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The Pasture Pod

The Pasture Pod

Written by: Michael Blanche
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Does pasture pump you up? Do you enjoy a lot of cheeking farming chat? If so this podcast is for you (caveat: this does not represent a guarantee or contract; terms and conditions apply). We talk to farmers about their drive, motivation and how they make profit. Spoiled by the host trying too hard to be funny. Economics Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Duncan Morrison
    Jul 29 2025

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

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    3 hrs and 47 mins
  • Introducing (another) Cows and Effect. Episode 1. Five billion, there's no snakes in Ireland and an upside down graph.
    Jul 3 2025

    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

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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Introducing Cows and Effect: The Prologue; contract work, wild animals and he knows who he is.
    Jun 26 2025

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

    Link to next episode: Cows and Effect: Episode 1

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    48 mins
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