3 Jul 2020

Country Life for 3 July 2020

From Country Life, 9:05 pm on 3 July 2020

Winter sets in in the north and the effects of the drought are still being felt at the top of the South Island. Teina McIntyre and Cailtin McRae can't wait to find a job on a dairy farm. They are two of seven students taking part in Dairy NZ's first GoDairy free, training course for people looking at changing careers. Penny Hoogerbrug of Kaharau Angus Stud describes the nerve-wracking moments before she and her partners became the proud new owners of "Lot 8", paying more than $100,000 and setting a record for the highest price paid for a bull at an on-farm sale. Whitford dairy farmer Donald Pearson bequeathed his dairy farm and all its cows to New Zealand Young farmers. There are plans to build an education centre on the farm so that children from nearby Auckland can be introduced to agriculture and the career opportunities it offers. Banks Peninsula horticulturist Cornelia Holten established the KoruKai Herb Farm at Pigeon Bay with support from her husband Kai in 2013. She grows about 80 varieties of herbs - 40 of which she uses to make herbal remedies, skin care and teas.