In this episode, Fiona chats with vet, scientist and entrepreneur Rodrigo Bicalho. Rodrigo shares his journey from growing up on a ranch in Brazil to running a cutting-edge animal health company in Texas.
He talks about why good communication matters so much in his work, the challenges of getting new ideas out to farmers, and how stress affects dairy cows (and what we can do about it).
Rodrigo also introduces his company’s innovative product, FerAppease, which helps keep cows calm during stressful events. Plus, you’ll hear about his love for Colombian coffee and get tips on where to find more info.
Notes:
Website: www.feraah.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rodrigo-bicalho-7a590a10
After extolling the virtues of the cow's physiology, vet and herd manager Nial O'Boyle returns to talk about the cow's role in human progress and civilisation. Sharing stories that focus on the links between humans and cows, throughout the ages, Nial highlights common themes such as kinship, loyalty, betrayal and wealth.
Then to emphasise just how integrated bovine products are in our lives, we share how a day in the life of a typical person might look.
Highlights from this educational and fun-filled episode include: Queen Maeve of Connacht, vulcanisation, whitening of sugar, a false eye, and learning how the cow forms part of the borth of the world.
After hearing this episode, you'll be reminded how we shouldn't take cows for granted and reflect on the many ways we've benefitted from having them in our lives.
If you'd like to hear more from Nial, check out episode 8 in Season 3.
I think of milk in terms of its similarity to crude oil, so you could say my business is like running a milk refinery.
Dairy farmer and entrepreneur Jimmy Dickinsons returns to share more stories about how he built his business, this time expanding more on dairy product technology.
Jimmy talks about his long career marked by innovation and perseverance. He recounts experimenting with freezing techniques to create a viable frozen milk product.
Not all his experiments were successful, and Jimmy points out that progress often requires risk, resilience, and a willingness to learn from setbacks.
Compared to the resources available to support innovation in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, we talk about the decline of independent dairy product research and innovation in the UK, attributing this to changing political and commercial landscapes.
Reflecting on a poignant piece of advice shared by his father, Jimmy recounts that, no matter how far one climbs, those at the top are just ordinary people, and the journey is often more significant than the destination.
Communication should be brief but comprehensive. Indeed, beef farmer Andrew Loftus suggests we should all start life with a quota of words, and once that quota is reached, it's time to shuffle off this mortal coil!
Andrew currently chairs the Beef and Lamb Net Zero Roadmap Group, an industry led group providing thought leadership on sustainable UK beef and lamb production. In this and in his various former roles, the need to have strong communication skills is crucial. Andrew may come across as challenging and argumentative, yet what he strives to achieve in conversations is a deeper and clearer understanding of the topic under discussion, and the viewpoint held by others.
In this episode, we discuss:
Listen in to hear more about Andrew's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee.
Notes/links:
Beef and Lamb Environmental Roadmap https://projectblue.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Environment/Beef_and_Lamb_Environmental_Roadmap_Feb%202025.pdf
Johnny Baghdad's Cafe on the Square, Masham, Ripon
Based in the beautiful county of Ayrshire, Graeme Warnock is a marketing professional with a diverse background working in agriculture, music and hospitality industries. In this episode, he discusses his journey into marketing, highlighting the importance of creating a need, want, or desire for a brand, product, or service.
Graeme also shares his personal challenges with dyslexia and how it has shaped his approach to marketing, focusing on simplicity and clear communication to resonate with consumers.
We also chat about:
Listen in to hear Graeme's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Jimmy Dickinson is the owner of Longley Farm, an iconic Yorkshire-based dairy business. Their award-winning fresh dairy produce has been a staple in my diet for many decades, with their cottage cheese my number one choice.
Having completed an engineering degree and MBA, Jimmy returned to the farm in 1983. He soon spotted an opportunity to set up an export business selling frozen cream to Japan, putting to use his expertise in thermodynamics. Jimmy later expanded operations internationally, setting up businesses in Estonia, Australia and South America.
Operating in diverse countries presented challenges including corruption and cultural differences. Reflecting on his approach to managing those challenges, Jimmy stressed the importance of patience, realistic expectations, and building trustworthy relationships over the years.
In this interview, Jimmy provides a comprehensive view of Longley Farm’s history, shares his business philosophy, talks about technological innovations and product development strategy.
Listen in to hear Jimmy's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Notes:
Longley Farm website https://longleyfarm.com/
Lorna Burdge runs Waterhayne Farms in Devon with her husband, helped out by their three children. She is on a mission to share her farming story, to help bridge the gap between consumers and food producers. She regularly speaks in person at local schools and keeps children engaged through Farmer Time, an online platform that offers video calls between farmers and classrooms.
Lorna also loves to share daily activities on the farm in Devon on her social media channel, from bringing the cows in from the fields, taking us through the milking parlour, feeding the calves and general jobs around the farm.
In this episode, Lorna talks about:
Notes from this episode:
Instagram account @waterhayne_farm
NFU Education: https://education.nfuonline.com/
Farmer Time: https://www.farmertime.uk/
Completing a marathon is a significant challenge for most people, so imagine what it must be like to complete a couple of marathons every day for around 10 months. This is the challenge that the modern dairy cow has mastered, with a truly impressive metabolic response.
Dairy vet and herd manager Nial O'Boyle has for some time been fascinated by the metabolic capacity of the dairy cow, which led him to study mitochondria and the role they play for his PhD.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Nial has worked in many different countries across the world, with extensive experience managing large, high yielding herds in the US.
In this episode, we discuss:
This episode will not only appeal to farm veterinarians and dairy farmers, but anyone who wants to hear more about cows!
Links from the episode:
'Oleic acid abomasal infusion limits lipolysis and improves insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue from periparturient dairy cows', Journal of Dairy Science paper open access:
https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(23)00195-9/fulltext
Contact Nial on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nial-o-boyle-14a815130/
CattleEye https://cattleeye.com/
Returning to the show for a third episode is our favourite exercise physiologist, Marcelle Malan! Marcelle works in private practice in Melbourne, Australia, helping clients understand how to engage with exercise to promote resilience and maintain physical and cognitive function well into older age.
In this episode, Marcelle brings us up to date on the most effective types of exercise for women going into and after menopause. There's a weight of evidence that shows women significantly benefit from using weights, but sometimes the messages we hear from social media personalities can be misleading.
We also talk about which supplements you should consider taking for brain health, and Marcelle shares tips on how to keep exercise fun!
And if you haven't listened yet, you can check out her previous episodes from Seasons 1 & 2.
Notes from the show:
The Resilient Ageing Project
https://www.theepgroup.com.au/the-resilient-ageing-project/
FitPro Education Provider
https://www.fitpro.com/blog/authors/marcelle-malan/
https://www.instagram.com/marcelle.malan_ep/
How would you like to have better interactions with others, less conflict at work, and to feel more confident in what you say?
Becoming an assertive communicator could help!
Gill Hasson has spent the past 30 years helping people improve their communication skills and realise their potential. She is a teacher, tutor, lecturer, speaker and has written close to 40 books.
In this episode, we discuss:
Notes from the episode:
Gill Hasson website: https://www.gillhasson.co.uk/
Walking Through Cows: 3 Helpful Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh6LtpxZC2s
Two years since the podcast launched, we're catching up with our first guest from the world of fitness, Matt Gleed. Matt has worked in the fitness industry for nearly 25 years, providing a range of services from individual personal training, through to representing global fitness brands such as TRX and Matrix Fitness as an education specialist working with other personal trainers.
Matt has a knack for inspiring and motivating the people around him, winning numerous awards in recognition of this.In this episode, we catch up on Matt's latest role as Community and Leisure Manager for Central Swindon North Parish Council, where a key goal is to strengthen the diverse community through various fitness activities.
Just before taking on this new challenge last year, Matt suffered an acute Achilles tendon rupture, leaving him with restricted mobility.
Listen in to hear how Matt has adapted his communication approach working in a new role, his thoughts on communication strengths and weaknesses across age groups and, of course, we chat about coffee drinking habits and canine antics!
Notes from the show:
Moredon Sporting Hub
https://centralswindonnorth-pc.gov.uk/moredon-sporting-hub/
British Rowing article and You Tube videos
https://plus.britishrowing.org/author/author-mgleed/
Matt Gleed You Tube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@MattGleedPT
Back in 2012, farmer Dan Luff felt there had to be a different way to buy and sell cattle, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and co-founded SellMyLivestock, the online livestock marketplace.
He soon came across challenges that threatened to derail the startup but, reflecting on what the issues were and how they could be overcome, he and co-founder Jamie McInnes were able to adapt and build what is today an established and thriving business.
In this episode, we discuss:
Listen in to hear Dan's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Links from this episode:
SellMyLivestock website
https://sellmylivestock.com/about
Dr Paul Gaffney helps people get results when working under pressure. He is Lead Consultant in High Performance Sport Clinical Psychology at the Sport Ireland Institute and was Head of Psychology for Team Ireland for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
You may have heard his name if you're a fellow snooker fan, as Paul also works with professional snooker player Mark Allen.
Paul's journey to become a clinical psychologist was influenced by personal loss and the guidance of mentors.
In this episode we discuss:
using intuition to judge if someone needs support or space,
managing anxiety and conflict,
connecting over a coffee to support mental health.
Listen in to hear Paul's thoughts on communication, coffee and connection!
Links from the episode:
Dr Paul Gaffney Psychological Consulting
https://drpaulgaffney.ie/
Tim Ferriss Fear Setting TED talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J6jAC6XxAI
Renowned for his tongue twisting talent on University Challenge, the UK’s toughest TV quiz show, Roger Tilling is the voice-over artist who can accurately pronounce the most complicated surnames at pace!
Roger’s journey to become an airline pilot gave him a great foundation in confident communication skills, so when he was forced to consider a different career path, broadcasting offered an ideal alternative to apply those skills.
In this episode, we discuss:
essential communication skills for an effective voice actor,
tips to warm up vocal chords and mouth muscles,
the delights of freshly-ground coffee beans.
Listen in to hear Roger’s thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Jodi Wallace believes we should all challenge ourselves to push for better and to not settle for average.
Setting this example in her own practise has seen her recognised as 2023 Bovine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners.
Jodi is proud to be a 6th generation dairy farmer, working alongside her husband on their 100-cow farm in Quebec, Canada. Their inspiring results from a focus on calf care on farm set Jodi on a mission to share their experiences and help others to also strive for better results on their farms.
In this episode, we discuss:
Zero Zero Calf Care - what it is and how to achieve it,
using communication skills to help improve engagement and achieve change, especially by having some fun,
the art of persuasion and practical tips for using an ice bath!
Listen in to hear Jodi's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Notes from the show:
https://www.totaldairy.com/speakers/dr-jodi-wallace-dvm-msc/
Paul Worpole shoots people for a living...using his camera! He specialises in creating portraits for people who hate having their photo taken.
Many people find that being in front of a camera induces a fear response, which can be seen through facial expressions and body positions captured on camera, leading to disappointing results for all involved.
Being skilled at helping people relax and overcome their nervousness can transform the process of having your photo taken, so you end up with an image that looks far more like you!
In this episode, we discuss:
Listen in to hear Paul's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Notes:
Visit Paul's website www.paulworpole.com
With a long and illustrious career in veterinary practice and research, Martin Green has significantly contributed to improvements in cattle health and welfare. He recently took a step back from full-time work but remains firmly involved in research and advisory roles.
Beginning his farm vet career surrounded by inspirational colleagues, Martin went on to build strong relationships with his farmers, valuing the opportunity to provide strong technical knowledge as part of a team approach to improving production and performance.
In this episode, we discuss:
Listen in to hear Martin's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Links from the show:
Dairy Cow Lameness Manifesto: https://ruminanthw.org.uk/dairy-cow-lameness/
European Food Saftey Authority (EFSA): https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en
Pete Orpin began his career like so many vets do; concerned that he'd make mistakes and not have enough knowledge to be a 'good vet'.
However, he soon realised that it was far more important to focus on forging strong relationships with his clients, to build trust and work together to approach problem solving on farm.
He applied this approach when co-creating the myhealthyherd.com herd health management tool, to facilitate herd health planning between vets and farmers.
In this episode, we discuss:
Listen in to hear Pete's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Notes:
Contact on LinkedIn @PeteOrpin
Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) https://spvs.org.uk/
Action group on Johne's https://actionjohnesuk.org/
Vibeke Fladkjear Nielsen soon realised that becoming a successful consultant would take more than her agriculture degree. Returning to university to complete a masters degree in psychology gave her the foundation to better understand what motivates people.
Vibeke is a Danish specialist in LEAN and change management in the dairy industry. She has more than 15 years of practical and theoretical experience helping people work together more effectively on farm.
In this episode, we discuss:
Listen in to hear Vibeke's thoughts on communication!
Show notes:
Lean In Agriculture: Create More Value with Less Work on the Farm, co-author with Susanne Pejstrup
In this episode, we revisit conversations with two former guests, David Main and Alison Blackler.
David shares his own experience of being on the receiving end of poor communication, after his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Alison shares her most important communication skill and one she recommends we can all work on, our ability to listen to understand, rather than to respond.
Listen to the full length episodes by clicking on the links below:
David
https://www.macvetltd.co.uk/podcast/episode/31f38855/communication-curiosity-and-complexities
Alison
https://www.macvetltd.co.uk/podcast/episode/19c5641f/reach-out