Good morning. Just a heads up on the weather front: we're expecting some rain pushing northeast across the UK today, along with some brisk winds. Perfect for a cozy day inside with a hot cup of tea! But don't let that dampen your spirits—Friday and Saturday are bringing a mix of sunny spells and some heavy, thundery showers. It's going to stay cool and breezy, so be sure to bundle up if you're heading out.

In todays email:

• Introducing the NextGen Herdwatch App: The best value farm management software.

• Drones transform plant protection trials: Drones can target specific areas more efficiently than larger machinery.

• Pair your ice cream with blue cheese says Waitrose: Supermarket's top chefs has revealed that his favourite way to 'elevate' ice cream is by crumbling Stilton over it.

App that has transformed the way we farm.

Herdwatch has released its NextGen app, making the most popular farm management software in the UK and Ireland even faster and easier to use. Trusted by over 12,500 farms, Herdwatch helps farmers save hours each week by completing paperwork via a mobile or tablet app, enabling better on-farm decisions without handwritten records.

New Features in NextGen

• Smartlists and Advanced Filters: Easily find animals by type, breed, or purpose.

• Weights: Record weights for groups of animals quickly and filter by weight range.

• Beef Finishers: Customize Watchboard alerts for your system.

• Breeding Management: Enter pregnancy scans faster and tailor the app to your breeding program.

• Sprays and Pesticides: Record usage now available in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

• Enhanced Home Screen and Menu: Faster access to your Herd, Reports, Watchboard, Settings, and Contacts.

• Workflow Management: Use the Orange Plus button and Action Drawer for instant record creation.

Herdwatch User Experience

George Booth from Lockerbie says, “Herdwatch has transformed the way we farm, saving us a lot of time and ensuring all records are safely stored in the cloud. We review our feed and medicine usage monthly and make improvements easily. I highly recommend the app.”

Compliance and Convenience

Herdwatch lets you scan medicine purchases, track livestock, and stay compliant with Red Tractor standards. It links with BCMS & APHIS to keep your herd information up to date, even working offline if you have poor mobile coverage.

Herdwatch's Journey

Launched in the UK in 2016, Herdwatch has become a favorite among farmers, with over one million calves registered and 1.7 million animals in its live database. The NextGen app, developed over two years with a £1 million investment, ensures Herdwatch stays ahead of farmers’ needs.

Get Started with Herdwatch

Download the Herdwatch app from the App Store or Play Store, or visit www.herdwatch.co.uk for a free trial. Herdwatch PRO subscriptions start at £79 + VAT per year, or try the summer special offer of £30 + VAT for three months.

Drones transform plant protection trials.

Applying plant protection products by drone has advanced with a regulator granting a trial permit for a slug pellet product. This decision could lead to the first commercial use of drones to apply pesticides to UK food or feed crops.

Staffordshire-based AutoSpray Systems has worked for two years on this development. In 2019, they identified a market for heavy-lift drones, particularly when prolonged rain prevented land access for planting or applying products like slug pellets.

AutoSpray Systems co-founder Andy Sproson said they had to justify drone use to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). They submitted a risk assessment, accepted in December 2022. They also needed data to show how the product behaves when applied from drones.

Benefits of drone application include avoiding crop and soil damage from ground machinery, reducing compaction, and minimizing run-off and pollution risk. Drones can also target specific areas more efficiently than larger machinery.

With support from Certis Belchim, which distributes Sluxx HP ferric phosphate slug pellets, trials will now conduct ballistics testing to prove the pellets' spreadability from drones. Once this data is submitted, an Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMU) should follow, allowing growers with large payload drones to apply Sluxx HP pellets from the air.

🍯 Buz-Worthy

South West farmers are urging the next government to level the playing field to help them compete with foreign imports.

New Zealand has scrapped plans for a proposed "burp tax" intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from sheep and cattle.

Masters degree to teach 'smart' future of farming.

Ongoing debate about which tag technology should be used in the UK's forthcoming national cattle traceability scheme.

Suffolk farm draws 8,500-plus to Open Farm Sunday event.

🎥 Creators on Farm

TheJustinRhodesShow training to get a collar on his new cow on TikTok.

Shayfarmkid explains how he can get ahead of ‘onion’ competitors.

Redshepherdess leaves UK and enjoys her trip to Florida.

Big Farmer Andy explains why he prefers Allflex Tag Pens over anything else.

Tyler Froberg gives 5 tips to tell when your watermelon is ready to pick.

🛒 Products Under £1000

BCS cultivator kit attachment useful kit which includes a toolbar and frame complete with reversible plough, adjustable ridger, and potato lifter.

British Gypsum for agricultural amendment, compact clay soils, 25 kg bag.

Spear and Jackson traditional style 4 tine fork, designed for raking manure. Suitable for removing debris from ditches, rivers and ponds.

TecMaschin pallet fork for tractor PT700, WLL 700 kg, fork length 910 mm.

🧀 Farm to Fork

Trump, Sunak, and Farage depicted in vegetable form at the 50th Lambeth Country Show at Brockwell Park.

Anglesey cheese plant Mona Dairy collapses into administration.

Scarcity of organic cows puts pressure on UK milk supplies, warn experts.

Rise of savoury ice cream! Waitrose boss suggests pairing blue cheese with their caramel dessert.

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