We have a mountain to climb to shift a narrative with society of farming as well as a determined effort by political leaders to develop the best stable of agricultural policies in the world - but first we must draw on what is happening globally as New Zealand is but isn't unique.  2023 Nuffield scholar and Gisborne sheep & beef farmer, Kerry Worsnop says, we need better leadership that's prepared to elevate the importance of the primary sector to the New Zealand public both environmentally and economically even if it's at the expense of political wins. Guests include: Kerry Worsnop - 2023 Nuffield Scholar and Gisborne sheep & beef farmer. Hosts: Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Read Kerry's full Nuffield Report "Designing agricultural policy for a future in farming" This episode is a special bonus episode through CountryWide Media’s partnership with Rural Leaders and the New Zealand Nuffield Farming Scholarship. 

There’s no denying times are tough right now for most farm businesses, and profitability is severely challenged. The key to surviving is being as solutions-focussed as possible.  Cutting costs is the obvious solution, but it’s important to continue investing in your farm business, even during tough financial times. We hear from those in the rural business industry about what farmers can practically do now to keep afloat, and how to stay hopeful for the future when pressures ease again.  Guests include: Ed Harrison, Agribusiness Consultant, Baker Ag  Geordie McCallum, Director/Rural Business Consultant, Wairarapa Property Consultants Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media BakerAg Agribusiness Consultant Ed Harrison says despite prices being poor, farmers still need to focus on capitalising on what they can get. He says part of this is planning ahead, and being adaptable to the situation at hand. He says cutting costs onfarm can only go so far; it’s important to balance being as lean as possible without undermining the farming asset. Ed also discusses the value of off-farm income when times are tight. Rural Business Consultant Geordie McCallum says everything is stacked against farmers at the moment but it’s important to remember that bad years and good years are cyclical, and pressures will ease again in the future. He says having resilience and hope is key to survival - believe there is something better coming in the future. Rebecca and Geordie also discuss the proposed inquiry into bank lending from Federated Farmers. With Geordie’s background in rural banking he provides useful advice for getting the most from your banker and cultivating a good relationship. Check out the Dairy Exporter episode on managing fertiliser costs Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

Those in New Zealand’s deer industry have an exciting future ahead of them, as they come out the other side of the pandemic era. Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) held its conference earlier this month, and say there is a lot to look forward to, including disseminating into more overseas markets and moving into the retail space. We hear from a key specialist in the industry, Ron Schroeder, ahead of his retirement, about his hope for the future of deer, and how we got here. And we speak to DINZ executive chef, Graham Brown, who shares his love for venison and its versatility, and gives us some tips for cooking venison at home. Guests include: Graham Brown, Executive Chef, DINZ Ron Schroeder, deer specialist of 50 years, PGG Wrightson Rhys Griffiths, Market Manager, DINZ Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Deer Industry NZ Executive Chef Graham Brown has just spent time in China and Korea upskilling the market on how to utilise lesser known cuts of venison in their cooking. Back home on local soil, there’s an emphasis on making sure cuts provided to restaurants are as user-friendly as possible, to take pressure off restaurants with less staff.  He’s been with DINZ for the past 30 years, and loves working with venison due to its versatility. He shares his top tips on how to perfect cooking venison at home in your kitchen.  Deer industry stalwart Ron Schroeder has recently announced his retirement, after 49 years as a deer specialist at PGG Wrightsons. Ron got on the deer ladder back in the 70s, and has watched it grow and develop in the following decades. He shares his insights and wisdom with Sarah Perriam-Lampp, from his time at Lincoln to now. He’s excited about where the deer industry is at, and has enjoyed mentoring the next generation.  DINZ Market Manager Rhys Griffiths says in the post-covid climate they’re focusing on diversifying their options overseas, and not relying on the food service market. Prior to the pandemic, the USA market had been growing. Now they’re evenly distributed across Europe, USA, and the Asia markets. DINZ held their conference earlier this month and Griffiths says it went really well, and there’s a lot to look forward to in the future. The sector is starting to recover and move forward now, in the aftermath of the pandemic.  Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

Reinstating live animal exports from New Zealand is currently on the table under the new coalition government and is drawing attention from all sides of the debate. Sceptics are worried about how it will impact New Zealand’s reputation and protecting animal welfare, and question whether it’s giving away our valuable genetics.  On the other side of the debate, those in the industry say it's a great opportunity to take leadership on setting a new gold standard. Guests include: Julia Jones, Agricultural industry commentator  Dr Helen Beattie, Veterinarian, Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa Brent Wallace, formerly worked in the live exports industry Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Rural commentator Julia Jones says we need to decide as a country what we want our brand to be, and what we want to be proud of. She says at the moment we’re missing the opportunity to have a proud New Zealand brand overseas with our animal products and, if we decide to remove the ban on live exports, it’s a vital consideration.  She also says we need to think about our situation independently, and not compare ourselves to the likes of Australia, America and Europe. Veterinarian Dr Helen Beattie says protecting the live export ban isn’t just about the welfare of the animals during the voyage - it’s also about what happens when they get to the overseas destination; how they’re treated for the rest of their lives, and how they are slaughtered.  Brent Wallace has worked first-hand in live exports, and says it’s the perfect opportunity for New Zealand to set a world leading standard, and to do a better job than Australia, which is currently considered the best in the live export industry.   He says the key thing to get right is overseeing what is happening on-board live export ships. Having independent observers to oversee how each ship is managed from loading, to sea-passage, to the discharge point, is one possible step.  Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

What keeps rural advisors awake at night? How to feed an ever-increasing population from a declining land area whilst at the same time reducing its environmental footprint. 2023 Nuffield scholar and AgFirst Chief Executive, James Allen says, their are significant trends in the use of technology in the agricultural sector coming at farming faster than we can understand and the role of the agricultural advisor needs redefined.  Guests include: James Allen - 2023 Nuffield Scholar and chief executive, AgFirst Hosts: Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Read James’ full Nuffield Report “Redefining excellence in agribusiness advisory" This episode is a special bonus episode through CountryWide Media’s partnership with Rural Leaders and the New Zealand Nuffield Farming Scholarship. 

Waste takes many different forms onfarm, such as plastic packaging and chemical drums, and there are some great initiatives out there with an aim to give these resources another life - sometimes even back on the same farm! So when it comes to the circular economy of recycling onfarm waste, it is about viewing it as a resource, rather than rubbish. Guests include: Evan Maehl, Managing Director, WM New Zealand Greg Coppell, Founder, Repost Tony Wilson, Chief Executive, Agrecovery Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Managing Director of WM (formerly Waste Management) Evan Maehl says we need to think about what type of products are being produced, and how well they can be reused, to have a circular lifecycle.  He says it’s important to look at what products we’re using onfarm, such as cardboard and certain types of plastic, which can be recycled; otherwise we are just creating more waste for future generations to deal with.  Repost is an innovative business that recycles waste posts from the viticulture industry destined for landfill into low-cost, sustainable fence posts for farms. Farmer, and founder of Repost, Greg Coppell puts it down to his typical New Zealand farmer mentality of hating to see anything go to waste. He says the options for reusing onfarm waste are endless.  Greg gives Rebecca an update on what’s next for Repost, including two nominations for the 2024 WasteMINZ Awards for Excellence, for their work with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council following Cyclone Gabrielle last year.  Tony Wilson, Chief Executive of Agrecovery, says in order to have a circular economy with waste, we need to improve what plastic can become. Agrecovery is a rural recycling programme and product stewardship scheme. With over 160 sites over New Zealand, they are a sustainable solution for recycling common plastics found on farms, such as containers, drums, and small seed, feed and fertiliser bags. He explains the difference between product stewardship and recycling, and how most linear systems would just turn waste back into a single-life plastic bag. He asks what the point is of doing that when it only has one more use out of it, when for example, that same plastic could be turned into car parts, which would last at least a decade, and go on to be recycled again after that. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

When it comes to looking at the future of regenerating biodiversity, farmers have a key role to play, with 24% of native biodiversity found on sheep and beef farmland, second only to conservation estate. In this episode, we hear from three experts who highlight the work farmers are already doing to regenerate biodiversity, including in wildlife and plantings, and the opportunities for collaboration.  Guests include: Sam Rowland, Programme Manager for Nature, Sustainable Business Network David Norton, Emeritus Professor, University of Canterbury Sam Gibson, Sam the Trap Man, Eastern Whio Link Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Sam Rowland, Sustainable Business Network Programme Manager for Nature has spent eight months researching how to increase investment into nature regeneration, and how to unlock the barriers preventing people from undertaking nature regeneration in their business.  Given how much biodiversity already exists on farm land, our farming community plays a key role and Sam believes helping fund farmers to get plants into the ground, or to increase predator control is the first step to achieving regenerating biodiversity.  Emeritus Professor David Norton has 40 years experience with New Zealand’s ecology and conservation space, across both private and public land, and has worked closely with farmers during that time.  He says the key to regenerating nature is collaboration, and that farmers are already the custodians of some amazing biodiversity on their farms, with a quarter of New Zealand’s native biodiversity found on their land.  Sam Gibson, A.K.A Sam the Trap Man, founded, and currently co-chairs, the Eastern Whio Link project. The project is an excellent example of linking business, community and farmers, enabling  intensive trapping on public conservation land and farmland, to protect whio and kiwi.  Through their pool of 100 volunteers they’ve been able to collaborate with local farmers to reintegrate whio into farm systems - bringing back whio to areas they would have historically been present on. The project  demonstrates that biodiversity and farming can thrive in harmony. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

Over 2 million calves are produced from the dairy herd in NZ every year, with only a quarter retained for herd replacements. How do we build a ‘beef on dairy’ industry that is growing successfully in the States? 2023 Nuffield scholar and Canterbury farmer, Matt Iremonger says, money may save the bobby calf but to have a successful beef on dairy value chain several key changes need to be made to our dysfunctional supply chain. Guests include: Matt Iremonger - 2023 Nuffield Scholar and Canterbury farmer Hosts: Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Read Matt’s full Nuffield Report “What’s the Beef? Opportunities for Beef on Dairy in New Zealand” Listen to the Beef + Lamb NZ Genetics Informing NZ Beef Podcast  This episode is a special bonus episode through CountryWide Media’s partnership with Rural Leaders and the New Zealand Nuffield Farming Scholarship. 

The wellness industry is valued at $1.8 trillion so why aren’t we positioning New Zealand red meat’s positive health attributes?  From selecting the right sire through to how we market our beef, hear from three experts from livestock genetics sales ahead of bull sale season, our new host of BEEF Country and an AgResearch scientist who have thoughts on where we need to focus our efforts. Guests include: Cameron Craigie, senior scientist, AgResearch Jo Scott, genetics specialist and host of BEEF Country Cam Heggie, livestock genetics specialist, PGG Wrightson Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media AgResearch scientist, Cameron Craigie, has spent years on meat grading technology identifying tenderness and IMF but is now excited about grading on minerals for joint health and fertility.  “We have new traits and attributes being released within our grading technology next month so we can identify the nutrient benefits of different cuts,” says Cameron.   Read the story Red Meat for Wellbeing here on Country-Wide Beef traits have been evolving over generations of New Zealand cattle through breeding selection decisions as our new BEEF Country podcast host, Jo Scott, from Targeted Breeding knows well. “EBV’s work. If a stud tells you they don’t, you have to question why they aren’t working for that stud. But do both, you’ve got to like what you're buying as well,” says Jo. In tough times, PGG Wrightson livestock genetics specialist Cam Heggie, says breeders are pulling the number of bulls back from the catalogue. Sarah and Cam talk about the focus on net feed efficiency to reduce emissions, the opportunity of dairy beef, why buy yearling bulls and his advice on how to select bulls at the sale.  Looking for the 2024 Bull Sale calendar? Visit https://www.pggwrightson.co.nz/our-services/livestock/genetics-breeding/bull-sales EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Property Brokers Tararua Sheep & Beef Farm Business of the Year Field Day is at Mathew and Marilyn Prior’s Makuri Property - Aorangi Thursday 2nd May Starting at 9.30am, starting at the Makuri Country Club, Makuri Domain Road, Makuri and lunch can be purchased at the venue ($15 per person). This is a fundraiser for the Makuri Church & Domain, please bring cash on the day. Vehicles - Quad bikes or standard side by sides (please note no long wheel base side by sides). Helmets are compulsory.  Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

In February 2024, the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) approved seven foreign buyer sales to pine trees under the eye of the current coalition government.  It has hill country sheep and beef farmers scratching their heads as to whether National and ACT were even listening to the drum being beaten by the “50 Shades of Green” movement at all? But what about the private property rights of retiring farmers to not have bureaucrats determine the sale opportunities of their farm?  Guests include: Damien O’Connor, Labour spokesperson for Land Information  Conrad Wilkshire, General Manager - Rural, Property Brokers Tony Leggett, Country-Wide journalist Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The minister previously in charge of LINZ, when we saw a flurry of productive sheep and beef farms go to forestry, Damien O’Connor, says that the current government has removed the need for a Ministerial oversight of approvals of sales to foreign buyers. He shares his view that this is going to ramp up land values, which is unfair to the next generation aspiring to farm ownership.  Conrad Wilkshire- General Manager of Rural at Property Brokers, explains how policy settings changes have seen OIO approvals go from 80 in 2018 to decisions being declined under the ‘benefits to NZ test’ in an effort to curtail farmland going into permanent forestry for carbon.  He explains that all land values end up being reflected by policy settings, such as lending in the 1970s based on the ‘land development encouragement loans’ to the early 2000s, resulting in a million hectares being converted to dairy. In 2022, a group of Kiwis formed a group called Forever Farming NZ as a collective bid to form a syndicate and purchase Mangaohane Station in the North Island. Former owner of Country-Wide and current journalist of the magazine, Tony Leggett, discusses why the sale of this iconic station motivated the group to try and save it from foreign ownership. Even though the property wasn’t sold in the end when it emerged there was a Waitangi Tribunal claim on the land, Tony explains how the group got real traction and were confident of raising the $40 odd million thought to be needed to purchase the station. SPONSORS NOTE: As New Zealand's largest regional real estate agency, Property Brokers has proudly looked after the real estate needs of provincial New Zealanders since 1986. Our family business started with five people in 1986 and has grown into a team of over 850 strong, with more than 85 branches throughout New Zealand. It’s a business built on hard work, discipline, friendships, and a powerful sense of family. And that won't ever change. Property Brokers rural people have been farmers, stock agents, rural bankers, valuers, farm advisors and everything in between. They are great salespeople and genuine good sorts who know the market and industry. Visit https://www.propertybrokers.co.nz/ to have a conversation about your rural property needs today. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

Globally old chemistry is being withdrawn from the market and being more selective is encouraged for both avoiding insecticide & pesticide resistance whilst also bringing down onfarm costs.  So how do you control pests without relying on an overuse of pesticides? Three science experts believe there is a major knowledge gap on pests and  diseases in pasture, forage and cereal crops. They say not everything that is an insect is a pest and there is a way to target the actual pests without a broad spectrum approach through the concept of integrated pest management (IPM). Guests include: Dr. Paul Horne, entomologist, IPM Technologies (Australia) Nicole Morris, technical specialist, Corteva Agriscience Kwasi Adusei-Fosu, science team leader, AgResearch  Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Australian IPM expert, Dr. Paul Horne, shares with Sarah how widespread and common beneficial insects are. They are already resident in your crop so why not use them to your advantage? Paul’s team tests chemical controls in his laboratory for their impact on beneficial insects and works closely with reseller agronomists to educate them to provide better advice. Global agrochemical company, Corteva Agriscience are supportive of a lighter touch explains Nicole Morris. She wants to ensure that there isn’t unnecessary insecticide use and how IPM is the environmentally friendly, common sense approach. Rebecca hears from AgResearch science team leader Kwasi Adusei-Fosu who wants a hand to understand the knowledge gap among farmers in awareness and understanding about current diseases and the impact they are having on pastures. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE NZ Merino Wool Classer scholarship  Applications are open for the 2024 NZM Wool Classer Scholarship Programme The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) is offering an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming wool classers who have completed their classing certification (P Stencil). This is a unique chance to gain practical experience under highly-skilled classers in quality merino sheds. Successful applicants will complete a customised training programme designed to hone their fine wool classing skills while providing a well-rounded education in wool harvesting, right through to market delivery of the product. Alongside hands-on skills, they will build an understanding and appreciation of NZM’s ZQ Standard, forward contracts, and the administration requirements to be a successful classer in the industry. Trainees will be guided by two very experienced classing mentors and, as well as a payment to assist in covering travel costs, they’ll be equipped with a resource kit and a customised set of ZQ apparel. To apply head to https://www.nzmerino.co.nz/nz-merino-wool-classer-scholarship. Learn about FAR's arable research every week by listening to Cut the Crop Podcast AgResearch’s Pasture Pathogen Survey  The pasture pathogen survey, which will take no more than 10 minutes to complete, can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YR68GHJ. Those who participate will go into a draw to win one of five $100 Prezzy cards. Closes end of April 2024. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL 

Shearing & animal health costs outstrip the income from strong wool and one academic believes it’s a no brainer to lean into Wiltshires (shedding sheep). But when one former shearer-turned-Wiltshire-farmer goes against his passion for wool for profit you get curious! Rebecca uncovers the benefits of the breed from the research trial at Massey University along with the inspirational story of one East Coast farmer who had his capital stock whipped out from a drought and a cyclone. Guests include: Prof. Steve Morris, Massey University Joseph Kyle, Hawkes Bay Wiltshire farmer Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Professor Steve Morris has been doing trials since the 80’s on Wiltshires at Massey University and he’s always advocated for the breed due to its lean meat carcase along with less labour costs. The breed, he says, is succeeding with hybrid vigour over traditional breeds. The 2020 drought losing 2,000 of his ewes and replacements, Joseph Kyle who brought his farm from working hard shearing turned against his passion for the fibre for financial reasons. Read the article “Breeding the wool off the sheep's back” in the Country-Wide Autumn 2024 or https://country-wide.co.nz/breeding-wool-off-the-sheeps-back/ EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Mates of Mates for Mates - Tarawhiti - Gisborne A&P Showgrounds - 19th April 2024:  #MATESofMATESforMATES was born in Lockdown 2020, thanks to a great bunch of mates who shared their stories. Now it's time to give #MOM4M some wings and help our rural mates and raise some funds for the Rural Support Trust Hawke's Bay. Now #MOM4M is heading to Tairawhiti on the 19th April, with an event at the Woolshed in the Gisborne A&P Society Showgrounds. An event like this is seriously needed in a region like Tairawhiti, that has been continually bombarded with weather events going well beyond five years ago. The region is in a state of total disruption across roading, infrastructure and general well-being. People's resilience is being tested far greater than before, to give them something to look forward to I believe will be good for their wellbeing. The event is going to be free and starts at 3pm with an hours workshop on well being and some tools that people can take home with them, followed by some complementary hospitality courtesy of Silver Fern Farms and will finish at 5.00pm - gates closing at 5.30pm. There will be two complimentary drinks per person as well as non-alcoholic beverages, so everyone can enjoy the social side of the afternoon chatting with friends and the guest speakers. It's often in these relaxed social occasions that people will open up to a friend or work cohort - that is priceless, we just need people to feel it's ok to not be ok, a problem shared is a problem halved. Matt Chisholm, Ian Kirkpatrick, Cam McLeay, Wanda Douglas and Matt Holden have been confirmed as speakers. This line up will inspire, educate and entertain the audience, along with sharing some personal struggles that might help people in the audience realise that they are not the only one feeling down. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

If anyone is going to put life, farming and resilience into perspective, Rosie Dowling is one of the best with her incredible story.  On the first day of Covid lockdown she was in Starship hospital when police arrived to share the news of Gav Dowling’s tragic on farm death. With three young children and debt in their first farm, Rosie wasn’t going anywhere and was determined to carry on farming despite a steep learning curve.    “I had lost Gavin and I didn’t want to lose the life that I was living with him.” Now four years on she’s proud of what she’s achieved in the harsh Marlborough climate with a ‘keep it simple’ mindset and how the plan is always to put her family first. Guests include: Rosie Dowling, Marlborough sheep & beef farmer Gerard Vaughan, Farmstrong Jack Jensen, Fuel Your Stoke Tour Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with Rosie Dowling sharing her inspiring story of how they were 4 years into their first farm with young children when Gav tragically died in a farming accident and we learn how she has continued farming for her family. Read Rosie’s story “Farming for Family” in the Country-Wide Autumn 2024 or click here to read online What are the attributes of resilient farmers? Gerard Vaughan, project director at Farmstrong shares his learnings over the past 10 years of the programme of how important connection with people & community as well as a healthy mindset towards things outside your control is what gets farmers through hardship.   To wrap the episode, Rebecca catches up with one of her favourite people, Jack Jensen, a farm-boy/extreme sports athlete behind the #sparkthatchat movement and the character who pulled together the Fuel Your Stoke Tour on the East Coast for farmers and their families following Cyclone Gabrielle. LINKS:  Farmstrong resources on how to Live Well and Farm Well Check out the video of Fuel Your Stoke Tour event at Tutira  EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Mates of Mates for Mates - Tarawhiti - Gisborne A&P Showgrounds - 19th April 2024:  #MATESofMATESforMATES was born in Lockdown 2020, thanks to a great bunch of mates who shared their stories. Now it's time to give #MOM4M some wings and help our rural mates and raise some funds for the Rural Support Trust Hawke's Bay. Now #MOM4M is heading to Tairawhiti on the 19th April, with an event at the Woolshed in the Gisborne A&P Society Showgrounds. An event like this is seriously needed in a region like Tairawhiti, that has been continually bombarded with weather events going well beyond five years ago. The region is in a state of total disruption across roading, infrastructure and general well-being. People's resilience is being tested far greater than before, to give them something to look forward to I believe will be good for their wellbeing. The event is going to be free and starts at 3pm with an hours workshop on well being and some tools that people can take home with them, followed by some complementary hospitality courtesy of Silver Fern Farms and will finish at 5.00pm - gates closing at 5.30pm. There will be two complimentary drinks per person as well as non-alcoholic beverages, so everyone can enjoy the social side of the afternoon chatting with friends and the guest speakers. It's often in these relaxed social occasions that people will open up to a friend or work cohort - that is priceless, we just need people to feel it's ok to not be ok, a problem shared is a problem halved. Matt Chisholm, Ian Kirkpatrick, Cam McLeay, Wanda Douglas and Matt Holden have been confirmed as speakers. This line up will inspire, educate and entertain the audience, along with sharing some personal struggles that might help people in the audience realise that they are not the only one feeling down. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL 

The government has scrapped the proposed Significant Natural Areas (SNA’s) regulation, so what opportunities does that present for sheep & beef farmers to receive income from these areas? There has been a single focus on carbon, but now the concept of receiving funds or credits for planting native bush rather than pine trees on farms could encourage farmers to retire sensitive land to regenerating native bush.  But what’s the right financial model that can help outweigh the cost of establishment and maintenance for farmers that prefer natives than pines?   Guests include: Carla Muller, Perrin Ag Nick Butcher, CarbonCrop Adam Thompson, Restore Native Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with Rebecca Greaves hearing more about the research Perrin Ag Principal Consultant, Carla Muller, has done in conjunction with GHA as part of Our Land and Water to see what financial incentives currently and could exist for biodiversity credits from public and private markets or grants. But CarbonCrop founder, Nick Butcher, is puzzled how whilst their artificial intelligence can assess carbon sequestration to issue carbon credits on native forest, how do you even begin to calculate a credit on the living ecosystem nuance of ‘biodiversity’ into a unit that can be traded for monetary value.  To wrap the episode, Adam Thompson from Restore Native who grows over a million native trees a year provides Rebecca with tips from project planning, site prep, plant and maintenance of native trees on farms. EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Mates of Mates for Mates - Tarawhiti - Gisborne A&P Showgrounds - 19th April 2024:  #MATESofMATESforMATES was born in Lockdown 2020, thanks to a great bunch of mates who shared their stories. Now it's time to give #MOM4M some wings and help our rural mates and raise some funds for the Rural Support Trust Hawke's Bay. Now #MOM4M is heading to Tairawhiti on the 19th April, with an event at the Woolshed in the Gisborne A&P Society Showgrounds. An event like this is seriously needed in a region like Tairawhiti, that has been continually bombarded with weather events going well beyond five years ago. The region is in a state of total disruption across roading, infrastructure and general well-being. People's resilience is being tested far greater than before, to give them something to look forward to I believe will be good for their wellbeing. The event is going to be free and starts at 3pm with an hours workshop on well being and some tools that people can take home with them, followed by some complementary hospitality courtesy of Silver Fern Farms and will finish at 5.00pm - gates closing at 5.30pm. There will be two complimentary drinks per person as well as non-alcoholic beverages, so everyone can enjoy the social side of the afternoon chatting with friends and the guest speakers. It's often in these relaxed social occasions that people will open up to a friend or work cohort - that is priceless, we just need people to feel it's ok to not be ok, a problem shared is a problem halved. Matt Chisholm, Ian Kirkpatrick, Cam McLeay, Wanda Douglas and Matt Holden have been confirmed as speakers. This line up will inspire, educate and entertain the audience, along with sharing some personal struggles that might help people in the audience realise that they are not the only one feeling down. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59/four magazines plus postage annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL 

Are you having to balance a lack of feed and holding ewe condition in a dry Autumn?  This episode is jam-packed with technical knowledge from two farmers - Mark Zino & Alistair Bird - as well as a Marlborough veterinarian. Mating time is the time to wrap your ewes in cotton wool, says Mark as he shares how to juggle feeding grain and silage to not overdo it. Alistair shares why he’s not mating his ewe hoggets this season preferring terminals and his mineral tips, and Peter Anderson, Marlborough vet, gives key tips for tupping, teaser rams, timing and triplets to ensure a successful mating.  Guests include: Mark Zino - farmer - Hurunui, North Canterbury  Alistair Bird - farmer - Oxford, North Canterbury Pete Anderson - vet - Marlborough  Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Jo Grigg, Agri-Journalist, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with Jo Grigg speaking to a North Canterbury farmer who has 30 years experience feeding out grain and silage as they prepare and feed for a drought every year as well as his tips for your mental state in the mundane task of feeding out! Note - the interview with Mark Zino was recorded 7th Mar 2024 Oxford hill country farmer, Alistair Bird (known as Kiwi Farmer on YouTube) shares with Sarah why he’s not mating ewe hoggets this season, crunching the numbers from the preferential feed that has to go into them all the way through to the lambing dates. He in comparison is preferring to mate ewes to terminals for earlier lambing and a pre-Christmas weaning. To wrap the episode, Jo Grigg gets some valuable advice from Marlborough veterinarian Peter Anderson on how to hit the ewes in their second cycle when they are most fertile, how best to use teaser rams and  THE BIG BALL - in support of Rural Change: WIN a double pass to the Charity Ball of the winter! - Looking for an excuse to get out and have some fun while raising funds for a good cause? Why not dust off your ball gown or tuxedo and head along to The Big Ball in support of rural mental health on the 29th June 2024 at Lincoln University. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL  BARENBRUG BETTER PASTURE TOGETHER PODCAST Episode 2 - While a pasture plan is important it is equally important to review that plan and adapt to changing conditions such as economic shifts and climatic changes to ensure the plan you have is optimal for your system and situation. In this podcast, Graham Kerr emphasises why staying proactive and flexible will pay dividends. Listen here to Episode 2 of the Better Pastures Together podcast by Barenbrug

There’s never been a greater interest in shearing given all the world records in New Zealand in the last 6 months, but at the same time we have a significant decrease in farmer appetite for the costs of shearing due to the price they are receiving for strong wool. With Golden Shears 2024 being packed with crowds and the share number of women coming into both shearing and wool-handling, how do we keep stoking the fire of talent whilst we wait for a return to better wool prices?   Guests include: Leon Samuels, 2024 Golden Shears Winner Phil Holden, chief executive, NZ Shearing Contractors Association Sacha Bond, female world-record holder Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with a shearer described as the ‘silent assassin’ and the first South Island shearer to take out the Open Finals title at the 2024 Golden Shears, Leon Samuels. He shares his journey from being a baby in a backpack in the sheds to what’s involved to be the country’s best shearer. But being the best  isn’t stopping the decline in sheep being shorn due to many factors including land-use change. Sarah speak’s to NZ Shearing Contractors Association chief executive, Phil Holden who believe its’ a balancing act to achieve quality at wool harvest to that would help improve strong wool prices when farmers aren’t prepared to pay for it. To wrap the episode, Rebecca learns how one of our very best female shearers who is a double world record holder, Sacha Bond, has gone from allergic to wool and hating the smell of sheep to rise through challenges as a young mother to achieve the halo effect of shearing we are in awe of. THE BIG BALL - in support of Rural Change: WIN a double pass to the Charity Ball of the winter! - Looking for an excuse to get out and have some fun while raising funds for a good cause? Why not dust off your ball gown or tuxedo and head along to The Big Ball in support of rural mental health on the 29th June 2024 at Lincoln University. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL 

Is it possible to truly forecast a drought? Country-Wide editor, Rebecca Greaves speaks to three passionate industry experts working to support New Zealand farmers to avoid being caught out by drought by staying one step ahead of mother nature.  Whether it’s fancy new forecasting technology or a drastically improved water strategy, it’s not going to speed up farmers in drought stricken areas right now, such as the top of the South Island, who are pulling triggers such as offloading capital stock to carting water to stock.   Guests include: Ben Noll, Meteorologist, NIWA Vanessa Winning, chief executive of Irrigation New Zealand Kristen Kirkpatrick,  Extension Manager – Northern South Island, Beef + Lamb NZ Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with Ben Noll showcasing NIWA’s drought forecasting tool and how it overlays key information to give farmers a glimpse into the future into a developing dry situation.  But being able to predict dryness doesn’t help us get through necessarily without a good strategy of our use of water, says Irrigation NZ chief executive Vanessa Winning. She claims we are a generation behind where we need to be because we have taken it for granted. Vanessa Winning speaks to Rebecca about a whole of community solutions with irrigators working together with supporting local town water supplies.   To wrap the episode, Rebecca hears how historic records of rainfall in Marlborough and the farmers that farmed through droughts are helping inform organisations such as Beef + Lamb NZ, Ministry for Primary Industries On-Farm Support, Rural Support and Federated Farmers. Kristen Kirkpatrick who oversees the region as an extension manager explains the resources available to manage through dry times. Read Beef + Lamb NZ’s Fact Sheet of Strategies Farmers Use in Drought LISTEN BACK TO OUR LAST LIVE Q+A ON-DEMAND: Episode 2 - In Residence Q+A - What farm management software is right for you? Listen to the podcast on-demand of the one-hour livestream featuring a panel with Trev, Farm Focus, Resolution & Farm IQ. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL 

Are you poised to take advantage of opportunities as they come along? Country-Wide editor, Rebecca Greaves is taking their farm through integrated farm plan workshops in 2024 so they can  better understand the value. Guests include: Rachel Joblin, Agribusiness Consultant, BakerAg Sara Clarke, General Manager - System Establishment and Support - Ministry for the Environment Annie Cates, Wairarapa sheep & beef farmer Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with Rachel Joblin from Baker Ag who hosts the ‘Integrated Farm Planning’ workshops that Rebecca is doing for their farm. Rachel explains what an integrated farm plan entails with the different elements of the farm - animal health, biodiversity, freshwater, business and people plans - and understanding the linkages but also having it all in one place for decision making and advisors support. Read Rachel Joblin’s latest article “A dynamic approach” (Country-Wide Autumn 2024) (Free to read) Where is the current government’s direction to the Ministry for the Environment leaning into 2024? What’s happening with the freshwater farm plan roll out and how they are aligning with the Ministry for Primary Industries to achieve integrated farm plans? Sarah Perriam-Lampp speaks to Sara Clarke, General Manager - System Establishment and Support - Ministry for the Environment. To wrap the episode, Rebecca Greaves unpacks the journey of Wairarapa sheep & beef farmer, Annie Cates, to achieve NZFAP+ Gold (NZ Farm Assurance Programme) and use the concept of integrated farm planning. Read Annie Cates' thoughts on integrated farm plan in the latest article “What the farmers say” (Country-Wide Autumn 2024)  (Subscriber Only) Links mentioned in the podcast LISTEN ON-DEMAND: Episode 2 - In Residence Q+A - What farm management software is right for you? Listen to the podcast on-demand of the one-hour livestream featuring a panel with Trev, Farm Focus, Resolution & Farm IQ. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL

A recent national report shows a third of sheep farmers have triple drench resistance - what does that mean for you?  Well, imagine finding out you're leaving $100,000 on the table every year due to having 20% lower growth rate on your lambs by not addressing drench resistance?  Wherever you are on the drench spectrum, taking control and making management changes by knowing your parasites can reap financial rewards. Guests include: Sara Sutherland, Vet at The Vet Clinic, Wairarapa Clive Bingham, Livestock Veterinary Technical Advisor, Zoetis NZ Ginny Dodunski, Wormwise Programme Manager Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with veterinarian Sara Sutherland’s explanation of the financial impact of having drench resistance if you have it and don’t do anything about it and the potential of lamb growth if you make farm management changes in response to drench resistance. Sara shares the results of a modelling exercise she has done recently with a farm consultant on Farmax to showcase the financial benefits different farm system changes sheep farmers have made. Read Sara Sutherlands article “A Change of System” (Country-Wide Autumn 2024) (Subscriber Only) Clive Bingham from Voetis NZ stresses that drench management plans are the way to avoid drench resistance and the tools from genetics, nutrition and farm system changes you can make. To wrap the episode, Sarah Perriam-Lampp shares a snippet of a discussion with Wormwise’s Ginny Dodunski from the Beef + Lamb NZ Parasite Chronicles Podcast. Read Ginny Dodunski latest column “What to do with tail end ewes” (Country-Wide Autumn 2024)  Listen to farmers who have made changes to reduce drench use on Beef + Lamb NZ’s Parasite Chronicles Podcast hosted by Sarah Perriam-Lampp:  Ep 1 - Tom Brown Ep 2 - Andrew Law Ep 4 - David McKenzie Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL  A word from our sponsor When it comes to impacts on growth rates for stock over summer and autumn, parasitism is second only to nutrition as the most common reason for ill-thrift in young sheep. Zoetis NZ want to ensure that you have effective parasite management on your farm is therefore crucial to maximise production and reduce the chances of developing drench resistance. It is therefore important to consider the following factors: Management Principles Worm Management Drench Classes Strategic Drenching Refugia Monitoring Learn more about parasite management here

When you are looking at putting the axe through on-farm costs, one of the biggest items that is under scrutiny is fertiliser. To balance your decision making, take a listen to how a farmer and soil scientist recommend how to reduce your spend on fertiliser without sacrificing soil fertility. Guests include: David Bielski, Farm Manager, Craigmore Station Dr. Ants Roberts, Chief Scientific Officer Ravensdown Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The episode kicks off with Craigmore Station farm manager, David Bielski, explaining how they have halved costs and doubled revenue by focusing on soil health. He insists it’s about balancing improving the biology of poor performing paddocks through direct drilling, diverse pastures along with the appropriate fertiliser use. David is part of a five-year study with Lincoln University to monitor the results.  Read more about Craigmore Station in the article “For the Love of Soil” (Country-Wide Autumn 2024) (Subscriber Only) Dr. Ant’s Roberts from Ravensdown explains how the economic optimum of fertiliser spend for sheep & beef farmers is always lower than the biological optimum to produce the most amount of quality feed and how to weigh this up to not erode your soil fertility in tough times with a right nutrient, right place, right time strategy.  Read Dr. Ant’s Roberts latest column “Smart tactics help make every nutrient count” (Country-Wide Autumn 2024) (Free) Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL  A word from our sponsor Spotted spreaders out and about? That’s because the window to get maintenance fertiliser on prior to winter is closing. Now’s the time to get it done! The team at Ravensdown are experts when it comes to matching your phosphate and sulphur inputs to your farm productivity goals, and have the right product for whatever your farm needs to help keep it at peak performance. They can help you maintain or grow your nutrient levels to ensure essential pasture production for your farm. We all know production and output remove nutrients from your farm system, and deferring maintenance for too long can make it much harder to get back to optimum nutrient levels. So it’s important to maintain your nutrient levels to match production. No two farms are the same, which is why Ravensdown will tailor your spread to precisely meet what your pasture and livestock require - combining other fertilisers and smart products into the mix.  Protect your investments by locking in your Autumn application today. Visit ravensdown.co.nz or give them a call on 0800 100 123.

In a special bonus episode with independent nutrient advisor, Melinda Turner, helps balance animal health with the soil nutrients we are applying to ensure we aren’t curbing the animal’s performance in the meantime. Guests include: Melinda Turner, Farm Nutrients Advisory Hosts: Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Melinda see’s great value when farmers treat their advisors as specialists in their field and that the opportunities lie in collaboration with fertiliser sales, vets and animal nutritionists to ensure the animal is getting the trace elements they need. We discuss how farmers with low calcium can impact the animal’s ability to uptake selenium, the importance of iodine from lick blocks during pre and during tupping ewes and how to support your stock in the face of worm burdened pastures. Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COUNTRY-WIDE WEEKLY EMAIL 

Guests include: Ed Harrison, farm consultant, Baker Ag Dr. Todd White, Head of Product and pasture scientist, Farmax Frazer Weir, Head of Agri, BDO Christchurch Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media When a typical North Island hill country farm budget for this year shows a potential $176,000 loss this year, it’s pretty easy to fly into fight or flight?  So how do you make logical business decisions when it's tough that puts you in a robust position to control costs and set up to capture more value? Editor of Country-Wide, Rebecca Greaves along with her co-host Sarah Perriam-Lampp discuss how to navigate tough times in sheep & beef farming with top tips from experts. The episode kicks off with Ed Harrison from BakerAg who recently held a Beef + Lamb NZ  financial workshop that Rebecca attended about cost control with alot of practical advice for this year and potentially a few more challenging years ahead. Read Ed Harrison’s top tips here: https://country-wide.co.nz/planning-for-tough-times/  (Free) What if you could accurately model your decision making running many scenarios on a digital version of your own farm? Dr. Todd White from Farmax explains what making tactical decisions throughout the season can do for your bottom line. Learn more about Farmax: http://www.farmax.co.nz/ To wrap the episode, Rebecca Greaves gets the key takeaways from Frazer Weir’s six-week webinar, Sow, Grow & Thrive hosted by Beef + Lamb NZ on how to get the best value and advice from your advisors, how to work on your business not in it and how the top performing farmers operate in tough times.  Get the key messages from the webinar & access the recordings https://beeflambnz.com/news/key-messages-emerge-sow-grow-thrive-webinar-series Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ SUBSCRIBE TO Country-Wide’s Email Newsletter here A word from our sponsor FARMAX is a modelling and decision support tool, developed for pastoral farmers in New Zealand. The tool allows you to build a model of your own unique farm system and use it to record actual farm performance data, forecast future expectations and investigate unlimited scenarios for potential changes to your farm system. Our GHG emissions calculations, sequestration features and Carbon Pricing Report allow farmers to not only know their GHG number, but to make a plan that will reduce emissions and maintain profitability. Commercially launched in 2003, FARMAX was developed by AgResearch and was born out of 20 years of research. It is an evidence-based software system developed for the industry, by agricultural experts. The FARMAX Engine®, which drives all our products, gives farmers a truly unique advantage, because it accurately models the complex biological system that is their own pastoral farm. It creates a digital ‘twin’ of the farm business. Today, Farmax is owned by FarmIQ. Through AgResearch being a shareholder of FarmIQ, Farmax continues to work closely with our preferred science partners to ensure the application is kept relevant with the aim to create the most valuable farm planning and analysis tools for New Zealand farmers. FARMAX is used by farmers, rural consultants, scientists, councils, research bodies and academics to find the right balance between production, profitability and sustainability. Visit http://www.farmax.co.nz/

Guests: Carlos Bagrie, Royalburn Station, 'Nadia's Farm' & 2024 Nuffield Scholar Greg Coppell, Repost Alex Campbell, Awapapa Station  Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media A picture of a thousand poplar poles a year says a thousand words when it comes to how Alex Campbell’s Awapapa Station near Gisborne was relatively intact from major damage after Cyclone Gabrielle particularly when viewing comparable land in the district with much less or no planting.  Read Alex’s story here: https://country-wide.co.nz/right-tree-right-place/ (Subscriber Only) Editor of Country-Wide, Rebecca Greaves along with her co-host Sarah Perriam-Lampp discuss the rebuilding of the East Coast and how to build back our farms with more resilience. The episode unfolds into a great catch-up with Greg Coppell from Repost who has been involved in rebuilding sheep & beef farmers fence lines with over 13,000 recycled vineyard posts which led to them taking home the Beef + Lamb NZ Gallagher innovation award. Read Greg’s story here: https://country-wide.co.nz/a-better-use-for-broken-posts/ (Subscriber Only) To wrap the episode, Rebecca Greaves gets a real, raw, behind-the-scenes chat with Carlos Bagrie from Royalburn Station near Queenstown known from being featured on the hit TV programme, Nadia’s Farm. We hear about Carlos’s journey from the sheep farm in Dacre, Southland to buying Royalburn and throwing himself into farming boots and all, even without the camera’s rolling! And why is he doing a Nuffield Scholarship on waste streams we can turn into profitable revenue streams as well as direct-to-consumer opportunities for farmers. Visit Royalburn Station https://royalburn.co.nz/ Subscribe to Country-Wide magazine for $59 for four issues annually: https://country-wide.co.nz/shop/ Key Chapters of Interest 15:30 Rebecca chats to Carlos Bagrie, from Royalburn Station 40:00 Sarah hears about Greg Coppell from Reposts journey re-fencing the East Coast after the cyclone 50:00 Alex Campbell from Awapapa Station, Gisborne talks through their right tree, right place landcare strategies that saw their property relatively unscathed from the cyclone.  SUBSCRIBE TO Country-Wide’s Email Newsletter here A word from our sponsor On a mission to help lower the impact New Zealand’s viticulture industry has on the environment, Repost are repurposing their waste timber wine posts into quality, low-cost resources for Kiwis. Greg and Dansy Coppell needed 30km of stock fencing for our 500-hectare sheep and beef breeding farm in the Howard Valley on a tight budget so they turned to discarded vineyard posts. A stockpile of posts at a local vineyard in Marlborough was found and days spent picking over the pile and loading up the truck, returning to the farm to repurpose the broken 2.4 vineyard posts into 1.8 and 1.6 m half and quarter rounds – it was tiresome but rewarding work. The posts are used on the steep hill country, rolling and river flats of the farm and they work well across all terrains; rocky, granite and clay soils. The posts helped to completely redesign the farm’s paddocks, maximising pasture use and accommodating all stock classes. So Dansy and Greg were keen to see if there was a way to make this work on a bigger scale, particularly as they knew the viticulture industry disposes of 1000’s of tonnes of useful durable wood into New Zealand’s landfills every year. Visit https://www.repost.co.nz/

Guests include: Natalie Smith, Retired Working Dogs Michelle Simpson, Ovis Management (Sheep Measles)  Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media In this episode, we celebrate our working, those loyal companions who play a vital role on our farms.  Editor of Country-Wide, Rebecca Greaves along with her co-host Sarah Perriam-Lampp discuss the origins of the Hunterville Shemozzle, a unique Kiwi celebration of the Hunteraway dog, their personal childhoods growing up with their families dog trialing and delve into the December-January issue of Countrywide, featuring the captivating three shepherds on the front page.  The episode unfolds into a heartwarming conversation with Natalie Smith, the founder of Retired Working Dogs. Learn about the organisation's journey since its start in 2012, rescuing over 300 dogs every year that have retired from their working careers or faced career-ending injuries. With a mission to re-home these incredible animals, Retired Working Dogs has become a beacon of hope, finding new forever homes for over a thousand dogs. With the importance of meeting the standards of the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme for sheep & beef farmers, Rebecca delves into the importance of dosing your dogs for sheep measles with Michelle Simpson from Ovis Management and Rebecca shares her personal experience having working dogs with sheep measles. Whether you're a farmer, dog lover, or simply curious about life in rural New Zealand, this podcast celebrates the spirit of man's best friend and the bond between farmers and their canine partners. Key Chapters of Interest 10:43 Retired Working Dogs: A Success Story 11:13 Interview with Natalie Smith, Founder of Retired Working Dogs 12:43 The Impact and Importance of Retired Working Dogs 21:02 Introduction to Sheep Measles (Ovis) 22:00 Understanding Sheep Measles and Its Implications 24:43 Causes and Spread of Sheep Measles Be in to Win!: Did you know that New Zealand produces the world’s best grass-fed steak and ribeye steak? You can get your hands on Alliance Group’s Pure South Handpicked 55 Day Aged Beef which was officially crowned the best steak in the world among the best of the best at the World Steak Be to win a Pure South BBQ Steak Pack to deliver to your door. Enter at country-wide.co.nz by the 31st January 2023 to go in the draw.  Terms & Conditions apply. Thanks to Alliance Group, New Zealand’s only 100 percent farmer-owned red meat co-operative. https://puresouthshop.com/pages/handpicked LISTEN TO the Alliance's Brief Bite's Podcast here  SUBSCRIBE TO Country-Wide’s Email Newsletter here

Guests include: Craig Smith, Devold NZ Danielle Morton &  Anastasia Tristram, Floating Peaks woollen popular poles Tom O’Sullivan, Campaign for Wool. Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media Episode Summary: From the discovery of real-time smartphone micron testing to tracing the journey of wool from sheep to shop, we delve into the pivotal role education and government play in reshaping the future of wool. This episode provides a hopeful outlook, driven by increasing demand for natural and sustainable solutions and the potential for transformative industry innovation. This episode discusses the environmental impact of plastics tree sleeves with Anastasia Tristram, a Central Hawkes Bay farmer who co-founded Floating Peaks offering woollen poplar tree protectors. Sarah chats to Craig Smith, general manager of Devold NZ and Australian start-up, Zondii that is providing NZ merino growers with the opportunity to prove the traceability of their wool clip from sheep to shop. Rebecca concludes with an honest chat with Tom O’Sullivan from Campaign for Wool NZ about the cost of wool production highlighting the financial challenges facing sheep farmers which is seeing declining sheep numbers and the role the new government can play in supporting the wool industry by specifying wool products in government procurement of carpets.  Key Chapters of Interest 12:17 Wool Pole Protectors with Anastasia Tristram 20:26 Wool Journey Resource packs for schools 23:35 Zondii’s technology for wool testing 31:52 Devold’s commitment to quality and traceability 34:13 Traceability in the New York fashion industry 43:31 Campaign for Wool’s education programme, Wools in Schools 52:41 NZ government’s role in the procurement of wool in building products 01:01:41 Highlighting Bremworth carpet’s success Be in to Win!: Did you know that New Zealand produces the world’s best grass-fed steak and ribeye steak? You can get your hands on Alliance Group’s Pure South Handpicked 55 Day Aged Beef which was officially crowned the best steak in the world among the best of the best at the World Steak Be to win a Pure South BBQ Steak Pack to deliver to your door. Enter at country-wide.co.nz by the 31st January 2023 to go in the draw.  Terms & Conditions apply. Thanks to Alliance Group, New Zealand’s only 100 percent farmer-owned red meat co-operative. https://puresouthshop.com/pages/handpicked LISTEN TO the Alliance's Brief Bite's Podcast here  SUBSCRIBE TO Country-Wide’s Email Newsletter here

Guests include: Krissy Mac, Hear 4 U Lindy Nelson, Safer Farms Kathryn Wright, Rural Counsellor & Phd candidate for the impacts of afforestation on rural mental health Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The strength of the thread of any rural community is built over time and through connection, however due to many land-use change factors rural wellbeing in New Zealand has lost the sense of community and ultimately wellbeing. Editor of Country-Wide, Rebecca Greaves, discusses the research, industry collaboration and tools that are being developed to help combat this decline in rural mental health and safety with initiatives such as Farm Without Harm and Hear 4 U as well as unpacking the Phd research, rural counsellor Kathryn Wright is doing in this space. Key Chapters of Interest 10:31 - The Importance of Community Connection 21:18 - Farming Without Harm: Safer Farms' Mission 37:19 - The Impact of Plantation Forestry on Rural Communities Be in to Win! Did you know that New Zealand produces the world’s best grass-fed steak and ribeye steak? You can get your hands on Alliance Group’s Pure South Handpicked 55 Day Aged Beef which was officially crowned the best steak in the world among the best of the best at the World Steak Be to win a Pure South BBQ Steak Pack to deliver to your door. Enter at country-wide.co.nz by the 31st January 2023 to go in the draw.  Terms & Conditions apply. Thanks to Alliance Group, New Zealand’s only 100 percent farmer-owned red meat co-operative. https://puresouthshop.com/pages/handpicked LISTEN TO the Alliance's Brief Bite's Podcast here  SUBSCRIBE TO Country-Wide’s Email Newsletter here

Guests include: Prof. Hugh Campbell, University of Otago Brent Paterson, MyEnviro Hon. Todd McClay, Minister for Primary Industries & Trade Hosts: Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media The 2023 New Zealand general election showcased a shift in voting patterns, with a decline in the National Party's influence and a rise in support for the ACT party, according to Professor Hugh Campbell Professor of Sociology at the University of Otago. Editor of Country-Wide, Rebecca Greaves, covers the frustration of farming regulations that have led to this swing to the far-right with Hugh, but also the surprising split to the left parties in rural New Zealand. Farmers are frustrated with the complexity and cost of farming regulations, and Brent Paterson of My Enviro discusses with co-host Sarah Perriam-Lampp (Managing Director of CountryWide Media) that farmers want a value-added proposition around farm planning that helps them protect and promote their environmental position. The new Minister for Primary Industries & Trade, Hon. Todd McClay, explains to Rebecca Greaves how the new government aims to simplify rules and regulations, focused on outcomes rather than processes, and wants to build trust with farmers to allow farmers to get on with farming. Collaboration among associate ministers from the coalition government is important for effective governance and representation of the sector. He explains how trade and market access are crucial for the success of New Zealand's primary sector. Key Chapters of Interest 09:05 - Analysis of Rural New Zealand Voting Trends 12:51 - Rise of ACT Party in Rural New Zealand 26:26 - Decline of National Party's Influence in Rural New Zealand 32:07 - Value of Farm Planning 37:26 - Supporting Catchment Groups 40:47 - Market Demand for Environmental Information 53:14 - Trade and Market Access 56:34 - Climate Change and Emissions Reduction 01:01:43 - Three Associate Ministers and Collaboration Word from our Sponsor: Over time, the regulations and requirements imposed on farmers have undergone a significant transformation, shifting from traditional analogue plans consisting of large printed documents to streamlined digital plans that offer increased efficiency, detail, and adaptability. By utilising digital solutions like MyEnviro, farmers can now create living documents that evolve with on-farm changes, ensuring that their environmental plans remain accurate, up-to-date, and reflective of the current practices and conditions. Be in to Win!: Did you know that New Zealand produces the world’s best grass-fed steak and ribeye steak? You can get your hands on Alliance Group’s Pure South Handpicked 55 Day Aged Beef which was officially crowned the best steak in the world among the best of the best at the World Steak Be to win a Pure South BBQ Steak Pack to deliver to your door. Enter at country-wide.co.nz by the 31st January 2023 to go in the draw.  Terms & Conditions apply. Thanks to Alliance Group, New Zealand’s only 100 percent farmer-owned red meat co-operative. https://puresouthshop.com/pages/handpicked LISTEN TO the Alliance's Brief Bite's Podcast here  SUBSCRIBE TO Country-Wide’s Email Newsletter here