and professor at the University of New England, Australia, likely has the answers you're looking for. Peter and Mark talk all things meat-eating quality and how the red meat industry can move beyond commodity pricing by identifying premium quality products through genetics, processing, and proper animal handling. Peter and Ma...

en-nz

27:54

neXtPredict: Breeding Values Made Easy for Commercial...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/10/12

Ever wished you could get breeding values on your commercial Merinos without having to record weights, dates or pedigrees? This week, we’re launching neXtPredict, our brand new genomic tool that lets you go straight from DNA to breeding values with just a simple TSU sample. Developed in partnership with Weatherbys Scientific, neXtPredict provides base genomic breeding values, parentage, poll/horn testing and a flock profile for Merino breeders. It’s powered by the MerinoSelect database and ba...

en-nz

38:47

Three sheep consultants walk into a podcast studio ...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/10/05

What do you get when three sheep consultants, all podcast hosts, from Australia, England and Wales sit down in front of a microphone? You get a very entertaining, slightly chaotic, sheepy podcast! This week, we're joined by Liz Genever and Nerys Wright to discuss the launch of OptiEwe UK as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by farmers over there. Liz, Nerys and Ferg chat about this summer's extremely dry weather, current lamb prices, shifts in farming practices (and the rol...

en-nz

30:43

Fighting drench resistance with the DAGI app, with...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/09/28

Is drench resistance an issue on your property? Thanks to modern technology, we have tools at our disposal to help. This week's guest is Ryan Luckman, vet and founder of DAGI, (Drench and Grazing Integration), an app that displays the risk of larval challenge/resistance risk for the paddocks on your farm, helping you make better grazing decisions. With the help of industry experts and the support of B+LNZ, Ryan has been building the DAGI (Drench And Grazing Integration) app over the pas...

en-nz

46:53

What does neXtgen Agri actually do? Mark Ferguson...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/09/21

Thousands of you listen to the podcast every week, but we've come to realise many of you don't know exactly what we do here at neXtgen Agri. In this episode, Mark, our host and CEO, takes to the mic and chats about all things neXtgen Agri and the services we provide to farmers across the globe. He shares how “farming in our hearts, science in our heads” drives everything we do. From helping farmers lift genetic gain to building tools that make breeding decisions clearer and faster, Ferg...

en-nz

38:38

On-Farm Micron Testing with Woven Optics

Head Shepherd ·

2025/09/14

Our guest this week is Vicky Alexandrou, co-founder of Woven Optics. Over the past eight years, Vicky has helped design and build a handheld microscope that lets you measure wool fibre diameter right there in the yards or shed. Instead of waiting for lab results, you clip a small sample, take a few quick images along the staple, and within seconds, the device tells you the mean micron, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and comfort factor. You can scan the sheep’s ear tag so ...

en-nz

27:50

Leadership in ag with Felicity Taylor

Head Shepherd ·

2025/09/07

What does leadership look like in agriculture today? For Felicity Taylor, Area Manager for Rabobank in Moree and a 2025 Zanda McDonald Award finalist, it’s about connection, community and supporting others to succeed. In this episode, Felicity shares her journey from growing up on a cropping property to becoming the youngest area manager in Rabobank’s history. She talks about the rising costs facing farming, the challenge for young people to get started, and why she believes regional Australi...

en-nz

33:24

Breeding better sheep at Moojepin Merinos with Hamish...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/08/31

What does it take to keep a sheep business moving forward? For our guest this week, Hamish Thomson of Moojepin Merinos, it’s a mix of genetics, management and never being afraid to try something new. In the podcast, Hamish talks about the progress they’ve made since we spoke to him last, which was four years ago! They have been continuing to select for traits like growth, muscle and fat, as well as intensifying the focus to welfare traits such as dag, worms and, more recently, foot str...

en-nz

21:45

Using Drone Technology in Ag with SkyKelpie

Head Shepherd ·

2025/08/24

Ever considered using a drone on your farm? Well, this is the podcast for you. This week, our guest is Luke Chaplain, founder of SkyKelpie. Luke is one of the leading experts in drone mustering in Australia and has spent the last three years researching drone technology to find the best fits for Agricultural use. More recently, Luke has gotten involved in the training of drone usage, to give farmers and other industries the necessary tools for effective drone usage. One of these tools i...

en-nz

45:35

The past, present and future of sheep genomics in New...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/08/17

If you want to know about sheep genetics in New Zealand, our guest this week, John McEwan, is the person to ask. John has been involved with genomics “since before genomics was a thing.” From discovering key reproductive genes and rolling out DNA parentage, to the sequencing of the sheep genome and the industry adoption of genomic selection, John takes us through the milestones that have shaped New Zealand sheep breeding. Tune in today to hear where we're heading next. Head Sh...

en-nz

37:14

Breeding a multi-dimensional, modern Merino at...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/08/10

When you think of a "Modern Merino", what comes to mind? For our guest this week, Willera Merino stud principal Simon Coutts, it means a sheep that works for your business, regardless of the weather or market conditions. Simon explains Willara's breeding philosophy, which focuses on developing a "modern Merino" that is multi-dimensional and provides multiple income streams from high-value wool, prime lamb, capital stock, and mutton. Simon and Ferg chat about the three Willera prop...

en-nz

28:46

Inside Headwaters Genetics with Simon Saunders

Head Shepherd ·

2025/08/03

Simon Saunders is one of the original farmers behind Headwaters and runs the elite ewe flock at his farm, Stag Valley. In this episode, he discusses how the breeding program has evolved, what it takes to deliver consistency at scale, and the future of the Lumina lamb programme. If you're wondering how to extract more value from your sheep operation or thinking about speciality lamb production, then this episode is not one to miss! Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri Intern...

en-nz

45:57

What can US sheep farmers learn from New Zealand's...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/07/27

This week, we’re chatting about the differences between US and NZ sheep production systems with Dr. Whit Stewart, an Associate Professor and Extension Sheep Specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Wyoming. Whit has spent the last year on a sabbatical in New Zealand, learning and absorbing as much as he can about sheep farming here. Because of this, he has some great insights into the comparisons between systems as well as what we do well, and what we could do bette...

en-nz

35:50

Staff, Structure and Systems with Jack O’Connor

Head Shepherd ·

2025/07/20

This week we’re (belatedly) joined by Jack O’Connor, winner of the 2025 Zanda McDonald Award. Jack lives and works on the family’s fourth-generation mixed farming operation, Oxton Park, in southern NSW. He and Ferg discuss his career so far and why, for Jack, business success comes down to the people and community he works alongside. And with 20 staff, 15 properties, and both livestock and cropping enterprises, that focus on people is essential! They also chat about the importance of professi...

en-nz

56:48

The future of LAMBPLAN with Peta Bradley

Head Shepherd ·

2025/07/13

We're back on the genetic evaluation theme with Peta Bradley, Operations Manager at Sheep Genetics, to talk all things sheep genetics and the exciting changes that are happening at MLA in terms of bringing the two LAMBPLAN databases together. Peta also discusses the evolution of the Sheep Genetics genetic evaluation over the years, the crucial role of genomics as well as phenotypes and a current reference population, as well as her ice-swimming journey! Head Shepherd is brought to...

en-nz

45:15

Genetic Progress: Navigating trade-offs and...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/07/06

This week, we’re joined by Jason Archer, Head of Genetics at Beef + Lamb NZ, to discuss the untapped potential of genomics in livestock. Jason has spent his career working across beef, sheep, and even deer between Australia and New Zealand. He and Ferg chat about where genomics is taking us, why some of our current systems are holding things back, and what it might take to unlock faster progress in traits like feed efficiency and methane. Why genetics is still underused in livestock breeding&...

en-nz

39:24

Why Structural Selection Drives Long-Term...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/06/29

In this episode, Ferg is chatting with Sharon Paterson from Waikaka Station in Southland, NZ. Sharon is very passionate about her flock of Texels and chats with Ferg about her selection process and her very rigorous culling criteria for structure and litter size, which have led to a uniform and productive line of sheep. Ferg and Sharon discuss How structure improves stayabilityHow culling singles over the years has improved fertility.How improved survivability counteracts a lower scanning per...

en-nz

26:33

Managing Farm Operations and Community Involvement...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/06/22

This week on the podcast, we're joined by James Bruce, a Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer running 6,000-7,000 stock units across hill country in the Maramora area. James shares his practical strategies for managing farmer mental health and well-being. James discusses his "ripple effect" philosophy of how one person's mood affects their entire team, whether in the farm yards or on the rugby field. He also reveals his tidy approach to balancing multiple commitments, the importance of celebrating...

en-nz

54:13

Why the Farmer is the Pharmacist of the Future with...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/06/15

Our guest this week is Louis De Jaeger, a landscape designer, author and filmmaker who believes that many of agriculture’s biggest problems start with poor soil. In this episode, he and Ferg explore soil as a living system. One that can reduce costs, improve resilience, and produce more nutrient-dense food when managed well. They talk about building long-term fertility without synthetic fertilisers, how some farmers are fighting drought and climate change, and the link between soil microbes a...

en-nz

40:30

How to improve your parasite management on farm with...

Head Shepherd ·

2025/06/08

This week, Ferg chats with Greg Mirams, founder of Techion/FECPAK. What started as a tool to do worm egg counts on farm has evolved into a digital platform that reads samples using AI, returns results in minutes, and is helping farmers tackle drench resistance head-on. They cover the early days of FECPAK, how AI is speeding up diagnosis, what species ID could unlock for breeders, and why post-treatment testing matters more than ever. • Why drench resistance is no longer a “maybe” and what far...

en-nz

278 results

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