Country Life
938 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago -Country Life takes you down country roads to meet ordinary people achieving their dreams.
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Episodes
The last of the ballot blocks - farm sale reflects tough few years
April 26, 2024 07:35 - 19 minutes - 35.3 MBOne of the last rehab soldier farms in Wairarapa has been sold for forestry and the farm gear is going under the hammer. Gianina Schwanecke is at the on-farm sale and finds out why the owner is selling up.
A love for Clydesdales - 'they just become your mates'
April 26, 2024 07:28 - 16 minutes - 30.9 MBSteve Muggeridge's beloved Clydesdales have returned to Taranaki, the home of his father's Clydesdale stud. At the base of the maunga, he chats about the changing use of the heavy horse and hitches a pair up to a vintage wagon for a ride along the mountain's flanks.
Rural News Wrap
April 26, 2024 07:20 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MBA round-up of the week's agricultural news.
Support on hand for RSE staff at Tasman orchard
April 26, 2024 07:12 - 7 minutes - 13.4 MBPanadda Chittock is the pastoral care co-ordinator at Thomas Brothers Orchards in Riwaka. She supports about 80 Recognised Seasonal Employer or RSE workers from Vanuatu and Samoa who work on the orchard.
Country Life for Friday 26 April 2024
April 26, 2024 07:00 - 50 minutes - 93.2 MBThis week Country Life is behind a team of Clydesdale horses on a vintage wagon, finding out about the increasingly rare breed, and heads to a sale of farm gear in Wairarapa, where one of the last local rehab soldier farms has been sold into forestry.
Mt Taranaki ranger Tāne Houston - 'we let the forest talk for itself'
April 19, 2024 07:29 - 22 minutes - 40.3 MBCountry Life takes a walk with mountain ranger Tāne Houston through the forest on the slopes of Mt Taranaki. We head up the volcano along a trap line, resetting bait, foraging and chatting about the progress made in restoring the landscape.
'She's got everything you want in a cow'
April 19, 2024 07:26 - 13 minutes - 24.3 MBA 40-litres-of-milk-a-day Friesian called Evie has been Supreme Champion Holstein at the New Zealand A&P Agricultural Show for two years in a row. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes meets the farmer behind the cow.
"She's got everything you want in a cow"
April 19, 2024 07:26 - 13 minutes - 24.3 MBA 40-litres-of-milk-a-day Friesian called Evie has been Supreme Champion Holstein at the New Zealand A&P Agricultural Show for two years in a row. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes meets the farmer behind the cow.
The diverse experiences of farming
April 19, 2024 07:19 - 6 minutes - 12.3 MBA lot of urban dwellers get their information about farming from supermarkets, new research suggests. A Massey University research project surveyed over 1300 urban and rural people about their views on farming.
Country Life for Friday April 19 2024
April 19, 2024 07:10 - 51 minutes - 93.7 MBThis week Country Life is out with a mountain ranger foraging and checking traps on the slopes of Mt Taranaki and meets the farmer behind a champion milker. Also, a Massey University research project reveals what New Zealanders really think about farming.
The Food, Farming and Freshwater Roadshow hits Renwick
April 12, 2024 07:38 - 23 minutes - 43 MBFarmers and growers around the country have been getting together to hear about research which might help New Zealand agriculture adapt to future challenges.
Research showcased at food, farming and freshwater roadshow
April 12, 2024 07:38 - 23 minutes - 43 MBFarmers and growers around the country have been getting together to hear about research which might help New Zealand agriculture adapt to future challenges.
Rural Riders spins farmers' wheels - "I smile a lot here"
April 12, 2024 07:28 - 10 minutes - 18.4 MBRural Riders is a chance for farmers to get off the farm on a bike, spin some yarns and focus on the dips and the jumps rather than the weather and the milk price.
Rural Riders spins farmers' wheels - 'I smile a lot here'
April 12, 2024 07:28 - 10 minutes - 18.4 MBRural Riders is a chance for farmers to get off the farm on a bike, spin some yarns and focus on the dips and the jumps rather than the weather and the milk price.
Eric Fa'anoi - a view from both sides of the fence
April 12, 2024 07:12 - 7 minutes - 13.7 MBEric Fa'anoi has gone from helping farmers protect the environment to being a farmer himself. A visit to his ancestral village in Samoa also helped this young man from Porirua unearth his interest in agriculture.
Country Life for Friday 12 April 2024
April 12, 2024 07:00 - 50 minutes - 92.1 MBThis week on Country Life, farmers and growers around the country have been getting together to hear about research which might help New Zealand agriculture adapt to future challenges. The team also catches up with Rural Riders, a group of farmers taking some much needed time off-farm by mountain biking.
From techie to market gardener - "getting made redundant really pushed me"
April 05, 2024 06:40 - 21 minutes - 39.6 MBMorgan Kane moved back home when she lost her job at a tech start up. It was the start of her move, with her husband, into market gardening. She and her parents welcome the advantages of multigenerational living and the chance to put a large lifestyle block of rich Taranaki soil into production.
From techie to market gardener - 'Getting made redundant really pushed me'
April 05, 2024 06:40 - 21 minutes - 39.6 MBMorgan Kane moved back home when she lost her job at a tech start up. It was the start of her move, with her husband, into market gardening. She and her parents welcome the advantages of multigenerational living and the chance to put a large lifestyle block of rich Taranaki soil into production.
One person's trash is another person's treasure
April 05, 2024 06:27 - 14 minutes - 27 MBEvery 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 dollars for the local community
One person's trash another's treasure
April 05, 2024 06:27 - 14 minutes - 27 MBEvery 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 dollars for the local community
Sheds and cupboards cleaned out for Banks Peninsula fundraiser
April 05, 2024 06:27 - 14 minutes - 27 MBEvery 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 dollars for the local community
Brothers on farms - competing for top farmer title
April 05, 2024 06:18 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MBBrothers Callum and Archie Woodhouse have been named the top two finalists in this year's East Coast Young Farmer. We catch up with the siblings as they prepare for the next round of the competition.
Brothers turn rivals as they compete for top farmer title
April 05, 2024 06:18 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MBBrothers Callum and Archie Woodhouse have been named the top two finalists in this year's East Coast Young Farmer of the Year competition. We catch up with the siblings as they prepare for the next round of the competition.
On the Farm - a wrap of conditions around the country
April 05, 2024 06:12 - 6 minutes - 12.2 MBRain is still needed in many parts of the country. Hay and baleage is being trucked around to ensure stock get the feed they need. The grape harvest is well through in Central Otago with good yields and clean fruit.
Country Life for Friday 5 April 2024
April 05, 2024 06:07 - 50 minutes - 92.2 MBThis week Country Life meets a young woman who lost her job in the tech industry and turned things around by getting her hands in the soil and starting up a market garden. The team also heads to Banks Peninsula where unwanted gear in farm sheds has been turned into cold hard cash for the benefit of the community.
From cow to cone - a big scoop from Nelson
March 29, 2024 06:40 - 20 minutes - 38.4 MBMilk from Murray King's farm on the lower Waimea River flats is crafted into award-winning ice cream. "We had to find a way of generating better income than we would by producing whole milk powder with the major dairy companies," he said.
Finding the flock - searching for stories from Flock House
March 29, 2024 06:28 - 13 minutes - 24.4 MBA search is underway for descendants of hundreds of British boys sent out for farming training in New Zealand a century ago. Flock House, a flagship agricultural school in New Zealand was set up 100 years ago. What ever happened to its first cadets?
Raising fowls for families impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle
March 29, 2024 06:18 - 6 minutes - 12.7 MBA hen rescued from floodwaters in Cyclone Gabrielle is helping bring back life to farms one year on. Hawke's Bay farmer Sally Newall hatched the idea to gift chicks to families impacted by the cyclone to help get them back on their feet and have fun with some feathered friends.
Country Life for 29 March 2024
March 29, 2024 06:08 - 50 minutes - 93.4 MBAppleby Farms, Flock House centenary and Cyclone Chicks
Rare bird returns to Wairarapa wetlands
March 22, 2024 06:40 - 20 minutes - 38.4 MBA distinctive booming sound is returning to the Wairarapa Moana. Most of the surrounding wetlands have been lost after land was drained for farming. Now, after years of rehabilitation work, more of the Australasian Bittern have been heard lately. Country Life heads out at dusk to listen for the matuku-hurepō.
Low-cost posts for farms and no landfill charges for vineyards
March 22, 2024 06:27 - 12 minutes - 22.9 MBA start-up in Marlborough is busy repurposing damaged vineyard posts, that were used to hold up the canopy, into sustainable posts for farm fencing.
A taste of the future of dairy
March 22, 2024 06:18 - 9 minutes - 18 MBJustin Gregory tries Daisy Lab's prototype precision-fermented products, which aim to have the texture and mouthfeel of dairy product, but are made without input from a cow.
Country Life for Friday 22 March 2024
March 22, 2024 06:00 - 50 minutes - 92.7 MBThis week Country Life takes you to an Auckland lab making cheese without the need for a cow, and a start-up in Marlborough which is busy recycling damaged vineyard posts into low cost posts for farm fencing, to wetlands in South Wairarapa where a rare bird has returned.
From woolshed to bed - two sisters spin their homeware dreams
March 15, 2024 06:32 - 17 minutes - 32.4 MBHow did two sisters design throws and blankets using lambs wool from the family farm? Kate Cullwick and Prue Watson share the secret to their Foxtrot Home business success and why it's essential to spread the good word about New Zealand wool.
A blast from the past - Mustering in Marlborough
March 15, 2024 06:22 - 16 minutes - 29.4 MBIt's 1956 and in the heat of February seven shepherds, a pack train and 40 dogs drove 4000 ewes from remote Bluff Station, 90 kilometres down the back country to Kekerengu for shearing.
Young fruit growers climb the hort ladder
March 15, 2024 06:16 - 11 minutes - 20.5 MBKaahu 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.
A wrap of the week's rural news
March 15, 2024 06:07 - 4 minutes - 8.35 MBMore government support will be heading the way of farmers and growers in the Marlborough, Tasman and Nelson districts where an intense dry spell has been labelled a medium-scale adverse event.
Country Life for Friday 15 March 2024
March 15, 2024 06:07 - 50 minutes - 93.2 MBFrom woolshed to bed - two sisters spin their homeware dreams, Young fruit growers climb the hort ladder, A blast from the past - Mustering in Marlborough and a wrap of the week's rural news
'Give us a break!' say surfing farmers
March 08, 2024 06:38 - 20 minutes - 37.8 MBEvery 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 initiative, which doubles up as an apres surf catch-up and BBQ in the farmyard.
"Fresh ideas, younger muscles" - taking on the family farm
March 08, 2024 06:22 - 14 minutes - 26 MBSarah Maxwell switches from inseminating cows in the morning to shifting cows and sheep in the afternoon, working at the local sale yards and more besides.
'No turning back' - horsetrekking from Bluff to Picton
March 08, 2024 06:16 - 7 minutes - 13.1 MBKarolin van Onna and her friend had dreamt about horse trekking the length of the South Island for years - and last summer they finally did it.
Country Life for Friday 8 March 2024
March 08, 2024 06:07 - 50 minutes - 92.4 MB'Give us a break!' say surfing farmers, a back country dream comes true on horseback, Sarah Maxwell's farming journey and a wrap of the week's rural news.
Inspired farmers take action to clean waterways
March 01, 2024 06:38 - 21 minutes - 40.3 MBA catchment restoration project in the Marlborough Sounds is bringing a farming community together to tackle water quality issues and achieve wider conservation goals
Wool, sweat and shears - Golden Shears underway in Masterton
March 01, 2024 06:22 - 12 minutes - 23.4 MBThe Golden Shears is underway in Masterton, and from early Thursday the War Memorial Stadium has been buzzing to the sound of shears, woolhandlers' brooms and the cranking of wool presses.
Australian winegrowers protest over plummeting returns
March 01, 2024 06:16 - 5 minutes - 9.79 MBMany wine growers in Australia's largest wine region are in crisis mode due to plummeting prices for their grapes. Chris Archer works in the Australian and New Zealand wine industries and has been following developments.
Country Life For Friday 1 March 2024
March 01, 2024 06:07 - 48 minutes - 89.4 MBBehind the scenes at the Golden Shears, a conservation project in the Marlborough Sounds, crisis among Australia's winegrowers and On the Farm
On the Farm - a wrap of conditions on farms around the country
March 01, 2024 06:07 - 7 minutes - 12.9 MBKiwifruit are looking good in Hawkes Bay. Some flooded vines have died but generally recovery is better than expected. Conditions are very dry in Marlborough so many farmers are offloading stock due to concerns over feed and water levels.
Sheafs, cabers and tartan on show at Turakina Highland Games
February 23, 2024 06:40 - 21 minutes - 39.6 MBTartan, bagpipes, sheafs and cabers were out in force at the Turakina Highland Games, billed as New Zealand's longest-running such event. They're into their 160th year.
'He's a very good looking pig, that one!'
February 23, 2024 06:27 - 15 minutes - 28.2 MBRick Martin and Nairn Illingworth farm a drove of happy heritage pigs on their small farm in Marlborough's Onamalutu Valley
Truck driver takes to the water to reach farms
February 23, 2024 06:19 - 5 minutes - 9.23 MBA 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.