Episodes 277
Avg. Duration 35m
Activity Highly Active
Since May 2020
Latest Episode Mar 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
100%
Hosting
feeds.buzzsprout.com

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About This Podcast

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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Recent Episodes

S2026E272 Understanding the wool industry pipeline with Shannon Donoghue

Mar 01, 2026 27m

This week on the podcast, Shannon Donoghue joins us to talk about why she's so passionate about telling the story of wool. Growing up on a sheep property in South Australia, Shannon started off in…

S2026E271 40 years of sheep selection lessons: worm resistance, longevity and performance with Allan Richardson

Feb 22, 2026 40m

How much do you hate daggy sheep? Well, what started as a frustration with daggy sheep ended up reshaping this week's guest’s entire farming system.This week, Allan Richardson explains how his…

S2026E270 Ferg’s thoughts on the 25/26 ram sale season, how to buy a good ram and why breeding values matter.

Feb 15, 2026 26m

Tune in this week on the Head Shepherd podcast to hear Ferg discuss the 2025/2026 ram sale period across Australia and New Zealand. He explains his approach to selecting the right ram team and the…

S2026E269 Why you can't miss LambEx26 with Jamie Heinrich

Feb 08, 2026 20m

Are you heading to LambEx26? This week on the podcast we have LambEx chair, Jamie Heinrich, on the podcast to discuss one of the sheep industry’s largest gatherings, bringing together producers,…

S2026E268 Leading The New Zealand Merino Company into its next chapter with Angus Street

Feb 01, 2026 58m

Our guest this week, Angus Street, has worked across journalism, global agricultural marketing, Asian supply chains and livestock trading before stepping into the role of CEO at New Zealand Merino.…

S2026E267 Breeding Romneys for the rain at Kaituna Ridges

Jan 25, 2026 59m

How do you breed sheep that thrive in wet coastal hill country without routine drenching? What traits actually matter when you're selecting for challenging conditions? This week on the podcast, Mark…

S2026E266 Lessons from moving sheep genetics around the world with Ian McDougall

Jan 18, 2026 55m

Ever wondered about farming New Zealand sheep in the UK, or considered farming UK shedding genetics in Australia? In this episode of Head Shepherd, Ferg speaks with Ian McDougall, a veterinarian…

S2026E267 How innovation is changing the wool industry with Sam Wan

Jan 11, 2026 33m

Growing up in Western Sydney with no connection to agriculture, Samantha Wan’s path into the wool industry was anything but typical.In this week's episode, Sam talks with Ferg about finding…

S2026E265 Practical breeding strategies for commercial cattle producers with Carel Teseling

Jan 04, 2026 1h

How can commercial producers use breeding values without recording full pedigrees? This week, Mark chats with Carel Teseling, Chief Operating Officer at Angus Australia, to find out. Carel's career…

S2025E264 Ferg's thoughts on genetic gain

Dec 28, 2025 25m

Ferg shares his thoughts on genetic gain in the sheep and beef industries. He has often said that we should be seeking to achieve a minimum of 2% genetic gain, but the top operators we deal with here…

S2025E263 Selecting for worm resistance in low-challenge systems with Swabtec

Dec 21, 2025 37m

What if measuring worm resistance didn't require high parasite burdens and ALSO delivered double the heritability of egg counts?Sarah Preston, Lecturer at Federation University and cofounder of…

S2025E262 Individual ewe performance and the future of sheep productivity with Tara Dwyer

Dec 14, 2025 43m

What limits ewe productivity in current sheep systems?Our guest this week, Tara Dwyer, is the breeding manager at Headwaters Genetics and a farm manager within the Lone Star Farms group. Her work…

S2025E261 Results from the 'Genetics of foot health in Merinos' project with Gus Rose

Dec 07, 2025 32m

Gus Rose shares the recent results from the 'Genetics of foot health in Merinos' project, which is looking at footrot and foot structure in sheep in Australia. Gus shares what the data shows on the…

S2025E260 Proactive sheep management strategies with Tim Gole

Nov 30, 2025 46m

On this week's episode, Tim Gole shares how sheep farmers can increase their profits by shifting from responding to problems to preventing them in the first place.Tim runs ForFlocksSake, a vet-based…

S2025E259 How Do You Breed Short-Tailed Sheep? with Marnie Hodge

Nov 23, 2025 31m

What do the genetics of tail length and the genetics of semen quality have in common? Not much, except that our guest, Marnie Hodge, Sheep Genetics Senior Development Officer, has researched them…

S2025E258 Growing More Grass and Turning It Into Growth with Bevan Ravenhill

Nov 16, 2025 1h 7m

How simple rotations and tight feed management lift whole farm performance.Mark chats with Bevan Ravenhill, WA General Manager for Lawson Angus  WA, to talk about what really drives a productive…

S2025E257 How to Start a Cattle Business with Summit Livestock

Nov 09, 2025 42m

Ever wondered what it takes to build a succesfull seedstock buisness from the ground up? Well, this is the podcast for you. This week, Mark chats with Jasmine and Hayden Green, owners of Summit…

S2025E256 Financial skills for more profitable farming with David Egerton-Warburton

Nov 02, 2025 46m

Accounting may not be every farmer’s favourite topic, but it is one of the most powerful tools on the farm. This week’s Head Shepherd guest, David Egerton-Warburton, explains why.Raised on a…

S2025E255 Trust and Farm Advice with Dr Ruth Nettle

Oct 26, 2025 47m

What makes farmers change? And what holds them back? Our guest this week, Dr Ruth Nettle, has spent 25 years studying just that. Ruth has spent her career looking into how people in agriculture…

S2025E254 Understanding IMF, Shear Force and Marbling with Dr Peter McGilchrist

Oct 19, 2025 1h 1m

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…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Head Shepherd have?

Head Shepherd has published 277 episodes since May 2020, covering topics in Business, Education.

Is Head Shepherd still active?

Head Shepherd is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 35m.

How do I contact Head Shepherd for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Head Shepherd, including email and social media links.

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