Episode 93 - Rearing at scale

In this episode, Rebecca Furzeland shares how she and her husband Andrew have built one of New Zealand’s standout large-scale calf rearing operations, combining smart infrastructure, tight systems and strong supplier relationships to rear 3,500 calves a year. She outlines the design decisions that …

Special Episode - Halter: Driving Profit, Efficiency and Sustainability

This special episode of CountryWide explores the first independent evaluation of Halter’s virtual fencing and herding technology, now used on more than 600,000 dairy and beef cows across New Zealand, the United States and Australia. An AgFirst and Transform Agri study of ten high-performing dairy f…

Reducing emissions without sacrificing profit

In this episode, Louise Cook, Fonterra’s Environment Programme Lead for On-Farm Excellence, unpacks how farmers boost efficiency while cutting emissions in a major industry project showing farmers can cut greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen surplus without sacrificing profitability. She explains …

Episode 90 - Weaning Check Impacts Lamb Cheque

What’s driving smarter, more strategic weaning decisions? In this episode, Andrew Dowling, Technical Expert - Animal Production at PGG Wrightson, breaks down how to avoid costly weaning checks, and the practical steps farmers can take to keep lambs tracking forward while protecting ewe condition f…

Episode 89 - Improvements in the Face of Antibiotic Resistance

What are the key drivers behind New Zealand’s 47% reduction in antibiotic sales?  In this episode, Dr Annabel Harris, Chair of the NZVA’s Antimicrobial Resistance Committee explains how cross-industry collaboration and learnings internationally have helped shape on-farm practice of antibiotic use …

Episode 88 - Kellogg: The Soils Gap

Daniel Judd’s interest in soil management grew from his experience as a conventional dairy farmer and curiosity about evolving sector practices. His 2025 Kellogg’s Report explores the ‘soils gap’, showing how science, commerce, and culture shape decisions across conventional, regenerative, and orga…

Episode 87 - Kellogg: Empowering the Missing Middle in Leadership

Dr Jordi Hoult’s interest in leadership grew from her military family upbringing and her own experiences navigating the food and fibre sector. Her Kellogg research shows that many mid-career people in their 30s to 50s are ready to lead but face barriers that stop them from taking opportunities, lea…

Episode 86 - High Performance Doesn’t Mean Burnout

Witnessing the stress of sheep farming in Southland as a child led Steve Clarke to a career as a helicopter pilot before returning home to the dairy farm. He and wife Hayley are on a mission to ensure that farming creates a balance of work and life for their family and staff. In this episode, Sara…

Episode 85 - Springboard your irrigation season

How can farmers get the most from irrigation without wasting water or damaging equipment? IrrigationNZ Principal Technical Advisor Stephen McNally explains how preparation, planning, and smart decisions make all the difference as the season begins. In this episode, Sarah speaks with Stephen about …

Episode 84 - Integrating Forestry

How can sheep and beef farmers see forestry as more than a binary choice between full plantation and traditional farming? New Zealand Institute of Forestry consultant Peter Handford explores how integrating trees can enhance overall farm management, improve profitability, and deliver environmental …