animal husbandry

Join us on the Grazing Grass podcast as we welcome Rob Dowdle, a seventh-generation farmer with a rich heritage in agriculture. Rob shares his transformation from a full-time pastor to a passionate steward of the land, managing a diverse range of livestock. Tune in as Rob recounts the evolution of his farming practices, from childhood experiences on a beef feeder operation to embracing the challenges and joys of animal husbandry, including raising pasture pigs and cattle. His dedication to regenerative farming and reconnecting his family with their agricultural roots offers a personal and engaging narrative that's sure to captivate anyone interested in the farming lifestyle.

Listen in as we explore the practical aspects of farming with Rob, who delves into the nitty-gritty of pasture poultry and the economics of egg production versus meat birds. He shares valuable insights into the labor-intensive nature of managing egg layers and the decision-making that led to a pivot towards pastured pigs. The conversation takes a deep turn into the intricacies of livestock breeds, from the slower-growing, fatty Mangalitsas to the more traditional breeds favored by consumers. Rob's firsthand experiences with direct-to-consumer sales, managing farm infrastructure, and optimizing livestock for quality and marketability make this episode a treasure trove of farming wisdom.

Our discussion culminates with a look at the innovative agricultural practices Rob employs on his farm. We cover the environmental and cost benefits of integrating cover crops like sorghum-sudangrass, the significant savings they provide, and the positive impact on soil health. Rob also introduces us to the world of beekeeping, revealing how honey bees have become a complementary and low-maintenance facet of his farm ecosystem. For anyone curious about regenerative agriculture, or seeking tips to enhance their farming journey, Rob's stories and advice are not to be missed. Don't forget to visit Dowdle Family Farms' website for more updates and insights into the delightful world of farming as told by a true practitioner of the craft.

https://dowdlefamilyfarms.com
https://youtube.com/@dowdlefamilyfarm

Follow us on social media!

Website: https://grazinggrass.com/

Facebook: Grazing Grass Podcast

Instagram: @grazinggrass

Twitter: @grazing_grass

Affiliate links:
Riverside - Create professional-quality podcast episodes with ease using Riverside's seamless recording and editing tools.
Podium - Unlock your podcast's potential with Podium, the AI copywriter for show notes, articles, social posts, and more!

The science, craft and art of warfare in history and the present.

I’m delighted to welcome our good friend, Julia Inglis back to An Equine Conversation. We first met Julia in Series 1, Episode 8 ‘Julia’s story - a tale to learn from’. If you want to hear Julia’s story, you can jump back and listen to that episode.

Julia & I talk so much about training, so we thought we’d start to share some of these conversations with you.

In this episode, we start by catching up on how Julia’s horse Maddy, who has Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) went over last Spring and Summer. Then, we get into the weeds of talking about the challenges of the English langauge, particularly the use of labels, in the horse world…. but because this is Julia and I, we quickly end up down various rabbit holes due to what we’d both been seeing in the months before we spoke, including talking about what you do when you remove labels, the challenge of addressing the actual problem when that impacts your plans and what the movie ‘Frozen’ has to do with horses and training.

Julia Inglis:

Julia grew up in the UK and was animal mad from a young age, catching her first pet when a rabbit wandered into her garden. She learned to ride at school but stopped for many years when she went to university in Glasgow before moving to London for further studies. Julia completed her PhD in neuropharmacology in 2004 and went on to establish a research career in the area of pain mechanisms in arthritis.

After completing her studies Julia started riding again at a local riding school, and around this time she met her now husband at a conference. He lived in Perth, Australia and in a bid to persuade her to move there started sending adverts for horse properties and horses. Within months Julia moved to Australia and they bought their first horse, which soon became 2 then 3, and is now a small farm full of animals.

Julia rode traditionally for close to a decade, bush riding and dressage but when her horse refused to move under saddle ended up learning about alternative ways to train and positive reinforcement. This has now become her passion and obsession as it combines science and training geekery with animals - her two great loves.

In this episode we discuss:

1:39 - episode introduction

3:08 - an update on Maddy over last Spring & Summer (Julia’s horse with EMS)

12:26 - how we use language, labels & why they're problematic but also useful

26:35 - what you do when you unravel the label & then have to do something about what’s going on

38:04 - back to labels - 'boring'

41:21 - so what even is a 'bombproof' horse or pony & what the kids film ‘Frozen’ has to do with ‘bombproof’ horses

53:11 - where to now - body language again & building a common language & labels as short-hand

59:08 - summary & the need for a new shared language / labels in the horse world

1:02:33 - the influence of history & present art on what we label 'beautiful' & see as desirable

1:06:06 - top tips & then some

1:13:14 - important end-of-season announcements

Link from Julia:

While not mentioned in the podcast, Julia has requested we share the link for the Western Australia (WA) Equine Clicker Trainer group so that those in WA who are interested can join and share.

Our links mentioned this episode:  

Sign-up to our email list

Abbey's Run Equestrian website

Abbey's Run Equestrian on Facebook

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for podcast production & consultation. You can find out more about podcast support on offer via: Blissery.FM or email info@blissery.fm

In my almost 3 decades of teaching people with horses, there are some things I have been asked about many times. Questions around or support in buying a new horse has been one of these.

Horse shopping, much like property shopping, can be an emotional roller-coaster of an experience. Then when you finally land on which equine and have your new partner home, things may not go, in fact often they don’t go, quite as you imagined they would.

In this episode I’m going to speak to the ‘truth’ in buying a horse, whether that be your first, second, third or tenth horse.

In this episode we discuss:

1:26 - episode introduction

2:08 - dishonest sellers as opposed to different ‘truths’

3:01 - where our truth comes from

3:28 - why the difference in the ‘truth’ & what it can look like

4:55 - the influential impact on the truth of the conditions the horse is kept in

5:54 - examples to highlight the impact of conditions on the ‘truth’

9:20 - a difference in a seller and buyers ‘truth’ about a horse & the importance of asking a seller but also observing the horse

10:46 - the use of descriptive labels & getting to the bottom of what they actually mean

11:46 - the exception to the rule where the ‘truths’ meet & the effort that went into setting up this mutual ‘truth’

13:45 - what to do now with this information

15:46 - intro to what’s coming up next episode

Our links mentioned this episode:  

Sign-up to our email list

Abbey's Run Equestrian website

Abbey's Run Equestrian on Facebook

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for podcast production & consultation. You can find out more about podcast support on offer via: Blissery.FM or email info@blissery.fm

How many people do you know who’ve had some kind of pain or illness that the human medical professionals have not been able to get to the bottom of or provide relief from? Or where it’s taken some time and robust investigations, often driven by the person or their family to figure out what’s going on?

I know quite a few & have experienced this myself, and this is with the diagnostics available to human medicine.

Almost daily I see equine-owning humans asking for training help online with a horse that’s body language and behaviour is indicating likely pain. Sometimes this body language from the horse is fairly explicit and other times it’s more subtle. Some of the lovely humans asking for help have sought some veterinary intervention, but it can happen that their initial vet hasn’t been able to find anything wrong.

If you listened to Episode 8 in Season 1 of An Equine Conversation, Julia’s story with her horse Maddy, you’ll know that Maddy was exhibiting behaviour that indicated something was wrong and that Julia had to push past initial vet suggestions to get to the point of an actual diagnosis for what was wrong, and then how to treat and manage what was going on for him. It took some time and probing and pushing to figure it out.

And here’s the thing. Pain in horses is not always possible to rule out or resolve. It’s not a matter of just saying there’s nothing wrong – because there can be and the science and diagnostic equipment just isn’t there yet to figure absolutely everything out – but, the science, the technology and the research are making progress and there’s so much more available to us than 20 years ago.

I wanted to talk to an Equine Veterinarian about why it’s challenging to rule out pain in horses and what we can and should do about it as owners, so I asked my friend, Dr Lisa Walter, Equine Vet in South Australia, if she would join me for a chat. I always love speaking with Lisa as she has so much knowledge and a constant curiosity about how the horses body works – which has led her to working on a PhD in Sacroilliac dysfunction. I’m so pleased to bring this conversation to you and hope it helps expand your knowledge, awareness, understanding and ability to pursue niggles about any pain you are suspect of with your equines.

Dr Lisa Walter:

Lisa Walter is a veterinarian, researcher and educator with an interest in subtle lameness in sport horses, including the early identification and management of performance horses exhibiting low grade lameness, and locomotory dysfunctions. She completed her veterinary research training and veterinary degree at the University of Melbourne (1998, 2000) and has completed training in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture with the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.

Her research includes the validation of a radiographic measurement technique used to identify early indicators of shinsoreness in Thoroughbred racehorses, clinical identification and management of sacroiliac dysfunction, and the effectiveness of different therapeutic modalities for musculoskeletal dysfunction in horses.

Lisa is based in Australia and has worked as a veterinarian in Australia and England in first opinion and referral equine practices. She currently runs her own integrative sport horse practice in the Adelaide Hills integrating veterinary medicine, acupuncture, physical therapy and therapeutic exercise to manage locomotory dysfunction in sport horses. She is a sessional lecturer for undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary courses across several universities, and is completing a PhD in sacroiliac dysfunction in horses at the University of Adelaide.

Outside of work, Lisa is a horse-owning tragic. She has trained and ridden horses across various disciplines including, showing, stockwork, eventing and showjumping. She loves working with the “project” horse and has an understanding and empathy for the challenges and rewards that this can bring.

In this episode we discuss:

2:26 - episode introduction

4:56 - introducing Dr Lisa Walter

6:41 - Lisa’s start & where she’s at now with her work and Equine Veterinary interests

9:16 - what brought Lisa to working on a PhD in sacroiliac dysfunction

12:08 - why is it so difficult to rule out pain in horses & the challenge of identifying indicators of pain in our horses

16:14 - the challenge of the Veterinary community of diagnosing more subtle conditions & the evolution of diagnostic/imaging equipment to better help diagnosis & having a non-verbal patient

18:00 - diagnostic imaging technology for equines

21:59 - Equine Veterinary Specialists

25:20 - why should we continue to try and rule out pain in our horses & not just a ‘naughty pony’

29:31 - the ‘cold backed’ horse

30:19 - pain versus dysfunction & the challenge for Veterinary medicine of understanding ‘normal variation’ with the developing imaging equipment

34:15 - how can individual owners contribute to further research in equine medicine?

37:00 - the evolution of physiological issues - awareness, diagnosis & changes in the equine population & equine management

39:55 - accessing Equine Specialists

43:56 - top tips for listeners - if you’re suspect your horse might be experiencing pain

45:51 - Vets who’ve done additional training in other physical modalities & the importance of having a trusted team of practitioners

48:46 - if you think there’s a problem - there generally is - trust your instinct

Link from this episode:

In this episode, Lisa mentions Dr Sue Dyson’s work on the ridden horse pain ethogram. If you haven’t yet watched already, check out:

‘The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain: Shifting the Paradigm of How We See Lameness’ on YouTube to learn some about this research.

Our links mentioned this episode:  

Sign-up to our email list

Abbey's Run Equestrian website

Abbey's Run Equestrian on Facebook

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for podcast production & consultation. You can find out more about podcast support on offer via: Blissery.FM or email info@blissery.fm

Late last year I started seeing promotions for the film The Banshees of Inisherin, an Irish film that included a miniature donkey Jenny as one of the stars alongside a cast of several other animals and the human actors including Kerry Condon, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. I’m not always a fan of animals in films but frankly, Jenny was just gorgeous and as my partner Benn is a fan of miniature donkeys, I was paying more attention.

I was so delighted to know that Jenny had been trained using positive reinforcement. Not only that, but she had been trained by someone I’d heard of for some years, Megan Hines. Working on a major motion picture with some big-name stars and experienced crew is not something many of us have exposure to, let alone training an equine using positive reinforcement to exist and perform in that environment. I was really keen to meet Megan, hear her training journey and learn about the experience on the film with Jenny… and to be able to share that conversation with you, so I invited Megan to join us for an episode of An Equine Conversation.

The Banshees of Inisherin was Directed by Martin McDonagh & released here in late December 2022. It has since won 8 Golden Globes, where Colin Farrell thanked Jenny in his acceptance speech, and was nominated for 9 Oscars. If you’ve yet to see it, do make sure to have your hanky ready!

Megan Hines:

Megan Hines is a gentle equine trainer and coach based in County Roscommon, Ireland.

Megan specialises in helping leisure horse owners and those with fearful equines to learn an equine-led approach that builds trust, motivates and brings out the character of your equine.

A South African by birth, Megan was taught by South African National Equestrian Federation instructors for 10 years, where she had the opportunity to experience and compete in a variety of equestrian disciplines including vaulting, gymkhana, dressage, show jumping and cross country.

Now, with over 20 years’ experience training animals with positive reinforcement (the use of rewards to motivate and shape behaviour), she is no longer competitive and is instead passionate about building a trusting human-equine relationship, avoiding stress and fear in daily handling and training, and teaching cooperative care.

Megan continues to further her professional development in the areas of equine behaviour and training through study with internationally recognised equine/mixed species positive reinforcement trainers and behaviourists. Her latest training achievements include the training and handling of Jenny donkey for the acclaimed Banshees of Inisherin.

Megan offers equine training and coaching, allowing you to learn the art and science of positive horsemanship: holistic horse management to best meet equine needs; true liberty work; cooperative care to problem solve for the vet, trimmer and for general handling; bring out the potential of fearful equines; ultimately enjoying a better relationship with your horse, pony, mule or donkey.

In this episode we discuss:

3:35 - introducing Megan

5:49 - Megan’s equine learning & training journey

11:04 - moving into volunteering with rescue horses & learning online

13:46 - the natural horsemanship phase

14:42 - moving out the other side toward training more with positive reinforcement

16:04 - the importance of looking at the animal in front of you

17:30 - becoming a Connection Training coach

19:00 - shifting to look at holistic needs of the animals

20:55 - equines learning from watching other equines learning & how that impacts float/trailer load training

26:17 - more on Megan’s equines, on working with rescue mules, donkey’s & working with livery horses

35:30 - on training the livery foal

42:02 - how Megan came to be training Jenny the donkey for The Banshees of Inisherin  

46:00 - the lead time for training before filming began & what Jenny needed to learn

47:37 - how training for film relates to training our own horses for complex & stimulating environments  

51:12 - and onward to shooting & working with the cast & crew

55:06 - scene takes & keeping Jenny interested  

57:06 - verbal cues, visual cues or both

59:27 - working with the actors & Jenny

1:02:32 - more on the parallels with training for film & ‘normal’ horsie life & the importance of a good relationship & time

1:07:08 - where Jenny’s at now

1:08:40 - Megan’s coaching services, locally & virtually world-wide

1:11:07 - how online coaching compares to in person for Megan

1:14:00 - Megan’s top tips for you, our listeners, that you can go and do now

Links from Megan:

Website: Megan Hines Equine

Facebook: Megan Hines - Positive Equine Training Ireland

Instagram: Megan Hines Equine

Our links mentioned this episode:  

Sign-up to our email list

Abbey's Run Equestrian website

Abbey's Run Equestrian on Facebook

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for podcast production & consultation. You can find out more about podcast support on offer via: Blissery.FM or email info@blissery.fm

Welcome back to the Year of Plenty podcast the shop for all things real food where we discuss topics around sustainable eating, nutrition, traditional foodways, homesteading, wild food, and much more.

This episode is a conversation with Steven Cornett who runs the ultra-popular homesteading Youtube Channel called Nature’s Always Right.

Steven started his journey into growing food as an urban market gardener where he would grow tons of veggies on as little land as possible and sell it at farmer's markets.

But he has moved beyond simply growing vegetables in recent years. Steven now manages his own homestead on 16 acres that includes animals and even a forest.

I have a previous episode with Steven from several years ago called Lessons In Regenerative Urban Farming. In that episode, we talk all about his time as an urban farmer in California. But in this episode, we get more into homestead management.

Episode Overview:

• Choosing the right land for your homestead
• An in-depth discussion about raising sheep and pigs for meat
• High beds vs inground beds and which ones Steven has found to work better
• Korean Natural Farming and Jadam Low-ost Agriculture
• How to produce natural pesticides and how you can leverage IMOs (Indigenous Microorganisms) to supercharge your soil health
• How to set up mushroom logs and even grow mushrooms on the ground in your forest
• How Food Sovereignty provides freedom

Support the podcast via donations:
https://www.patreon.com/poldiwieland
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/yearofplenty

Sign up for the newsletter:
www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletter

Do you follow the podcast on social media yet?
IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theyearofplenty
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyearofplenty/

Connect with Steven:
https://www.youtube.com/@NaturesAlwaysRight
https://naturesalwaysright.com/

Subscribe directly using your podcast app. The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and many other platforms!

Please rate and review the show in the Apple Podcast and Spotify apps. This always helps the show get ranked so that more curious foodies can explore real food and drink with us.

I want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53RT 

Dr. Sarah Klopatek currently serves as the Director of Sustainability Research and Development at JBS USA. Specifically, Sarah works on livestock sustainability research, Net Zero initiatives, and animal welfare. Prior to working at JBS, Sarah was a postdoctoral research fellow at University of California-Davis working in beef cattle system dynamics and livestock sustainability. During her graduate career Sarah completed numerous beef cattle research projects including a sustainability assessment of four grass-fed and grain-fed beef systems, multiple beef cattle life cycle assessments, a national beef sustainability and BQA survey, and multiple meat science projects. In addition, Sarah was heavily involved in teaching and extension. Over the course of Sarah’s graduate and postdoctoral career Sarah earned numerous awards and fellowships including the National Cattlemen's Foundation WD Farr Scholarship, the Council of Agriculture and Science Technology Fellowship, the James Beard Fellowship, and the American Society of Animal Scientists Young Scholar Award.

Find Dr. Sarah Klopatek at-

LK- @Sarah C. Klopatek, PhD

TW- @DrBeefBabe

Find Boundless Body at-

myboundlessbody.com

Book a session with us here!

In the previous podcast episode with Sara Jackson, and in the next episode with Julia Inglis, you’ll hear mention of ‘positive reinforcement’ as a training approach. We’ve mentioned it ourselves too in talking about our Start Your Engines course+workshop.

I suspect that some of you listening will be well familiar with training using positive reinforcement, but there are likely others listening who are not so sure. So in this episode, we’re going to touch on what training with positive reinforcement, often abbreviated as R+, actually is.

We are not positive reinforcement purists at Abbey’s Run Equestrian, but training with positive reinforcement has become our primary and preferred approach to training anything with our horses here.

This was a big switch for me, as I grew up learning and then for many years also teaching, a more conventional approach to training with horses. It was some 8 years ago that I started to change my approach, initially as I had run out of other options with a challenging horse. Since then, I have continued to learn more and more about this training approach, the body of scientific research that sits behind it, and have been thoroughly exploring it with my horses, and absolutely loving the approach, the ethos and the results. Never have I had so much consistent fun with my training.

You’ll hear us talking quite a bit about positive reinforcement and all the connected bits and pieces through our podcasts to help share this fun and result producing training approach with you.

In this episode I discuss:

• a working definition of the words ‘positive’ and ‘reinforcement’ in a training/learning context and what it means when we bring them together
• who decides what’s pleasant (the added thing), why context matters and so the importance of having options
• broad types of positive reinforcers (the something pleasant)
• the need to provide the positive reinforcement immediately after the desired behaviour
• the potential to strengthen unwanted behaviours if we reinforce them
• a reminder of why we need to observe & interpret equine body language
• the importance of choice in training with positive reinforcement
• what you can do to start your positive reinforcement training journey right now

Our links mentioned this episode:  

Sign-up to our email list

Start Your Engines course+workshop

Abbey's Run Equestrian website

Abbey's Run Equestrian on Facebook

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for podcast production & consultation. You can find out more about podcast support on offer via: Blissery.FM or email info@blissery.fm

Merry Christmas Ramblers!

We're blown away by the year that we've had. If you follow us on social media you might have seen that we've had one of the best years on record, and we're so thrilled that our following is going strong. 

We wanted to celebrate the end of 2022 with some of our favourite stories from this year, where we revisit some of our favourite moments with guests - including some awesome life stories, some fascinating research and veterinary work, some thought-provoking conversations that changed our perspective and a few of the biggest laughs that we've had this year. 

We hope you enjoy, and we look forward to producing new content for you all next year!

Bring on 2023 - may your dog go with you!

Brennen Burkhart is a rancher, and co-owner of HTTL Farms, a small family farm located in central Nevada. According to the Burkhart’s, it is in the middle of nowhere and they absolutely love it. It is a joint effort between the Burkhart and Jolley families. The Burkhart family, including Brennen’s wife Joanna and their four children, have been in that valley since 2017 where all but one of their children has been born. Their goal is to build the business so that the Jolley family can eventually join the Burkhart’s to live and work the land together. The farm consists of 180 acres of pasture and about 150 cows. They do  not own a tractor, and they do not raise cash crops, both conscious decisions as they strive to do their best to be good stewards of the land. Brennen and his family care for the soil and recognize it as the foundation for good human and planetary health. They strive to cultivate biodiversity by raising a wide variety of different grasses on that soil, also known as polyculture. Their cattle consume those grasses directly from the field and return the fertilizer into the soil. HTTL Farms keeps things simple and believe that simple is best!

DISCOUNT CODE!!!

https://httlfarms.myshopify.com/products/quarter-share-beef-nov-2022

Use code boundless40 for an additional $40 off your order!

Find Brennen and HTTL Farms at-

FB- @HTTL Farms

YT- @HTTL Farms

IG- @httlfarms

https://httlfarms.myshopify.com/

Find Boundless Body at-

myboundlessbody.com

Book a session with us here!

DISCOUNT CODE!!! (For Utah and Nevada residents)

https://httlfarms.myshopify.com/products/quarter-share-beef-nov-2022

Use code boundless40 for an additional $40 off your order!

We are releasing a Sneak Peak episode so that people can take advantage of a time-sensitive discount code! Brennen Burkhart is a rancher, and co-owner of HTTL Farms, a small family farm located in central Nevada. The farm consists of 180 acres of pasture and about 150 cows.  HTTL Farms keeps things simple and they believe that simple is best!

And if you've come this far, feel free to a link for early access to the full episode!

Find Brennen and HTTL Farms at-

FB- @HTTL Farms

YT- @HTTL Farms

IG- @httlfarms

https://httlfarms.myshopify.com/

Check out our new Patreon page! Get access to the Boundless Body Radio Premium Podcast, with a new episode added every other week! Other perks include early releases of our episodes, extended video content, and group and one on one coaching!

Find Boundless Body at-

myboundlessbody.com

Book a session with us here!

Umar Bashir Ochen is a young activist and member of the Karamojong tribe of Indigenous shepherds located in north-east Uganda. The Karamojong people face daily challenges including hunger caused by climate change, land grabbing, and a lack of food sovereignty. In conversation with Dylan Heuer, he talks about his culture and how it’s been threatened over the course of his lifetime. He discusses the organizing efforts he has led to introduce agroecology practices, start a farmers' market, and create local, national, and even international connections. 

HRN is back "On Tour" thanks , in part, to the generous support of the Julia Child Foundation.

HRN On Tour is powered by Simplecast.

This week we are joined by the fantastic Craig Tessyman RVN!

Craig started working in practice as a student in 1999 and has worked in small animal practice, referral, emergency out of hours and charity medicine.  He explains how his appearance breaks the mould of what you would expect a veterinary nurse to look like and how he hopes it will make the industry more inclusive!

For the last 6 years, he has worked 100% with non-traditional companion animals (NTCAs or anything that is not a traditional cat or dog). We discuss why there is a need to call exotic animals none traditional companion animals and Craig shares his journey of career progression alongside his hopes for his future within the BVNA council.

We also talk about the state of the veterinary profession as a whole,  including the industry staffing issues, joint venture partnerships and a particular patient Craig has worked with that has since gone viral online!

Lastly, Craig delivers a thoughtful  60-second CPD entitled 'Things they should have tortoise' (Hint: it has something to do with cats!?) and the nuanced ways spider owners can tell what their needs are to avoid getting bitten.

Roughly 11,000 years ago human beings began living in settlements and forming larger social groups due to the revolution that was the development of agriculture.  Where did it all start?  Did it spread from a single source or develop in parallel across the globe?  What were the first foods that people intentionally grew?  Come check in out in this week's episode.

Jamie Ager, the owner of North Carolina’s Hickory Nut Gap Meats, and Asher Wright, the company’s Farm Director join HRN’s Caity Moseman Wadler and Dylan Heuer for a conversation that spans from the flavor of their meat to the microbes in their soil. Jamie and Asher share their perspective on the potential of regenerative farming to change agriculture (and the climate) for the better, and discuss what implementing regenerative practices looks like day-to-day. Plus, Jamie and Asher share their favorite recipes using Hickory Nut Gap Meats!

HRN On Tour is powered by Simplecast.

Today, farming relies on digital tools as another key input.  But is our digital infrastructure up to the needs of modern agriculture?  Dr. Helen Hambly of the University of Guelph talks to Keara about the changing needs of agriculture—and how well Canada’s digital backbone is supporting farmers. 

 About our guest: 

Dr. Helen Hambly is a Professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph.  Her research efforts support innovation among farmers and other stakeholders. Dr. Hambly leads the Regional and Rural Broadband (R2B2), Canada’s largest action research project on agricultural and rural broadband infrastructure. She is also a member of university research teams addressing climate-smart soils, digital media, and agri-rural resilience.  

Discover more about the digital divide and how TELUS is supporting meaningful change at telus.com/connectingcanada.  

This is the fourth episode of Levelling Up, a mini-series from TELUS and The Conference Board of Canada. Access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

Hare Hollow Farm
Jessica Hare
Harehollowfarm.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Hare-Hollow-Farm-113861266980541
Morph Market - https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/hare_hollow_farm/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hare_hollow_farm/

 

ASM Royal Tails
Jana King

Facebook -https://facebook.com/RoyalReptails/

Morph Market -https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/asmroyaltails/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/asmroyaltails/

Intro Music - EEKmusic on audio jungle

Elijah’s youtube channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYOOGQmxU-2Ap991iBKq-4w

Elijah’s initial interview on AAH:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDQtXxsRWZg&t=4516s&ab_channel=AnimalsatHome

Blood vitamin D(3) metabolite concentrations of adult female bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) remain stable after ceasing UVb exposure

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23648288/

In this episode we go back in time to 1946. My father-in-law Paul Parson tells the story of when his granddad trailed a huge flock of sheep up into the high country in Montana. Along the way the sheep had to be protected from black bears and coyotes. Granddad had a lever action Winchester 32 Special and two bullets in the gun when a grizzly came into camp. 

The concept of group sow housing in swine production is far from new, but the implementation of California’s Prop 12 imposes a much heavier burden on producers in terms of the space required for gestating sows in a group system. That burden generally means smaller inventories and higher costs – not a winning recipe for profitable pork production.

In this episode of Feedstuffs In Focus we talk with Dr. Hyatt Frobose of JYGA Technologies about what exactly Prop 12 means for the swine industry, and more importantly how producers who want to access the California market can most effectively build or retrofit their facilities to be Prop 12 compliant… without sacrificing farrowing rates in the process.

Dr. Frobose is the U.S. Commercial Director for JYGA Technologies, the designer and manufacturer of Gestal swine feeding systems. Prior to joining JYGA, he earned a doctorate in swine management and nutrition at Kansas State University; his research evaluated stimulating estrus in sows during late lactation as a means to improve sow welfare, and the use of novel feeding technology to optimize sow performance.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by Topigs Norsvin, the second largest swine genetics company in the world. Topigs Norsvin’s unique breeding program is designed to accelerate genetic progress at the customer level by creating innovative products and solutions that benefit the entire pork production chain. To get more information, visit TopigsNorsvin.us.