Working Cows Episode on leased cows: https://workingcows.net/ep-063-aaron-berger-leased-land-and-cow-herds/

A blatant misuse of the Pasture Pod platform means I'm plugging this Cows and Effect project again.

Episode 1 dives into the science with an Irish research paper that looks at the yields of multi species pastures (along with the various different plant species that go into them) at several levels of Nitrogen (including zero). Which grasses work best in different systems? Why bother with Plantain and Chicory? Which plants drive yield?

There's some chat about ewes and Red Clover and there's a smell under the table.

Link to the main paper Moloney et al, 2020. http://archive.sciendo.com/IJAFR/ijafr.2020.59.issue-1/ijafr-2020-0002/ijafr-2020-0002.pdf

Links to the other two Moloney papers in the trilogy. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27041764?seq=1 and https://www.jstor.org/stable/27041763

Link to the Egan et al 2025 paper on plantain hoovering up nitrate in the soil. This may be partially behind a paywall, but the key bits are available. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880924004948

Link to Mustonen et al 2014 which is the study on the effects of feeding red clover silage to ewes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175173111400161X?via%3Dihub

Link to the Innovative Farmers trial on ewes and red clover. https://www.innovativefarmers.org/media/l00oqr1t/mating-sheep-on-red-clover-final-report.pdf

Link to an early UK study into red clover and ewe fertility; Newton and Betts 1973. Still behind a pay wall, but you can see the abstract without paying. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-agricultural-science/article/abs/effects-of-red-clover-trifolium-pratense-var-redhead-white-clover-trifolium-repens-var-s-100-or-perennial-ryegrass-lolium-perenne-var-s-23-on-the-reproductive-performance-of-sheep/DBE300E13E0D8D81BF0B6D00ED9B3E90

Link to a review paper/report not mentioned in the podcast which is Marley et al 2011. This is an IBERS report. https://projectblue.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Research%20Papers/Beef%20&%20Lamb/effects_of_legumes_on_ewe_and_cow_fertility_review_-_final_report_20jul11.pdf

Link to this one and it's show notes: Cows and Effect: Prologue

Link to next episode: Cows and Effect: Episode 1

Elaine is coming to England at the invitation of AHDB with workshops between 21st October 2024 and 30th October. See: Discuss the Undiscussabull

Not that I'm pushing this at all .... but .... Patreon link is: The Pasture Pod's Patreon link

Many moons and almost an equal amount of suns ago, our anti-hero MC Swardstick set off on his pilgrimage to find a mythical being. A dairy farmer who didn't work 90 hours a week. He found this creature and he was well cool and interesting. They spoke for almost 3 hours and MC left with his sound recorder full of wisdom. Unfortuneately, MC was very lazy and no where near committed enough and didn't do anything with the recording for a painfully long time. Today represents the end of the constipation and the episode has come out. The End.

A Canadian themed episode to bring "Season 2" to an end. Arron came over to the UK in January 2023 and spoke to loads of people over the course of a week. I went to see him at the AHDB meeting in Northumberland at George Burrell's and it was such a refreshing and positive experience. Even though he has such a different environment to contend with, the principle of system first is such a powerful thing. He popped into Culteuchar, met Mo, stayed the night (not in that way) and was polite about my handful of heifers and sheep.

Hope you enjoy it. If you do, Arron is starting a new podcast of his own with Amy Hughes called Think Outside the Fence. 1st August 2023 release, I think. First guest is me and the interview has happened. I don't think I'm catastrophising but looking back on it I am definitely getting Gerald Ratner / Holly Willoughby vibes, so this might be the last Pasture Pod before I'm cancelled.

After 12 years apart, two acquaintences meet. Everything has changed, Michael is even fatter and has less hair; Chris seems to have given Michael his extra body mass - he's lighter and fitter. Chris is also more self aware and intimidates Michael slightly less than in 2010. They talk for a long time and record some of it. Michael likes to think he and Chris have become friends whereas Chris doesn't think about Michael at all. They talk about life and farming, carbon and environmental services, calves on and direct selling, getting abuse for an episode of Country Calendar and not giving a shit. They talk about neurodiversity. The end.

Link to Country Calendar episode: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FwM7mosNF-rQnuYygKLRqo7g2VB1SyxO/view?usp=sharing Pasture Pod hoodies, t shirts and beanies can be found at https://thepasturepod.myshopify.com/

For the hardcore, the Pasture Pod Patreon page is patreon.com/thepasturepod

It's About Time was not on time this week - not perfect but at least it's definitely done!

This is the last in the series and I want to thank everyone that was involved and everyone that is listened. Thanks to all those that took the trouble to message.

Special, special thanks to the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust. This simply wouldn't exist without their help.

Best book on time ever is Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks

If in doubt seek expert help. My quest gets closer to an inconvenient truth as I speak to coaches, consultants and, big potato grower with normal sized potatoes, Robin Griffiths. This is the proper time management episode and was a bit of a revelation to me.

Mention is given to the pomodoro technique with insufficient explanation until closer to the end. The pomodoro technique is simply using a timer to spend 25 minuites on a task then having 5 minutes break with the option then to start again. Pomodoro is Italian for tomato which was the type of kitchen timer the inventor of the tehnique had at hand. Google it and you'll see one.

References include websites:

Clare Evans website

Ram and EnableAg

Sian Bushell

I spent most of this episode in my pants watching YouTube. Clips used are for educational purposes. The series up to this point was on a roll with reviews like "I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would" - but this was a big test to keep the underwhelming momentum up. Systems is such a monster of a subject but I hope you get something from it.

Additional thanks to James Sills (@JRDSills) off of Twitter for talking about Elon's 5 steps.

Books and YouTube clips: Thinking in Systems by Donnella H Meadows

Russell Ackoff example speech

James Paine lecture

Everyday Astronaut and Elon Musk

Episode 3 sees me continue haphazardly like King Arthur in Monty Python's Holy Grail ... no horse and just coconuts as a sound effect. I eventually take my brave tablets and speak to "The Australian", then spend the rest of the episode trying to translate things to a UK Context. Luckily I have some sensible people helping. Can we nail down what is possible in terms of labour efficiencies in UK farming?