Forage for knowledge of grass growth and educating school children about farming

April 8, 2026·38 min·3 clips

Emily Udall reveals how 24 farms across the UK contribute weekly grass growth data to AHDB's Forage for Knowledge newsletter.

The opening is pure farm-show sidetrack after the channel note. There is chat about booking a Yellowstone-themed honeymoon and maybe spending a full day on horseback, which gives the programme a loose, lived-in start before the agricultural detail takes over. Then it gets practical. Forage for Knowledge is pointed to as a resource listeners can find through the AHDB website, so the grass-growth discussion stays tied to something useful rather than floating off as a slogan. Crop conditions bring a careful bit of good news. After one of the wettest winters on record for many, the report says UK arable crops may be in better shape than expected. The figure is easy to grab onto: by the 23rd of March, for the 2022 season, 82% of winter wheat crops were estimated to be in good or excellent condition. Soils have drained better than expected, and drilling is well under way in many parts of the country. Travelling conditions still vary on farm, so it is not all tidy optimism. Nitrogen is still a live issue too, with many growers moving into later fertiliser applications while watching input costs linked to conflict in the Middle East. Yorkshire and the North East still have some planting delays, but the mood is more positive than the winter set anyone up for. Lambing comes next. Sheep farmers across the UK are urged to add their experience to the UK Lamming Survey 2026, led by the University of Nottingham with Fiona Lovett of Flock Health Limited. The point is practical: capture spring pressure on farm, including disease threats, vaccine support, weather, scrutiny, and other daily challenges. The closing section moves into education, thanking Ros and Fiona for work with AHDB and LEAF and pointing toward resources, visitor surveys, farm stories, and Open Farm Sunday.

As heard by us

A practical listen on how farms explain themselves to the public, from crop pressure to Open Farm Sunday.

This episode turns on how farming is explained to the public, moving from crop and livestock pressure into education and outreach, with Open Farm Sunday and student engagement both in view.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a grounded look at farm education, visitor stories, and Open Farm Sunday, start here.

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