Toplines and Tales

217 - Christmas fireside blether with Three Wise Men

Three real characters: Scott Brown, Derek Redpath and Findlay McIntire join me this week for a blether as we have our annual Christmas get together over a few drams. Our topics cover those we have lost this year, great men who have mentored us, top breeds of cattle as well as getting into controversial waters around trees, climate change and carbon nonsense. As always happens, our two and a half hours together involve much hilarity and some cracking stories, particularly from Findlay, on his first appearance on the show. With statements like ‘rewilding? As if the ground here on Rannoch isn’t wild enough already!’; pick your way through this and you’ll hear some incredibly good advice from these three wise men!  
If Christmas day gets too much, stick your feet up in the back room, some headphones on and enjoy this one with a dram.

216 - Happy Christmas from Toplines and Tales

Merry Christmas from Toplines and Tales.
A song I wrote called Living Well and Christmas. Lyrics below:
Christmas day, no time for regretA year gone by, a great time to reflectA family, all around the tableThe lights are on and everything is stableIf you can be really happy with yourselfAnd keep an eye on each others mental healthMake a serious effort in every wayNo reason why it cant always feel like Christmas dayWhether you’re a farmer or just involvedThere are always problems to be solvedBut try and take it easy, don’t get stressedThese things will put you to the tesLiving well, isn’t just a Christmas treatStarting with the diet, watch out what you eatA little exercise, it helps the flowMaybe take a walk out in the snowIf you can be really happy with yourselfAnd keep an eye on each others mental healthMake a serious effort in every wayNo reason why it cant always feel like Christmas dayNow go and have your turkey, you deserveAnd with all the trimmings that’s been servedTake a little time out for the kidsMaybe get a look inside your eye lidsAnd don’t forget the others; a neighbour or a friendwho maybe didn’t have the money to spendPerhaps go and knock on their doorOr at least give them a call……….Because talking is the best releaseto help your troubles decreaseand its always a two-way streetwhen you smile at everyone you meetIf you can be really happy with yourselfAnd keep an eye on each others mental healthMake a serious effort in every wayNo reason why it cant always feel like Christmas dayTry and keep that upbeat feeling goingEven if outside it won’t stop snowingAnd if you ever feel that things are wrongYou can always find some help at "Farmstrong!"If you can be really happy with yourselfAnd keep an eye on each others mental healthMake a serious effort in every wayNo reason why it cant always feel like Christmas dayIf you can be really happy with yourselfAnd keep an eye on everyone’s mental healthMake a serious effort in every wayNo reason why it cant always feel like Christmas dayMerry Christmas
 

215 - Hugh Watson vs William McCombie

Hugh Watson and William McCombie will go down in history as the two great men who, between them, started and shaped the Aberdeen Angus cattle breed in the 1800s. From our in-depth research, my guest Dr Bob Hough and myself discuss the merits of these two great men in a debate which will be finalised by you, the podcast listener. This episode makes up the history part of our 5th birthday celebrations and, as Bob and I are prone to do, we go off track a few times.

214A - The Family Farm (condensed) - bonus episode

This episode is a condensed version of episode 214, which talks through the new album download and CD Toplines and Tales has just produced, with guest host Wallace Currie.
You an download your copy at www.toplinesandtales.bandcamp.com 

214 - Very special episode - our 5th birthday

Something quite different to celebrate our 5th birthday in a special episode as my guest host Wallace Currie talks about the launch of the new Toplines and Tales Album download, The Family Farm. This is a new on-off music project with proceeds going to Farmstrong Scotland charity. In his usual superb way Wallace quizzes his guest about this project and other controversial issues. Please give it a listen for free at this link Toplines and Tales new album
 

212 - People in Livestock - Daniel Wheeler

We get a great insight into sheep farming in New Zealand from well-known Kiwi Daniel Wheeler. Spending a third of his year pregnancy scanning a staggering quarter of a million ewes in both New Zealand and Scotland, Dan-the-Scan and I chat about breeds of sheep, data recording, Luing cattle and sheep exports in this highly entertaining podcast.

211 - People in Livestock - Jock Gibson

Nuffield scholar, Jock Gibson has studied eatabilty of beef around the world and has some strong views on how we could apply some of the overseas grading principles to the beef industry in UK in this interesting insight. We have a fascinating discussion about transparency of different types of beef labeled on the consumer shelves. Jock then goes on to talk about his own Pasture for Life-certified farm in Moray as well as the family butcher’s business which give him a good vehicle to put his grassfed beef through its paces. All this is prior to him giving his paper at the forthcoming Nuffield Conference.  

210 - Special Episode - Live from YDP Finals

Fresh from a weekend in Aberdeen, what a fantastic opportunity the Youth Development Programme offers young people in the livestock community. This week I bring an episode right from the heart of the YDP finals, chatting to organisers, judges and competitors and capturing the phenomenal enthusiasm that this project inspires. 

209 - Special Episode - North East Live and plus some exciting news

I chat to Stephen Dodsworth about North East Live, the first fatstock show of the UK season and what can be expected there. Then I introduce a new feature from the Toplines and Tales team along with other news. 

208 - Special Episode - Live from All Ireland Angus and Ploughing Championships

This week I am live at the Ploughing Championships in Ireland and reporting from the Growvite All Ireland Aberdeen-angus Championships. As well as an overview of the event I speak with exhibitors and winners before catching up with some of the organisations that underpin the beef supply chain in Ireland. We finish with a recap of a couple of farm visits that I also took in, including Michael O'Leary's Giggingstown herd, and a chat with judge Ewen Campbell to get his thoughts on the cattle, the event and his own herd.