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 Livestock, about how they built their Angus and Limousin seedstock business from the ground up (and the challenges they faced), the importance of crossbreeding for production, how they balance phenotype with data, and the challenges of getting started without your own land.

Jasmine and Hayden have built a successful dual-breed business, and they run us through the decision to run both breeds and the advantages of crossbreeding for both themselves and their clients. They also discuss the importance of embryo transfer in expanding their herd while keeping genetic quality at the forefront.

Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited. We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: info@nextgenagri.com.

Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, and Heiniger Australia and New Zealand. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.

Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out the MSD range HERE
Check out Allflex products HERE

Accounting may not be every farmer’s favourite topic, but our guest this week, David Egerton-Warbuton, explains why it’s one of the most powerful tools for making smarter decisions and confidently managing risk.

David grew up on a sixth-generation farm in Kojonup, Western Australia and learned early that everything on-farm ties back to good business decisions. His father, Kent, co-founded the specialist software company AgriMaster in 2001, bringing farm records into the modern age long before most people even had a computer at home.

He and his wife are now joint CEO's of Agrimaster, and their next major upgrade is set to be revealed to customers in early 2026. David has had the privilege of being able to see trends across businesses and understand what separates the operators who thrive from those who struggle, particularly when it comes to managing risk and making informed financial decisions.

As David puts it, "The most successful growers aren’t that much better from a production point of view… What we really see is the difference in the ability to take risks because they can control them. So it’s not about doing your tax or doing records for your accounts — it’s the ability to take on risks each year as an operation and control those risks.”

Tune in to find out how to turn your farm numbers into a roadmap for success and take control of the risks that really matter.

https://www.agrimaster.com.au/

Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited. We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: info@nextgenagri.com.

Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, and Heiniger Australia and New Zealand. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.

Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out the MSD range HERE
Check out Allflex products HERE

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 learn, adapt, and lead.

Now leading the Rural Innovation Research Group at the University of Melbourne, Ruth has seen how agricultural extension, advisory networks, and rural communities have evolved through time. In this episode, she and Ferg chat about trust, workforce challenges, and what the future of extension looks like in a more commercial and tech-driven world.

They talk about what makes a great employer in agriculture, why a positive team culture matters more than pay, and how farms can attract and retain staff in a global skills shortage. Ruth also shares her thoughts on AI in agriculture, the importance of human-to-human learning, and what Australia could take from extension systems overseas.

If you work with farmers, lead a team, or care about the people side of farming, this episode offers great insight into agricultural workforce development, rural leadership, and the evolving role of extension in agriculture today.

Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited. We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: info@nextgenagri.com.

Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, and Heiniger Australia and New Zealand. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.

Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out the MSD range HERE
Check out Allflex products HERE