The Podcast Team

Having spent a lifetime in the dairy industry Andrew now co-hosts the ChewintheCud Podcast with his friend Neil Greggor.

Andrew was born on a dairy farm near Frome in Somerset and worked on the farm at the weekends and holidays because he had to, not because he wanted to, and he initially thought his career was away from the cows and away from agriculture.

Then aged twenty he began to enjoy the farm at home, and missed the cows, and switched to studying an NDA (National Diploma in Agriculture) at Cannington College in Somerset.

As he finished his course the family sold the farm and emigrated to Australia, where they initially farmed near Millaa Millaa in Far North Queensland, before moving two thousand miles, to a place called Bookaar, just outside Camperdown in Western Victoria.

During his ten years in Australia Andrew experienced snakes, spiders, stinging trees, ticks, extreme wet and extreme dry all the while developing an interest in Holstein genetics and breeding the world-famous Page House Shottle Noni EX92-4E 11SBC, selling her as a recently calved VG85 two year old.

Upon his return to the UK in 2008, he initially milked cows in North Dorset before trying his hand in the genetics supply industry.  After deciding this wasn’t for him, Andrew further developed his interest in nutrition, leading to him studying the Dip RN (Diploma in Ruminant Nutrition) at Harper Adams University.

Initially working independently, he was then approached to manage and develop a buying group in the South West of England, supplying technical and nutritional support to members, as well as manage the groups’ buying decisions.

Then in Spring 2022 Andrew decided it was time for a change and follow his passion for nutrition, so now offers independent support and advice to dairy and beef clients, across the South West of England, and beyond, from his home in North Dorset.

While not born & bred on a farm, Neil has spent his entire career supporting the dairy industry first in his native South Africa, and since 2008 here in the UK.

Neil began his career in 1987 doing research for the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The research was to find the carrying capacity of natural pastures across the Midlands and Northern KwaZulu-Natal areas of South Africa. Working with a Masters’ student and farmers, they measured the grass, identified grass species and weighed the cattle to estimate the influence of light, moderate and heavy grazing capacities on the grass cover, species of grass and weight gains of the cattle.

The following year Neil was given the opportunity of becoming a Friesland Classifier for the Friesland Cattle Breeders Association (FCBA). Shortly after starting the position, he was part of the process of the highly sensitive and emotional change to the Holstein Friesland Society. Then only two years later he became the joint youngest head classifier for the society. As a classifier he didn’t just classify Holsteins and Friesians but also Guernsey and Ayrshire cattle.  Neil also judged all dairy breeds including Jerseys, Brown Swiss and Shorthorns across South Africa. Later Neil held the position of Technical Manager along with becoming more involved in the sale of semen before moving to the UK in 2008.

Neil has been involved in running, and/or developing of, computer mating programs with three different AI companies in South Africa and in the UK, as well as the marketing of their genetics.

This has taken Neil on travels all over the UK, and around the World, and has included visits to Canada, Ireland, Namibia, Russia, Serbia, South Africa and The Netherlands and is respected throughout the industry for his knowledge and passion for all dairy breeds.