Winter feed competitions are an integral part of New Zealand rural communities, where farmers showcase their best crops for a panel of judges. In this episode, Al & Juddy team up with Fraser Harrison, Agricom’s Forage System Specialist as seasoned competition judges to share top tips for winning your next local winter feed competition. From ideal crops, sowing dates and timing to bonus strategies for scoring extra points on the day, this podcast has what you need to come out on top.

Summer cropping offers an excellent opportunity to boost feed during the season, especially when paddocks are scheduled for autumn renovation. Al & Juddy discuss various brassica varieties and how they fit into different farming systems and climatic conditions. Join them as the explore specific examples and offer valuable insights into how summer cropping could benefit your operation.

This isn't your typical episode of Seed Dating! Al & Juddy are joined by Fraser Harrison, Agricom's Forage System Specialist, to highlight the critical role of Seed Treatment in protecting brassica crops during the spring sowing season. Listen in to learn the benefits of both Ultrastrike® and Gaucho®, and how these treatments serve as an essential 'insurance policy' against pests and diseases, ensuring better plant survival through the establishment stage and beyond.

In this episode of Seed Dating, meet the star of regrowth—Mainstar forage rape. This modern, early-maturing rape boasts strong aphid tolerance and is capable of multiple regrowth cycles! Tune in to learn why Mainstar forage rape could be a great fit to your farming system.

Introducing New Zealand’s largest selling kale—SovGold! This late flowering kale stands out with its impressive utilisation and leaf-to-stem ratio. Thanks to its outstanding characteristics, SovGold is suitable for a wide range of farm systems seeking a high-yielding kale that offers great flexibility.

Join Al & Juddy as they discuss how to choose the best forage species for your farming system. They share their experiences in evaluating different cultivars, covering everything from understanding animal grazing preferences and conducting replicated plot trials to considering the impact of management decisions. Whether you already have your preferred forage cultivars or are curious about the selection process, this episode provides valuable insights on how to make informed choices that...

Introducing Align, the latest ryegrass from Agricom — a high producing tetraploid perennial ryegrass. This smart ryegrass maintains its density during challenging wet periods while delivering robust growth through summer and autumn. Will you be swiping right on Align? Tune in!

Brace yourself! Al & Juddy are excited to introduce Brace, a New Zealand-bred, large-leaved white clover that's a true all-season producer. This resilient clover will support your farm through autumn and early winter, making it an excellent addition to dairy and beef finishing systems. Plus, it's perfect for producing quality silage. 

If you’re aiming to boost your summer pasture quality with a high performance forage, the choice is clear – choose Choice chicory. This New Zealand-bred and certified chicory is a reliable option, whether used as a pure sward or in a mix. Tune in to find out why Choice is the right decision for your farm.

Al & Juddy can give you plenty of "reasons" why Reason perennial ryegrass is the perfect fit for your farming system. With its remarkable resilience and ability to form a solid base for your perennial pasture, Reason stands out. Its most attractive trait is its powerful spring production, ensuring productive pasture year after year.

Introducing Manta AR37 Italian Ryegrass, also known as The Beast. This fast-starting Italian ryegrass is perfect for most undersowing situations and is naturally tolerant in many challenging environments. Its leafy nature could be the ideal addition to your farm system, providing robust performance and adaptability. Discover how The Beast can elevate your forage game! Note: Manta AR37 is only recommended for beef and dairy. 

You can trust Mohaka to grow more tucker. This powerhouse finishing pasture is ideal for the 3-4 year break between cropping systems, providing reliable performance even under stressful conditions. Is Mohaka the perfect match for your farming system? In this episode, discover how Mohaka tetraploid hybrid ryegrass can elevate your productivity.

During this very topical episode, Al & Juddy are joined by Techion Managing Director, Greg Mirams (who developed the original FECPAK back in ’92 and recently the GII to measure parasite burdens on farm) who has a wealth of knowledge around managing drench resistance. Al & Juddy have an important conversation with their guest about the challenge drench resistance holds for farmers within New Zealand and the importance of forages as a tool to help combat it. “The damage is done when...

Join Al & Juddy as they delve into the lesser-explored realm of alternative grass species in the New Zealand landscape. Building on their extensive coverage of popular grass varieties, this episode was inspired by a listener’s request to explore the less conventional choices that may not be widely adopted in New Zealand. From an agronomic perspective, Al & Juddy dissect these alternative grasses, examining their relevance and application in various animal systems. “We kind of...

In this month's podcast Al & Juddy dive into a timely topic as autumn approaches – cheap/uncertified seed. T hey give a high-level summary of the intricacies of certified seed which assures the integrity and guarantee of what you are sowing. The discussion then shifts to the potential pitfalls of uncertified seed and the implications that this can have on your farming system. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of cheap seed that could help you make informed decisions as another...

What do snakes, hair removal cream, and ONE50 perennial ryegrass all have in common? They’re in this episode of the Al & Juddy Show. In the spirit of the season, they’re sharing light hearted yarns from their careers, aiming to trigger a few giggles or smiles!

Join Al & Juddy as they sit down with the boss, John McKenzie. They discuss his early career, taking New Zealand products to the world and delve into forward thinking strategies that utilise failures and successes of R&D to support investment strategies for future technology. Will there be an Episode 21? Listen to find out! ‘What you can do is transplant the way a Kiwi thinks. When you trace it back, it's about making the most of the resources at hand. It’s the number eight wire...

Al & Juddy enjoyed having Stephen Goldson from AgResearch in the studio as their second guest. Stephen shares his intrepid journey on controlling the Argentine stem weevil population by retrieving parasitoids from South America and bringing them to New Zealand. Tune in for a first hand account of ecology in action.   "In terms of Conservation Biocontrol, we cannot use examples of this approach from abroad. What we can do is import biocontrol control agents that have evolved in...

Listen in as Al & Juddy cover everything about the highly nutritious herb chicory, which resonates with many New Zealand farming systems including dairy, sheep and beef. Offering key recommendations and best practice tips for getting the most out of your chicory.   "Between its easily grazed habit and its ability to stimulate grazing by being a herbaceous plant full of water, in a hot dry environment you tend to find it is a perfect way of getting more drymatter and more energy into an...

Join Al & Juddy as they delve into one of the fundamental aspects of a calendar year, wintering systems. They unpack how to select the ideal wintering system, taking into account the factors of your resource base such as how much land for the number of animals you have. They discuss the various characteristics of different cultivars and rotations, offering insight into optimising the area you farm on, with a particular focus on the dairy system. "Winter is challenging, but it...

Throughout this episode, Al & Juddy have a comprehensive discussion about finishing lambs during the lactation phase. They explore historical examples that shaped their understanding of how various forages integrate within a finishing system and provide valuable insights into how to optimise their use. "The detail is actually understanding your forage and variety choice along with their seasonality. It’s really important because we are trying to match forage growth with livestock...

Al & Juddy are joined by local farmer Chris Chamberlain for the second episode of their two part series. Chris shares his personal leasing experience, offering valuable lessons and expertise that will benefit young farmers looking to get their foot in the door. “We need young people and their enthusiastic brains. And I think leasing is a way that they can get their foot in the door and old hardheads can help assist. You can ask, you can listen and you can learn” – Chris Chamberlain 

Join Al & Juddy as they welcome their first guest, sheep and beef farmer Chris Chamberlain, in the latest episode - ‘Forging lasting relationships’. In this deep dive discussion, they explore their shared history and experience reaching back close to 25 years. This is the first of two podcasts so don’t miss the banter and experience that will leave you wanting more! ‘We try and take the risk and vulnerabilities away and add benefit. So, it’s about drafting through that...

Join Al & Juddy in this episode as they delve into the four main factors that affect animal intake, and how this may impact your farming system. From bite size and rate, to grams per bite and grazing duration, there are many factors to consider each with its own influence on animals. Tune in to grasp how these effects impact your animals. In a pastoral system, grazing animals get their energy from grazing forages. Grazing intake, which refers to how much an animal can consume from...