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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.
254 Episodes
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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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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&...
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...
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...
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...
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...
This week, we have Charlie from Stonyhurst on the show. Charlie and Ferg have worked together for a long time, both passionate about breeding healthy, productive sheep. They discuss how Stonyhurst has managed to breed fine-wool sheep that don't need footrot treatment, are improving lambing and weaning percentages, and dropping their micron. Charlie also discusses Stonyhurst's cattle and deer operation, and some of the 175 years of history his family have there on the property. If ...
This week we’re joined by Prue Simson, who’s gone from managing the chaos of the Olympics and Formula One to running one of regional Australia’s busiest agricultural venues, The Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre in Tamworth. Whilst this is slightly different to our normal podcast, Prue's experience leading teams under pressure, dealing with legacy and change and large-scale event management is all relevant to managing a farm, especially around planning for the unexpected, bui...
We're sticking with cattle for one more week, and this time we have Paul Hickman from Taimate Angus on the show. Taimate is one of New Zealand's most respected cattle studs, and in this episode Paul shares the story of how the family farm has evolved since 1905 from running sheep studs, to now focusing solely on Angus cattle. Paul discusses the importance of structural strength in breeding, emphasising that it's not just about breeding values. Structure and phenotype still play a crucia...
We're back with another podcast from the World Angus Forum. This time, we have Chris Earl from CK6 Consulting, sharing his insights on ranching, genetic consulting, and the challenges faced in the cattle industry. He and Ferg chat about the importance of cash flow management, building a brand, and the innovative strategies for selling meat. Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited. We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they far...
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