News
Off the beaten track, tourism sustains two generations of sheep farmers
Dome glamping, farm tours and jetting up the Hurunui River supplements income and highlights cultural heritage at a traditional sheep farm.
Reducing splash-back and soaking up the nasties from dairy cows' pee
An "eye-opening" farm trial could help clean up New Zealand's rivers and streams.
Milk high fliers move into hops and plant proteins
Maury Leyland and John Penno have created a health food supplement based on protein extracted from leafy greens and in particular, locally grown lucerne.
Farmer retires land he says 'shouldn't ever have animals on it'
"I've been farming on my own account for 52 years and cut down a fair share of trees, so now is my time to leave this place better than we found it," Chris Bolderston told Country Life.
Globetrotting envoy Hamish Marr grows the New Zealand agriculture story
Methven farmer Hamish Marr is proud to showcase farmers' and growers' innovations to overseas governments "and anyone else who is buying our products".
AudioTrees help combat erosion on Hurunui hill country
There's often little that can be done to prevent erosion of farmland, but the roots which grow from trees like willow and poplar are one way to help secure land that is at risk of slipping and…
AudioMenzShed - a place where blokes can be blokes
A backyard initiative is keeping blokes busy in North Canterbury. The Cheviot MenzShed is a tooled-up workshop where men can tinker, talk and share their skills with the local community.
AudioMosgiel tech company uses AI to help farmers figure out when - and how - to drench sheep
New technology is helping farmers to prevent drench resistance and keep sheep parasite-free.
AudioAI cameras in pest traps recognise predators and birds
A pilot using artificial technology to differentiate predators from native birds could be a game-changer for pest control.
AudioGet your skates on
People in the small farming community of Staveley in Canterbury are hoping their newly upgraded ice rink can stand up to global warming after locals pitched in to pay for a new refrigeration system.
AudioFrom farm to fabric to fashion
Georgina Lawson and her husband Willie farm 3000 sheep at Merton in North Otago. Last year, Georgina launched a line of 100 percent woollen coats made from the clip of their farm's Romdale hoggets.
AudioDam project aims to stop flooding in Christchurch's Early Valley
A series of dams to capture stormwater as it runs off the Port Hills are being constructed on farmland near Christchurch. It's the brainchild of Brent and Shirley Rawstron from Rossendale Wines, who…
AudioSheds and cupboards cleaned out for Banks Peninsula fundraiser
Every year on Easter Saturday, unwanted bric-a-brac goes under the hammer at a huge Paddy's Market and White Elephant in Akaroa. It's run by the Akaroa and Bays Lions Club, which raises thousands of…
AudioYoung fruit growers climb the hort ladder
Kaahu Birdling and Jordan Popata are supervisors at Thomas Brothers Orchard in Riwaka. They manage their own teams and are embracing every opportunity to learn about leadership and orchard management.
… Audio'Give us a break!' say surfing farmers
Every Thursday afternoon, Banks Peninsula farmers head to the beach in Hickory Bay and ride waves to forget about work. Farmer and surfing coach, Kristin Savage, runs the Surfing for Farmers…
AudioInspired farmers take action to clean waterways
A catchment restoration project in the Marlborough Sounds is bringing a farming community together to tackle water quality issues and achieve wider conservation goals
Audio'He's a very good looking pig, that one!'
Rick Martin and Nairn Illingworth farm a drove of happy heritage pigs on their small farm in Marlborough's Onamalutu Valley
AudioTruck driver takes to the water to reach farms
A large blue truck and trailer unit has become a common sight in the Marlborough Sounds as it's barged to farms to pick up and drop off livestock.
AudioAncestors roots run deep at Wairau Pā vineyard
Haysley MacDonald was born and bred on the family farm near Marlborough's Wairau Bar, or Te Pokohiwi. The coastal land, that overlooks Cloudy Bay, is where his ancestors first landed over 800 years…
AudioGreen learning hub grows on red zone land
School students are helping turn quake-damaged red zoned land green again at the Climate Action Campus in Ōtautahi/Christchurch.
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'My pop owned a milk run' says farmer who bottles his own milk
A rural entrepreneur is pasteurising and bottling A2 milk from his families farm and delivering it to people's doors, just like his grandfather did.
AudioA year on the farm: Lambing is in full swing on the Bird's hill block
The newborn lambs hide amongst gorse to escape the chilly winds and Alistair plants poplar poles on erosion-prone hill country.
Audio'I've been chased by wolves twice' - Timaru farmer
An injured hawk rests on Remus Coman's arm. He found it in a ditch on his cattle grazing farm. Hidden under it, an inked wolf forms part of a tattoo that tells stories from his youth in rural Romania.
… AudioSpring has sprung and sowing has begun
The cash crops are going in and the last of the trading lambs are heading off at Tim Cookson's farm near Hororata in Canterbury.
AudioHalf price natives - and planted for free
Landowners in Karamea aren't beating around the bush when it comes to riparian planting. They're making the most of a local not-for-profit nursery and planting service that grows and eco-sources…
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