Wool
Keeping the lustre alive
Ravenswood Stud has a long history breeding the hardy English Leicester whose long curly wool has been likened to Bob Marley's dreadlocks. Fiona and John Robinson are continuing the tradition, finding…
AudioWool being developed to replace petroleum-based hygiene textiles
A mother and daughter duo are behind innovative technology to turn wool into a textile which can replace petroleum based materials used in hygiene products. Woolchemy's CEO Derelee Potroz-Smith… Audio
Rock bottom crossbred wool prices pose dilemma for farmers
Crossbred wool prices have plummeted to new record low levels in the wake of Covid-19, with some farmers receiving less than a dollar a kilogram for their wool.
Country Life catches up with advocate for wool, Steve Knudsen
In 2008, Country Life met farmer Steve Knudsen on an extremely steep Taranaki farm he called Vertigo Station. Steve's since bought and now lives on another much more friendly farm. He's still farming… Audio
Country Life catches up with advocate for wool, Steve Knudsen
In 2008, Country Life met farmer Steve Knudsen on an extremely steep Taranaki farm he called Vertigo Station. Steve's since bought and now lives on another much more friendly farm. He's still farming…
AudioGeraldine farmers go to bat for endangered species
Award winning wagyu beef farmers Evan and Clare Chapman were going to cut down a row of willows at their Kakahu property until they discovered a colony of long-tailed bats/pekapeka had made the old… Audio, Gallery
Geraldine farmers go to bat for endangered species
Award winning wagyu beef farmers Evan and Clare Chapman were going to cut down a row of willows at their Kakahu property until they discovered a colony of long-tailed bats/pekapeka had made the old…
AudioSwapping Chromebooks for knitting needles
Crossbred wool is in Andrea Bulleid's DNA. She farms sheep and beef at Longridge North in Southland with her husband Chris. A frustration with poor wool prices and lack of education about wool led her… Audio
Swapping Chromebooks for knitting needles
Crossbred wool is in Andrea Bulleid's DNA. She farms sheep and beef at Longridge North in Southland with her husband Chris. A frustration with poor wool prices and lack of education about wool led her…
AudioSixty Years of The Golden Shears
New Zealand's premier shearing competition, The Golden Shears, is gearing up for its 60th birthday bash next week. Despite scepticism at the start and declining demand for wool, The Golden Shears is… Audio
Sixty Years of The Golden Shears
New Zealand's premier shearing competition, The Golden Shears, is gearing up for its 60th birthday bash next week. Despite scepticism at the start and declining demand for wool, The Golden Shears is…
AudioPicking up the fence posts: farming in Waiau after the quake
When the magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook North Canterbury nearly three years ago, a 3.5-metre high wall of earth formed on Dave and Rebekah Kelly's sheep and beef station. The 'Wall of Waiau' – as it's… Audio, Gallery
Picking up the fence posts: farming in Waiau after the quake
When the magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook North Canterbury nearly three years ago, a 3.5-metre high wall of earth formed on Dave and Rebekah Kelly's sheep and beef station. The 'Wall of Waiau' – as it's…
AudioTrade War affects NZ Wool Prices
The trade war between the US and China is being blamed for significant drops in fine wool prices, up to 35% compared with last year for some lines. South Island farmer Murray Scott says two thirds of… Audio
Trade War affects NZ Wool Prices
The trade war between the US and China is being blamed for significant drops in fine wool prices, up to 35% compared with last year for some lines. South Island farmer Murray Scott says two thirds of…
AudioNo pulling the wool over 'The Shearers'
Likened to running a marathon, a shearer's job is up there with some of the most physically and mentally demanding occupations. Oral historian and writer living in Tīmaru, Ruth Entwistle Low speaks… Audio, Gallery
Mavis Mullins' journey from shearing shed to boardroom
New Zealand Business Hall of Famer Mavis Mullins' life has been a fascinating journey from a shearing shed on the outskirts of Dannevirke to multiple governance role and collecting an MBA along the… Audio, Gallery
Farming meets fashion
AgMatch is a web-based initiative that gives farmers, who pay an annual membership fee, access to lower priced farming supplies and hopefully increased returns by using their combined numbers as a… Audio
Farming meets fashion
AgMatch is a web-based initiative that gives farmers, who pay an annual membership fee, access to lower priced farming supplies and hopefully increased returns by using their combined numbers as a…
AudioTumblin' Down
Not that long ago, the New Zealand economy was built on sheep, sheep and more sheep. We were asking for economic trouble and in the late 1960s, we got it. Produced by Justin Gregory. Audio
