Farming

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.

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.

Some are milking once-a-day and sending stock to the works early.

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.

Someone once said shallots are for babies, garlic is for heroes, but you may have to pay heroic prices for the home grown stuff. Audio

There were close to 9000 workers in Aotearoa under the RSE scheme. Audio

A regular population boom and bust cycle causes millions of kangaroos to starve, but while some urge proactive culling as the solution animal rights groups have condemned the "barbaric" practice.

Alison Bentley is a small-scale farmer with big ideas on how smaller farms can help solve the growing problem of food insecurity in New Zealand.

Grapes are being picked in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, Taranaki's in drought and the hop harvest is about to start in Tasman. Audio