Farm
Ex-midwife in high spirits after setting up farm distillery
A sheep and beef farm on the foothills of the Seaward Kaikoura Range is home to a boutique distillery. Justine Schroder converted a shed into the Mt Fyffe Distillery three years ago and she's never… Audio
Breeding the methane out of sheep
With the government and the farming sector looking to reduce emissions, the race is on to find practical on the ground solutions to old problems. Methane production is a huge contributor to greenhouse… Audio
Fences fixed first as farmers count cost of flooding
Farmers in mid-Canterbury are still trying to get their heads around the scale of damage caused by massive flooding in June. It's been an extremely challenging situation for neighbours Anne-Marie… Audio
Romancing the tome: Te Puke author on the NYT bestseller list
Covid-19 has ravaged many industries, but romance novel sales have been soaring through the lockdown period, including titles from Te-Puke based mother of four Joanne Wadsworth. Audio
Rural MPs in lockdown
We speak to former Speaker David Carter at home on his farm in Banks Peninsula and the Minister for Agriculture Damien O'Connor on his eight hectare lifestyle block in the Tasman district. Audio
Sam Neill: actor turned lockdown social media star
Sam Neill says being "stupid and ridiculous on social media" isn't a new thing for him. While he'd rather be on his farm in New Zealand, for now, the Kiwi actor is self-isolating in Australia. In… Audio
Professor Stephanie Coontz: How to Make Your Marriage Gayer
Professor Stephanie Coontz recently wrote an opinion piece saying "many different-sex couples would have happier and more satisfying marriages if they took a few lessons from their same-sex… Audio
Calling Home: Tony Price in Charlotte, North Carolina
Ashburton native Tony Price has been involved in NASCAR racing in the US for more than three decades. He's Calling Home today from the lifestyle block he and wife Cindy have owned in Charlotte, North… Audio
Sign of the Times
Jo Jack is a keen woodworker and runs sign-making classes for woman in rural communities. She makes rustic wooden signs of all shapes and sizes and sells most of them via her Gingham Girls Facebook… Audio
Fight against M Bovis continues
2019 is set to be another big year for the farming sector, as it continues to fight the cattle disease, Mycoplasma bovis. In May the government announced it would try to eradicate the disease, which… Audio
Taranaki Woman wins Excellence Award
Jessie Waite works for Federated Farmers.The 26-year-old is one of three winners of the 2018 NZ Young Farmers Excellence Awards recognising members who are leaders, achievers and role models. Audio
A Currant Affair
Tony and Afsaneh Howey have the largest certified organic blackcurrant farm in New Zealand. The South Canterbury couple produce the fruit for their ViBERi range of food products and supplements. Audio
Agricultural engineer doesn't miss a beet
Peter's most successful creation to date is a beet harvesting bucket for tractors. His BEETBOSS attracted worldwide interest recently when a YouTube video of some 'rugged bucket action' went viral. Video, Audio, Gallery
Blades of Glory
Allan and Phil Oldfield are professional blade shearers from Geraldine. Shearing has taken Allan around the world in the past year. While shearing a mob of finn-cross sheep at Russell Brodie's farm at… Audio, Gallery
Are aliens into agronomy?
We turn the clock back to 1961 when several people reported seeing unidentified flying objects in South Canterbury. Audio
Eco System Engineers
AgResearch scientist Nicole Schon works wonders with worms. Her research shows a healthy worm population can promote pasture growth as well as help water move through soils. As part of her work she… Audio
Keeping Catchments Healthy
Agribusiness consultant Deane Carson is encouraging farmers to use petrifilm E.coli count plate kits to test water quality levels on their farms in Southland. Audio
Mayor welcomes new owner of Hunter Valley Station near Wanaka
Queenstown Lakes Mayor says access to the lake has been controversial for several years, with the current leesee refusing public access. Jim Boult describes the sale as a satisfactory outcome. Audio
Looking After the Land
Sheep farming and environmental responsibility go hand in hand on 80-year-old Malcolm Mackenzie's 193 hectare farm near Winton in Southland. Over time he has planted shelter belts of native species… Audio
Taranaki farmer in standoff with oil giant
A Taranaki farmer is involved in a tense stand-off with Shell after refusing to let the oil giant set off seismic surveying explosives on his land. Audio