Richard Harman: New players, new power, new politics | EP 111

New Zealand politics is shifting, the old party loyalties are under pressure, and the make-up of the next government is far from certain. So, what’s really driving this election and what could it all mean for farmers? Veteran political journalist Richard Harman joins us to look beyond the campaign…

Is it time to rewrite the sharemilking laws? | EP 110

Contract milking has become an important part of the dairy farming progression pathway, yet contract milkers miss out on legal protections available to sharemilkers, even when they’re doing essentially the same job. So, is it time to rewrite the rules? In this episode, Federated Farmers sharefarme…

My dad – a good keen man | EP 109

  He ditched the city for shearing sheds across New Zealand, a Mexican shearing gang in California, and managing a farm for a Lord in England. Eventually, Alan Chapman-Smith settled on the rugged west coast of Waikato to raise a family and make his living off the land. In this episode, our host B…

Politicians go head-to-head on farming | EP 108

Want to know where the main parties stand on the issues that matter most to farmers and rural New Zealand? Hosted by Heather du Plessis-Allan at Mystery Creek, the Rural Issues Debate on 30 September brought together Todd McClay (National), Jo Luxton (Labour), Mark Patterson (NZ First), Andrew Hogg…

Farming with drones – are they actually useful? | EP 107

East Coast farmer Blair Crawshaw has been using drones for eight years, putting them to work mustering stock, finding missing animals and pests, and checking for problems across his steep Motu farm, Tawa Hills Angus. In this episode, we get practical about how farmers can actually use a drone on fa…

What if the meatworks came to the farm? | EP 106

When a friend asked Logan Wait to provide some meat for an event post-Covid, he realised there was a problem: he had the animals, but no easy way to get meat from the farm to the people who wanted it. That question led him to found Earth First, New Zealand’s first certified mobile abattoir of its k…

Why our pest problem is bigger than hunting | EP 105

South Canterbury farmer Lesley Roy has taken more than 1,500 wallabies and 40 pigs off her farm this year – but despite that huge effort, the numbers are barely changing. With pigs destroying pasture and eating lambs, and wallabies continually damaging fences and fowling paddocks, Lesley says pest …

The Kate Acland story: embracing the uncomfortable | EP 104

Kate Acland has built a career out of figuring out what to do when the original plan stops working. From starting a wine business in her 20s and navigating the GFC, to moving into farming and building a diverse operation at Mt Somers Station, Kate has repeatedly had to adapt, take risks and back he…

Why this farmer is leasing his way to farm ownership | EP 103

For Taranaki sheep and beef farmer Nick Brown and his wife Sophie, farm ownership is definitely the goal – but they're taking a different route to get there. Rather than putting their capital into buying land, the couple are leasing 800 hectares and focusing their money on the productive assets tha…

From crazy idea to new farming industry | EP 102

From warm cups of sheep milk in China to influencers livestreaming from New Zealand paddocks, the global demand for sheep milk is creating a surprising new opportunity for Kiwi farmers. In this episode, Spring Sheep CEO Thomas Macdonald and Commercial Manager Operations Olivia Smith take us inside…