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Featured Country Life stories
Country Life: Conditions on the farm
Dry conditions persist among much of the North Island but relief could be in sight. Grapes, apples and kiwifruit are being picked across Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay.
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SheepMaster: Hawke's Bay farm's foray into shedding sheep
4 Apr 2025Dean Martin has carried on the legacy set by his dad and is not afraid to try new things - from shedding sheep to regenerative agriculture practices.
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'Milk from an almond, then why not a sheep': Fernglen Farm's sheep dairy addition
4 Apr 2025Fernglen Farm is a family affair helping people learn more about the benefits of sheep milk, while also ensuring strong welfare standards for their animals and…
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On-farm learning a success - "I've been enjoying it. I like being with the cows and being in the shed"
30 Mar 2025A training initiative in Southland is giving young adults with high-functioning disabilities the skills required to work on a dairy farm.
Country Life headlines with summaries.
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The kūmara connection
It's nearly time for the kūmara harvest at Kai Rotorua and this year, old meets new.
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Deep dive: See the potential that is seaweed
As part of Aotearoa's first seaweed festival, Pacific Harvest hosted a seaweed tasting event where people could sample various red, green and brown dried seaweeds.
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Sheep to chic with cosy crossbred wool
Sometimes it takes an outsider to come in and give a dyed-in-the-wool farmer a wee nudge. This is where Southland entrepreneur Laura Todd comes in.
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Good times, tough times and everything in between
Farming in the wake of the Mount Tarawera eruption has tested the Ford family for nearly a century.
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'They get an honest answer, whether it's the good, the bad or the ugly'
Farmer Bradley Riggs has more than just the sheep to think about. He has high profile guests and celebrities staying at the farm's luxury lodge and enjoys showing them the kiwi farming life and…
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'From red tape to red carpet': The new market possibilities in India
Geoff Allott, a former Black Cap and co-founder of exporting company Quality NZ, has been in the Indian market for 12 years.
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Southland show at 'the hole in the bush' still going strong after 85 years
Tuatapere's picturesque domain is transformed into a sensory celebration of rural life during the annual Waiau A&P Show.
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'Back to the land': Commune still going strong after 50 years
Rainbow Valley is located on regenerating whenua at the end of a gravel road near Tākaka. Several families share the land and help run a small farm for the benefit of the whole community.
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How about them apples? The team behind New Zealand's future apples and pears
We find out what it takes to produce some of New Zealand's tastiest apples by heading inside Plant & Food Research where they help Prevar create new apple and pear varieties.
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Grape picking starts soon at organic Waipara Valley vineyard
A pre-harvest update from Greystone Wines, host recently to the inaugural Underground soil, food and farming festival, with viticulturalist and farming advisor, Nick Gill.
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Country Life: Conditions on the farm
28 Feb 2025Grapes are being picked in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, Taranaki's in drought and the hop harvest is about to start in Tasman. Audio
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Meet Hamish Best, one of this year's Zanda McDonald Award finalists
We check back in with Hamish Best of red meat retailer Conscious Valley just outside Wellington. A keen ag student the last time he spoke to Country Life, he's now a finalist for the prestigious…
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Farmers turn weed into wellness products
Hemp grows beside wheat, barley and peas at Blair and Jody Drysdale's farm in Northern Southland. The seeds are pressed and made into nutritional oil and skincare cream, that the couple sell direct to…
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Topdresser notches up major milestone in 'tractor of the skies'
15 Feb 2025Aerial topdresser John Bargh has notched up 30,000 hours in the air in nearly five decades spreading fert on hill country farms. Despite tough economic times, his passion for flying remains.
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Green shoots showing for grower two years after Cyclone Gabrielle
14 Feb 2025When Cyclone Gabrielle, fourth-generation orchardist Cameron Taylor sprang into action rescuing people from rooftops in his Taylor Corporation helicopter.
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Gut fixing seaweed cuts methane emissions from cattle
16 Feb 2025Red seaweed - grown in Bluff - significantly reduces methane emissions in beef and dairy cattle with no adverse effects to the animals, their products or the environment, scientists say.
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Farm strides ahead on the back of Tora Coastal Walk
It's 30 years since the Elworthy family began the Tora Coastal Walk, one of the first multi-day hikes on farmland in NZ. It's been the key to this rugged farm's survival.
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A huge shearing event raises $150,000 for charity
Dozens of shearers slipped on their moccasins recently to sheer hundreds of sheep to raise funds for charity.
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Full circle composting on a Tararua dairy farm
10 Feb 2025The team at Waka Dairies near Dannevirke is turning waste from milking cows into fertiliser that can be worked back into the farm.
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Farmers count blessings with "life-saving rain" but others under pressure
31 Jan 2025Radio New Zealand's Country Life team regularly check in with farms and orchards around the country. Here's the latest regional wrap -- it is dry out there for farmers.
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From pup to pro: Miley the Huntaway hits her stride
31 Jan 2025We catch up with Miley the young Huntaway and her trainer Chris Shaw as she celebrates her first birthday and see what this pup has been up to. You will be blown away by how much progress she has…
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"We'd known each other for 17 years before we got married!"
31 Jan 2025There's never a dull day on Kaihoka, the Wyllie's isolated Golden Bay farm, which has been the backdrop for scenes from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
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Chef couple finds new home on the range
20 Dec 2024Wallingford Homestead in Central Hawke's Bay was once a bustling base for the local farming community. These days it's helping bridge the urban-rural divide and provides employment opportunities for…
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'Cutting the trees down is part of the experience'
20 Dec 2024Thousands of perfectly shaped trees are harvested in the lead-up to the festive season at Andrew McAllister's Needle Fresh Christmas tree farm in Swannanoa. In a next door paddock he's created a huge…
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