Introduction

The beef and dairy network podcast is sponsored by bove shield plunge, the new anti microbial cattle dip from mitchells. This month i travelled to one of the country's great seats of learning, portsmouth, to speak to professor james harcombe. His book, fallen beef, the hidden history of cattle in warfare, is being republished this year to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of 19 18. It is his contention that, not only were cattle useful for practical reasons, for example, as a source of milk or as a way of measuring the ideal width of a trench,. They also performed combat roles and were central to the outcome of the war. I think what i wanted