Ear to the Ground / Clust i'r Ddaear

Ear to the Ground’ is a brand-new podcast, the first of its kind to be available in both Welsh and English, that will share technical information, advice, support and inspiration to the farming community in Wales. Mae “Clust i’r Ddaear” yn bodlediad newydd sbon, y cyntaf o’i math i fod ar gael yn Gymraeg a Saesneg, fydd yn rhannu gwybodaeth dechnegol, cyngor, cefnogaeth ac ysbrydoliaeth i’r gymuned amaeth yng Nghymru.

#128- Agroforestry advantage - shelter soil and livestock 02/28/2026

#128- Agroforestry advantage - shelter soil and livestock Listen to find out why more and more farmers are planting trees for the sake of their stock, their soil, and their bottom line. Agroforestry is one of the most exciting and fast‑growing areas of sustainable farming, and in this episode, we’re breaking it down to what really matters, cutting through the jargon and get right to the practical stuff: how to plan design agroforestry systems that work for your farm without overcomplicating it how shelterbelts and tree strips genuinely improve livestock wellbeing and performance, and what it really takes to get trees in the ground on a working farm. And we’ve got a seriously strong line‑up: Clive Thomas – Soil Association The planner shaping agroforestry systems that fit and strengthen commercial farm businesses. Dr Lindsay Whistance – Organic Research Centre Animal behaviour expert revealing why your stock absolutely have opinions on shade and shelter. Rhodri Lloyd Williams, Moelgolemen Farm, Tal y Bont Upland sheep and beef farmer who's already putting agroforestry into action and seeing the results. If you’re curious about agroforestry or wondering how trees can genuinely make your farming easier, more resilient and more profitable, this is the episode to start with. Listen now and discover The Agroforestry Advantage. Gwrandewch i ddarganfod pam mae mwy a mwy o ffermwyr yn plannu coed er lles eu stoc, eu pridd, a’u llinell waelod. Mae amaethgoedwigaeth yn un o’r meysydd mwyaf cyffrous ac sy’n tyfu gyflymaf ym maes ffermio cynaliadwy, ac yn y benod hon rydym yn torri’r pwnc i lawr i’r hyn sy’n bwysicaf, mynd heibio’r jargon ac yn mynd yn syth at ymarferoldeb: sut i gynllunio a dylunio systemau amaethgoedwigaeth sy’n gweithio i’ch fferm heb ei gymhlethu sut mae lleiniau cysgod a rhigolau coed yn gwella lles a pherfformiad da byw yn wirioneddol, a beth sydd wir ei angen i gael coed i’r ddaear ar fferm weithredol. Ac mae gennym ni restr wirioneddol gref o westeion: Clive Thomas – Cymdeithas Pridd Y Cynllunydd sy’n siapio systemau amaethgoedwigaeth sy’n briodol i fusnesau fferm masnachol ac yn eu cryfhau. Dr Lindsay Whistance – Canolfan Ymchwil Organig Arbenigwraig ymddygiad anifeiliaid sy’n datgelu pam bod eich stoc yn bendant gyda barn am gysgod a lloches. Rhodri Lloyd Williams – Fferm Moelgolemen, Tal y Bont Ffermwr defaid a buches mynydd sydd eisoes yn rhoi amaethgoedwigaeth ar waith ac yn gweld y canlyniadau. Os ydych chi’n chwilfrydig am amaethgoedwigaeth neu’n meddwl sut y gall coed wneud eich ffermio’n haws, yn fwy gwydn ac yn fwy proffidiol, dyma’r bennod i ddechrau gyda hi. Gwrandewch nawr a darganfod mantais Amaethgoedwigaeth. /episode/index/show/farmingconnect/id/40212840

#127- Using acoustic sensors to monitor farm biodiversity 01/29/2026

#127- Using acoustic sensors to monitor farm biodiversity Farmers know their land better than anyone — but keeping track of the wildlife that visits their farms can be a challenge. Traditional bird surveys require time and specialist knowledge, so a new project is turning to innovative, AI‑powered technology to help. In this episode, we explore how Chirrup acoustic monitors are being used across fourteen farms in Wales to automatically capture and identify birdsong during the dawn chorus. These small, battery‑powered devices record daily over a 2–3 week period, generating invaluable insights into the birdlife found on a wide range of farm types, from upland sheep farms to productive lowland dairy units. Farming Connect Biodiversity Officer Lynfa Davies visits Rhys Davies of Moor Farm in Holywell to discover which species are thriving on his North Wales dairy farm. They’re joined by ornithologist Keith Offord, who helps unpack the project’s encouraging findings and what they reveal about biodiversity on working farms. Tune in to learn how technology, farming, and conservation are coming together to better understand and support Wales’s bird populations. Pennod 127 - Defnyddio synwyryddion acwstig i fonitro bioamrywiaeth ffermydd Mae ffermwyr yn adnabod eu tir yn well nag unrhyw un - ond gall cadw golwg ar y bywyd gwyllt sy'n ymweld â'u ffermydd fod yn her. Mae arolygon adar traddodiadol yn gofyn am amser a gwybodaeth arbenigol, felly mae prosiect newydd yn troi at dechnoleg arloesol, wedi'i grymuso gan ddeallusrwydd artiffisial (AI) i helpu. Yn y bennod hon, rydym yn edrych ar sut mae monitorau acwstig Chirrup yn cael eu defnyddio ar draws pedair fferm ar ddeg yng Nghymru i ddal ac adnabod cân yr adar yn awtomatig yn ystod côr y wawr. Mae'r dyfeisiau bach hyn, sy'n cael eu pweru gan fatri, yn recordio'n ddyddiol dros gyfnod o 2-3 wythnos, gan roi cipolwg amhrisiadwy ar yr adar sy'n bresennol ar ystod eang o ffermydd, o ffermydd defaid ucheldir i unedau llaeth cynhyrchiol ar dir isel. Mae Lynfa Davies, Swyddog Bioamrywiaeth Cyswllt Ffermio, yn ymweld â Rhys Davies o Moor Farm yn Nhreffynnon i ddarganfod pa rywogaethau sy'n ffynnu ar ei fferm laeth yng Ngogledd Cymru. Mae'r adaregydd Keith Offord yn ymuno â nhw, sy'n helpu i ddadansoddi canfyddiadau calonogol y prosiect a'r hyn maen nhw'n ei ddatgelu am fioamrywiaeth ar ffermydd gweithredol. Gwrandewch ar y bennod hon er mwyn dysgu sut mae technoleg, ffermio a chadwraeth yn dod at ei gilydd i ddeall a chefnogi poblogaethau adar Cymru yn well. /episode/index/show/farmingconnect/id/39848725

#126- Avian Influenza and poultry shed lighting 01/12/2026

#125- Farming Connect Our Farms: Woodland, biodiversity, and carbon insights 12/14/2025

#125- Farming Connect Our Farms: Woodland, biodiversity, and carbon insights Join the specialists from the Farming Connect team as they pull back the curtain on the crucial baseline studies conducted within the Our Farms Network. In this episode, we dive into the data collection process and the practical application of assessments focused on woodland management, biodiversity enhancement, and on-farm carbon footprints. The team discusses how these detailed studies identify opportunities for improving business efficiency and environmental stewardship. Discover: The purpose and findings of the woodland, biodiversity and carbon baseline studies. - Real-world examples of how these findings have shaped new on-farm trials. - Actionable advice for farmers on how to utilise this information for future planning. - The first practical steps other farmers can take to prepare for and implement similar assessments on their own farms. This is essential listening for any farmer looking to benchmark key aspects of their system and enhance the environmental value of their farm business. #125 - Ein Ffermydd Cyswllt Ffermio: Golwg fanylach ar goetiroedd, bioamrywiaeth, a charbon Ymunwch â'r arbenigwyr o dîm Cyswllt Ffermio wrth iddynt agor y llen ar yr astudiaethau llinell sylfaen hanfodol a gynhaliwyd o fewn Rhwydwaith Ein Ffermydd. Yn y bennod hon, rydym yn edrych yn fanwl ar y broses o gasglu data a chamau ymarferol asesiadau sy'n canolbwyntio ar reoli coetiroedd, gwella bioamrywiaeth, ac ôl troed carbon ar y fferm. Mae'r tîm yn trafod sut mae'r astudiaethau manwl hyn yn nodi cyfleoedd i wella effeithlonrwydd busnes a stiwardiaeth amgylcheddol. Darganfyddwch: Diben a chanfyddiadau astudiaethau llinell sylfaen coetiroedd, bioamrywiaeth a charbon. - Enghreifftiau o sut mae'r canfyddiadau hyn wedi llunio arbrofion newydd ar y fferm. - Cyngor ymarferol i ffermwyr ar sut i ddefnyddio'r wybodaeth hon i gynllunio ar gyfer y dyfodol. - Y camau ymarferol cyntaf y gall ffermwyr eraill eu cymryd i baratoi ar gyfer asesiadau tebyg ar eu ffermydd eu hunain ac i'w rhoi ar waith. Mae'n bwysig i unrhyw ffermwr sy'n edrych i feincnodi agweddau allweddol ar eu system a gwella gwerth amgylcheddol eu busnes fferm wrando ar y podlediad. /episode/index/show/farmingconnect/id/39368270

#122- Building better pastures and productivity by focusing on soil health 10/10/2025

#122- Building better pastures and productivity by focusing on soil health Welcome to the third episode in our special series on profitable and productive farming in Wales! Host Ifan Jones Evans is joined by leading independent plant and soil health educator, Joel Williams, to dive into the most vital resource on your farm: your soil. This episode is essential listening for livestock farmers looking to build better pastures and boost overall productivity by focusing on the fundamentals of soil health. Joel Williams brings his wealth of practical experience from Australia, the UK, and Canada, integrating soil and plant analyses to help farmers optimize production and manage soil biology. Tune in to unlock the potential beneath your feet! Key points: Improving soil health: A fundamental overview of how soil works and strategies for building resilient systems. Soil testing: The basics of taking a proper soil test and how to correctly interpret the results. The compaction challenge: Practical advice for overcoming compaction issues specifically on livestock farms. Cutting the costs: How transitioning to healthy soils can significantly reduce your nitrogen fertiliser bill. Sward management: Strategies for successfully including clover into the sward and leveraging multi-species swards alongside rotational grazing techniques. This series has been formulated in partnership with Precision Grazing Ltd. They are experts in livestock enterprises and work with numerous Farming Connect registered businesses to create resilience and sustained profit. /episode/index/show/farmingconnect/id/38479195

#123- The Soil Revelation: How Saving Money Led to Regenerative Farming with Stuart Johnson 09/11/2025

#123- The Soil Revelation: How Saving Money Led to Regenerative Farming with Stuart Johnson Welcome to another episode of the Farming Connect Ear to the Ground podcast. We are staying on the topic of soil health for this episode as we were keen to expand on the foundations and principles heard in our latest podcast with Joel Williams, do go back to listen to that episode if you haven’t yet had an opportunity. Today, we're talking to a farmer whose journey proves that sometimes, the drive for profit is the best route to environmental stewardship. Our guest is Stuart Johnson, a fifth-generation tenant farmer from West Wharmley Farm near Hexham. For years, like many others, Stuart focused on high inputs and high yields, barely giving the soil a second thought. But about a decade ago, a simple need to save money on the farm led to a major operational shift. What began as a financial decision quickly unlocked a profound revelation about the land beneath his feet. Join us as Stuart walks us through how that single change became the surprising catalyst for a full transition to regenerative farming, increasing his farm's resilience. In Stuarts own words, his farming system is planned and purposeful but doesn't necessitate perfection, and It's a much nicer way to farm! Listen in to hear the details. Datguddiad y Pridd: Sut arweiniodd arbed arian at ffermio adfywiol Croeso i bennod arall o bodlediad Clust i'r Ddaear Cyswllt Ffermio. Rydym yn aros ar y testun iechyd y pridd ar gyfer y bennod hon. Mae hyn am ein bod yn awyddus i ehangu ar y seiliau a'r egwyddorion a glywyd yn ein podlediad diweddaraf gyda Joel Williams, ewch yn ôl i wrando ar y bennod honno os nad ydych wedi cael cyfle eto. Heddiw, rydym yn siarad â ffermwr y mae ei daith yn profi weithiau mai'r ymgyrch am elw yw’r llwybr gorau i stiwardiaeth amgylcheddol. Ein gwestai yw Stuart Johnson, ffermwr tenant pumed genhedlaeth o Fferm West Wharmley ger Hexham. Am flynyddoedd, fel llawer o bobl eraill, canolbwyntiodd Stuart ar fewnbynnau uchel a chynnyrch uchel, heb feddwl dwywaith am y pridd. Ond tua degawd yn ôl, arweiniodd angen syml i arbed arian ar y fferm at newid gweithredol mawr. Fe wnaeth yr hyn a ddechreuodd fel penderfyniad ariannol ddatgelu datguddiad dwys yn gyflym am y tir dan ei draed. Ymunwch â ni wrth i Stuart ein tywys drwy sut y daeth yr un newid hwnnw'n gatalydd annisgwyl ar gyfer trawsnewidiad llawn i ffermio adfywiol, gan gynyddu gwydnwch ei fferm. Yng ngeiriau Stuart ei hun, mae ei system ffermio wedi'i chynllunio ac yn bwrpasol ond nid yw'n gofyn am berffeithrwydd, ac mae'n ffordd llawer brafiach o ffermio! Gwrandewch ar y podlediad i glywed y manylion. /episode/index/show/farmingconnect/id/38922675