Dairy Farm
Guest - Dairy farmer Stephen Crawford
South Otago's biggest organic dairy farm might go conventional after news the dairy company which picks up the milk is reviewing the premiums for organic milk. Audio
'She's got everything you want in a cow'
A 40-litres-of-milk-a-day Friesian called Evie has been Supreme Champion Holstein at the New Zealand A&P Agricultural Show for two years in a row. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes meets the farmer behind the cow.
…Pest control creates balance for Northland farmer
When Geoff Crawford started trapping for pests on his farms, he was catching 70 possums a week. Now he's lucky if he gets seven...and the community have jumped on board too. Audio
Dog trialling is in the blood
Champion dog trialler Clark Chrystal fosters his daughters love for the sport. Audio
"Bring the cash in a suitcase and the farm's yours!"
Karamea dairy farmer Peter Langford says he and his wife Debbie are ready to hang up their gumboots. With none of their four children keen on taking over the farm, it's now up for sale - lock, stock… Audio
Farming and surfing a good balance for young Ag leader
As well as managing 4 farms and 35 staff, Jack Raharuhi is a passionate surfer who finds his mindfulness on the water. Country Life visits him at Pāmu's Cape Foulwind farming complex near Westport. Audio
Composting barn better for cows and land, says Karamea farmer
Frano Volkman's cows will soon be snuggling up on a thick bed of woodchips and sawdust in their new 6,300m2 composting barn. The organic fertiliser formed underneath Volkman's herd will be spread onto… Audio
Dairy farmer bridges cultural gap beside braided awa
With the help of a cultural land advisor, North Canterbury farmer John Faulkner is creating a diverse mahinga kai - Māori food gathering site - on his riverside property. Audio
Market garden on farm provides staff with healthy vege boxes
Environmental and social trials are underway on a dairy farm near Ashburton. Rhys and Kiri Roberts are comparing conventional farming with a regenerative system, they're giving staff more work… Audio
Our Favourite Friesian
Meet Sue - New Zealand's top Holstein Friesian cow. She's owned by Robbie Wakelin and his brother John who, as well as breeding Holstein Friesians run a 300-cow, split-calving dairy farm in Rangiora.
…From dairy farming to hemp cultivation
Reefton dairy farmers Aaron Silcock and Sarah Gibson think the future lies in hemp. Aaron is a fourth-generation dairy farmer at Larry's Creek but says he'd like to eventually put his herd into… Audio, Gallery
Andy Zax: Stunning new box set documents entire Woodstock
Los Angeles-based producer and archivist, Andy Zax has documented the entire Woodstock festival in a stunning new 38 disc box set, Woodstock -- Back to the Garden - The Definitive 50th Anniversary… Audio
When the chips are down
Groundwater scientists are using John Saywell's Canterbury farm to measure how well buried trenches filled with woodchips and bacteria break down nitrates in drainage water. Audio, Gallery
Farming and faith: Southland dairy farmer and spiritual leader Reza-Abdul Jabbar
Reza-Abdul Jabbar believes he is the only Muslim dairy farm owner in New Zealand. He is also the Imam at the Southland Mosque – the most southern in the world. Reza came to New Zealand from West… Audio, Gallery
Waikato farm falls silent as last infected cows leave
Waikato farmer Henk Smit had to kill 800 cows and calves when mycoplasma bovis was detected in his herd. He has put his property on the market and wants to leave the country. Audio
Rearing to go: the West Coast dairy farm in full swing
The busy calving season is in full swing at Mark and Debbie Van Beek's dairy farm near Hokitika on the West Coast. The 50/50 sharemilkers, who run 500 cows, were finalists for in this year's Ahuwhenua… Audio
European Farming Insights
Former RNZ Rural News reporter Alexa Cook is traveling through Europe with her partner. She tells Cosmo about the farming observations she has made in Ireland and Scotland. Audio
Riverside: a community of pastoral peacekeepers
The Riverside Community near Nelson is the oldest intentional community in New Zealand. Most of its members work on the property and share their earnings and expenses. Audio, Gallery
Rare birds flourish in Canterbury cows' paddock
A colony of 300 critically endangered birds has found an unlikely place to nest - in the middle of a paddock full of dairy cows.
Golden Valleys Turn Green
Central Otago is rapidly changing. Intensive irrigation has transformed once semi-arid valleys into lush pastures that support a growing dairy industry. St Bathans based landscape artist Grahame… Audio