Country Life

The Food, Farming and Freshwater Roadshow hits Renwick

April 12, 2024 07:38 - 23 minutes - 43 MB

Farmers 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 MB

Farmers 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 MB

Rural 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 MB

Rural 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 News Wrap

April 12, 2024 07:20 - 6 minutes - 12.7 MB

A round-up of the week's agricultural news with RNZ rural news reporter Sally Murphy.

Eric Fa'anoi - a view from both sides of the fence

April 12, 2024 07:12 - 7 minutes - 13.7 MB

Eric 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 MB

This 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 MB

Morgan 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 MB

Morgan 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 another's treasure

April 05, 2024 06:27 - 14 minutes - 27 MB

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 dollars for the local community

Sheds and cupboards cleaned out for Banks Peninsula fundraiser

April 05, 2024 06:27 - 14 minutes - 27 MB

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 dollars for the local community

One person's trash is another person's treasure

April 05, 2024 06:27 - 14 minutes - 27 MB

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 dollars for the local community

Brothers turn rivals as they compete for top farmer title

April 05, 2024 06:18 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MB

Brothers 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.

Brothers on farms - competing for top farmer title

April 05, 2024 06:18 - 5 minutes - 10.5 MB

Brothers 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.

On the Farm - a wrap of conditions around the country

April 05, 2024 06:12 - 6 minutes - 12.2 MB

Rain 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 MB

This 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 MB

Milk 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 MB

A 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 MB

A 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 MB

Appleby Farms, Flock House centenary and Cyclone Chicks

Rare bird returns to Wairarapa wetlands

March 22, 2024 06:40 - 20 minutes - 38.4 MB

A 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 MB

A 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 MB

Justin 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 MB

This 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 MB

How 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 MB

It'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 MB

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.

A wrap of the week's rural news

March 15, 2024 06:07 - 4 minutes - 8.35 MB

More 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 MB

From 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 MB

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 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 MB

Sarah 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 MB

Karolin 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 MB

A 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 MB

The 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 MB

Many 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 MB

Behind 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 MB

Kiwifruit 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 MB

Tartan, 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 MB

Rick 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 MB

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.

Country Life for Friday 23 February 2024

February 23, 2024 06:07 - 50 minutes - 92.7 MB

This week on Country Life, how stock are barged in and out by sea after roadways are blocked, a visit to the Turakina Highland Games, and a chat with heritage pig farmers in Marlborough.

Ancestors roots run deep at Wairau Pā vineyard

February 16, 2024 06:40 - 20 minutes - 37.6 MB

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 ago, and have lived there ever since those early migrations.

Farming to the beat of his own drum

February 16, 2024 06:27 - 13 minutes - 25.2 MB

Former Wellington Percussionist, Jeremy Fitzsimons, is now based on the family farm in the Kauaeranga Valley near Thames. Bryan Crump paid him a visit.

Farmers from around the world, Jana Gäbert

February 16, 2024 06:19 - 7 minutes - 13.3 MB

Jana Gabert runs a dairy farm about 30 kilometres south of Berlin. She is among farmers around Europe who have taken to the streets in protest about increasing costs and regulation amid high competition, loss of tax breaks and climate change. Last month she rode in a farm tractor to Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate to press home farmers' concerns.

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