Country Life
623 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Country Life takes you down country roads to meet ordinary people achieving their dreams. We live in a beautiful country...
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Episodes
Echo the avalanche rescue dog - sniffing for life in the snow
August 06, 2022 02:39 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBEcho loves rolling in the snow but he has an important job to do while he's in the white stuff. He's an avalanche rescue dog and we are out with him and his handler keeping up his finely tuned skills to help save lives on the slopes and in the back country.
Seasoned livestock saleyards still serving local farmers
August 05, 2022 22:25 - 9 minutes - 8.38 MBCountry Life is at one of the oldest saleyards in the country watching sheep and cattle go under the hammer and meeting the team who run weekly auctions at Coalgate.
All the eggs in one basket at poultry farm after rebranding
August 05, 2022 09:15 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBLincoln University graduate Anna Craig has overhauled the marketing story for her family's free range egg farming business in North Otago.
On the Farm - a wrap of farming conditions around NZ
August 05, 2022 09:07 - 6 minutes - 6.17 MBDairy farmers near Tauranga say their paddocks are drying off nicely during drier weather this week and in Southland ewes are being moved onto crops before lambing next month.
Country Life Friday August 5 2022
August 05, 2022 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBCountry Life heads to the slopes with a very special dog who's training to sniff out people buried in avalanches. The team also meet a 23 year old poultry farmer and visits one of the country's oldest stock saleyards.
From Bovine to Ovine
July 29, 2022 09:36 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBThe Onuku Māori Lands Trust is just starting its third season milking sheep near Rerewhakaaitu, south of Rotorua. One of its dairy cow farms was converted to dairy sheep in 2020 and the business is going better than expected.
25 Years of Country Life - Year One 1997: A Retrospective
July 29, 2022 09:21 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBIn celebration of Country Life's 25th birthday we will be delving into the archives over the next few months. This week we're hearing a selection of stories that the team covered in the first year of Country Life. From drought, to flood, to cramped rural health facilities and the rabbit killing virus RCD.
As Australia beefs up sheep tracing should NZ follow suit?
July 29, 2022 09:15 - 7 minutes - 7.24 MBAaron Dodd, Chief Investigator and Deputy Director of the Centre for Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, based at the University of Melbourne, chats about the foot and mouth disease risk for New Zealand.
Knitting needles are clicking for Operation Cover Up
July 29, 2022 09:15 - 6 minutes - 6.41 MBChildren in war-torn Ukraine will hopefully have some winter woollies from New Zealand to keep warm in this winter. Knitting groups from around the country have taken up their needles for the long-running Operation Cover Up which sends hand-knitted blankets and clothing to eastern Europe.
As Australia beefs us sheep tracing should NZ follow suit?
July 29, 2022 09:15 - 7 minutes - 7.24 MBAaron Dodd, Chief Investigator and Deputy Director of the Centre for Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, based at the University of Melbourne, chats about the foot and mouth disease risk for New Zealand.
Full Episode for Friday July 29 2022
July 29, 2022 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBBiosecurity Risk expert, Onuku Maori Trust Sheep Milking enterprise, 25 Years of Country Life - Year One 1997: A Retrospective, Knitting needles are clicking for Operation Cover Up and the Regional Round-up.
Proud to be guardians of the land
July 23, 2022 23:30 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBA group of farmers in Canterbury's Selwyn district are focused on improving water quality in streams that flow through their properties. Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture has received government money to help fund its work and other projects in the community.
Spawning a new generation of fishers
July 22, 2022 09:16 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBKids cooped up because of Covid are being encouraged to pick up a fly fishing rod and learn how to catch trout. The Tongariro National Trout Centre also has big plans for education about the fishery, natives, freshwater and aquaponics.
A trifle wet for truffles
July 22, 2022 09:14 - 3 minutes - 2.88 MBTruffles are in hot demand but one grower says the wet season means her harvest is down considerably.
Full Episode for Friday July 22 2022
July 22, 2022 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBCountry Life heads out with a very young fisherwoman - 9 year old Isla Vahry - to find out how she's learning to fish for trout and the benefits of fishing especially for families cooped up because of the pandemic. And a sustainable agriculture group works on improving water quality.
The Dahlia Field
July 15, 2022 09:36 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBPeople swoon when they visit what was once a bare block of land in Hawkes Bay, according to Natalie Tolchard, who launched full tilt into growing dahlias without any experience but plenty of passion. Country Life takes you back to the autumn when her commercial dahlia crop was a riot of colour and hears how good research and plenty of determination has opened up a new direction in horticulture.
Growing dahlias 'a way to recalibrate your happiness meter'
July 15, 2022 09:36 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBPeople swoon when they visit what was once a bare block of land in Hawke's Bay, according to Natalie Tolchard, who launched full tilt into growing dahlias without any experience but plenty of passion. Country Life takes you back to the autumn when her commercial dahlia crop was a riot of colour and hears how good research and plenty of determination has opened up a new direction in horticulture.
A Rural GP speaks out
July 15, 2022 09:16 - 9 minutes - 8.57 MBThis week an open letter was sent to the prime minister by the New Zealand Women in Medicine Charitable Trust warning that New Zealand's health system was at risk of a "catastrophic collapse." Anthea Prentice is a Cheviot rural GP who took part in the survey.
A Rural GP Speaks Out
July 15, 2022 09:16 - 9 minutes - 8.57 MBThis week 900 doctors signed an open letter to the health minister which demanded the government face up to a "catastrophic collapse" of the health workforce. Anthea Prentice is a sole rural GP in Cheviot, she says this crisis has been coming for a long time.
Keeping a close eye on foot and mouth
July 15, 2022 09:07 - 2 minutes - 2.74 MBAuthorities are seeking to reassure farmers about the threat of foot and mouth disease for New Zealand livestock. Biosecurity New Zealand's Deputy Director-General, Stuart Anderson says vaccines here could be rolled out within days.
Working dogs go under the hammer
July 15, 2022 09:07 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBThe 64th annual Ashburton cattle and sheep dog sale was held last week at the Mayfield A&P Showgrounds. PGG Wrightson auctioneer Greg Cook says people came from all over the country to buy and sell working dogs.
Full Episode for Friday July 15 2022
July 15, 2022 09:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBThe Dahlia Field, Working dogs go under the hammer, A Rural GP Speaks Out, Keeping a close eye on foot and mouth, and the Regional Wrap.
Wool meets hemp on high country station
July 09, 2022 01:33 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBPaul Ensor farms sheep and cattle at Glenaan Station in the Rakaia Gorge and co-owns a clothing brand that blends merino wool with hemp fibre.
Gravy with your grassburger, madam?
July 08, 2022 09:20 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBCan dairy farmers be tempted to put aside some of their pasture for human digestible protein? New Zealand scientists have developed the technology but how would it work in the paddock?
Ōkārito GorseBusters
July 08, 2022 09:12 - 8 minutes - 8.03 MBThis April, volunteers from all over Aotearoa headed to South Westland to clear gorse from the shores of the stunning Ōkārito Lagoon.
Vet warns of foot and mouth risk from tourist hotspot
July 08, 2022 09:10 - 6 minutes - 6.19 MBRoss Ainsworth is a consultant vet living in Bali which has just confirmed foot and mouth disease among livestock on the island. He says wandering animals near tourist areas heighten the risk of the disease entering New Zealand.
Country Life for 8 July
July 08, 2022 09:09 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBFoot and Mouth, Okarito GorseBusters, Grass burger, Wool meets hemp on high country station and the Regional Wrap.
Happy cow, happy customers
July 01, 2022 09:33 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBWaikato farmer Chris Falconer is the first farmer in New Zealand to trial the Happy Cow milk processing and distribution system. He farms the Happy Cow way, with a strong focus on being green and kind to the animals. The milk is pasteurised on farm and sold direct to customers.
Growing and showing pigs for fun
July 01, 2022 09:18 - 8 minutes - 7.57 MBWhile many teenage boys get stuck into gaming after school, you'll find Fletcher Keen in a paddock. Last year a pig named 'Ashley Bloomfield' won the 14-year-old Cantabrian 'Best Boar Over 5 months And Under 8 Months' at NZ's national agriculture show.
Indigenous Forest and Carbon
July 01, 2022 09:12 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBTwo retired Auckland University lecturers put the case for correctly acknowledging the role native trees can play in carbon sequestration.
Full Episode for Friday July 1 2022
July 01, 2022 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBHappy Cow Happy Customers, Indigenous Forest and Carbon, Growing and showing pigs for fun and On the Farm - a wrap of farming conditions around NZ.
Healing Māori land through hemp
June 24, 2022 09:33 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBIsaac Beach felt like Neil Armstrong on the moon when he first stepped foot on a block of land he's now planting up with hemp. The crop is part of efforts to heal the land and involve its Māori landowners. Matauranga Māori - traditional knowledge - is being fused with contemporary technology to produce nutritious food products including hemp milk.
Healing Maori land through hemp
June 24, 2022 09:33 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBIsaac Beach felt like Neil Armstrong on the moon when he first stepped foot on a block of land he's now planting up with hemp. The crop is part of efforts to heal the land and involve its Maori landowners. Matauranga Maori - traditional knowledge - is being fused with contemporary technology to produce nutritious food products including hemp milk.
Capturing tuna
June 24, 2022 09:22 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBFive years ago Himiona Nuku started capturing eels full of eggs and helping them on their migratory journey. That was because two power stations on the Rangitaiki River were blocking their path.
Capturing Tuna
June 24, 2022 09:22 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBFive years ago Himiona Nuku started capturing eels full of eggs and helping them on their migratory journey. That was because two power stations on the Rangitaiki River were blocking their path.
Rayne Bradley reaches the halfway mark
June 24, 2022 09:20 - 3 minutes - 3.12 MBWhen Taumarunui student Rayne Bradley arrived in the big smoke of Hamilton earlier this year to study tourism she was nervous and homesick. A couple of weeks later she was feeling a bit more confident. So how is she faring now, five months down the track and into semester two. [audio_play]
Tourism venture pivots to Teaching
June 24, 2022 09:12 - 8 minutes - 7.47 MBKohutapu Lodge was humming four years ago, it was welcoming international backpackers and living up to its five word motto "Changing a town through tourism". Overnight all that changed. After many tears they picked themselves up and started running 12-week-long life skills courses for local tamariki. Into the third course things are going well and the owners plan to blend the tourism business with teaching.
Tourism venture pivots to teaching
June 24, 2022 09:12 - 8 minutes - 7.47 MBKohutapu Lodge was humming four years ago, it was welcoming international backpackers and living up to its five word motto "Changing a town through tourism". Overnight all that changed. After many tears they picked themselves up and started running 12-week-long life skills courses for local tamariki. Into the third course things are going well and the owners plan to blend the tourism business with teaching.
Country Life for Friday 24 June
June 24, 2022 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBA wrap of farming conditions around NZ, Tourism venture pivots to Teaching, Rayne Bradley reaches the halfway mark, Capturing Tuna and Healing Maori land through hemp.
Pine trees to pay for agricultural emission bills
June 18, 2022 00:07 - 7 minutes - 6.92 MBNorthland farmer Roger Ludbrook is planting pine trees and reducing stock numbers so he can pay for greenhouse gas emission bills with carbon credits from his trees.
Country Life Friday June 17 2022
June 17, 2022 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46 MBFull Episode for Friday June 17 2022
Technology key to dairy's future
June 17, 2022 09:07 - 15 minutes - 14 MBCould cows be toilet trained and how close will dairy farmers be to slamming emissions a decade from now? Dairy farmer Pete Morgan and agritech entrepreneur Craig Piggott ruminate on dairy farming in 2032.
25 Years of Country Life - Golden Pliers 2014
June 17, 2022 09:07 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBIn celebration of Country Life's 25th birthday we will be delving into the archives over the next few months. This week we're watching expert fencers face off with their tools and technique at the Golden Pliers event during the 2014 Fieldays.
Farming v Forestry - Friend or Foe
June 11, 2022 00:27 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBIn a forest block near Tokoroa a 60-year-old tree is felled and turned into a cubic metre of wood. It will end up at the Mystery Creek Fieldays at the end of the year to give a visual representation of carbon sequestration and there's a discussion about farming and forestry.
23 Years of Country Life - farewell to Carol Stiles
June 10, 2022 09:41 - 6 minutes - 6.42 MBFor 23 years, the warm, lively voice of Country Life presenter and producer Carol Stiles has been synonymous with RNZ's rural storytelling As she moves on from the job, Carol chats to Sally Round about what she saw and learned.
To the Rescue
June 10, 2022 09:18 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBTons of perfectly good produce from New Zealand farms, orchards and processing plants, once destined for landfill, is being saved and filling fridges, pantries and hungry children's tummies around the country. Country Life goes behind the scenes of a food rescue charity, Nourished for Nil, and finds out what makes it tick.
Hawke's Bay charity saves tonnes of food from landfill
June 10, 2022 09:18 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBTons of perfectly good produce from New Zealand farms, orchards and processing plants, once destined for landfill, is being saved and filling fridges, pantries and hungry children's tummies around the country. Country Life goes behind the scenes of a food rescue charity, Nourished for Nil, and finds out what makes it tick.
Country Life for Friday 10 June
June 10, 2022 09:07 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBCountry Life joins the queue to get free food at Nourished for Nil, a food rescue charity in Hawkes Bay and heads to a forestry block near Tokoroa for a discussion on forestry and farming. And we farewell Carol Stiles after nearly quarter of a century reporting from the heartland of rural New Zealand.
21 Years making Olive Oil - 'It's New Zealand in a cup'
June 03, 2022 09:41 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBCountry Life joins Lot 8's twenty first olive harvest and talks to the olive oil brand's owners Nalini and Colin Baruch who are among the Wairarapa's pioneering olive oil producers.
Join Us
June 03, 2022 09:27 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBShannon Munro is the young and vibrant face of the Dairy NZ campaign Join Us. It's been a multi-media campaign aiming to show a personal side of dairy farming and it was Shannon's TikTok exploits during lockdown that caught the eye of industry leaders looking for good role models.