Rural
Injuries from ram attack like being hit by a car - animal expert
After two people died this week in an apparent ram attack, New Zealand animal behaviour researcher says male farm animals can be dangerous - especially now, during breeding season.
Mt Taranaki ranger Tāne Houston - 'we let the forest talk for itself'
Country Life takes a walk with mountain ranger Tāne Houston through the forest on the slopes of Mt Taranaki. We head up the volcano along a trap line, resetting bait, foraging and chatting about the… Video, 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.
…The diverse experiences of farming
A lot of urban dwellers get their information about farming from supermarkets, new research suggests. A Massey University research project surveyed over 1300 urban and rural people about their views… Audio
Rural News Wrap
This year's annual Canterbury A&P show has been canned, while there's mixed results at the meatworks where venison sales have bounced back but lamb prices remain at historical lows, and new research… Audio
Country Life for Friday April 19 2024
This week Country Life is out with a mountain ranger foraging and checking traps on the slopes of Mt Taranaki and meets the farmer behind a champion milker. Also, a Massey University research project… Audio
Salmon farm goes green with tuk-tuks
A salmon farm says using electric tuk-tuks on its canals has been so successful, they are going to get more.
One of the world's most invasive weeds discovered on Waikato farms
Velvetleaf can grow up to 2.5 metres tall, it has large, heart-shaped leaves with pointy tips and velvety hairs, and small, buttery yellow flowers.
Low lamb prices could see more farmers planting trees
"Hardly any" sheep and beef farmers are breaking even and many will be looking for other uses for their land, agricultural consultant says.
Bird flu: what is it, and why has it been found in US dairy cows?
There are few places in the world the high pathogenicity bird flu has not yet reached, and scientists say the world is in an animal pandemic.
Rural Riders spins farmers' wheels - 'I smile a lot here'
Rural Riders is a chance for farmers to get off the farm on a bike, spin some yarns and focus on the dips and the jumps rather than the weather and the milk price. Audio
Rural News Wrap
A round-up of the week's agricultural news with RNZ rural news reporter Sally Murphy. Audio
Eric Fa'anoi - a view from both sides of the fence
Eric Fa'anoi has gone from helping farmers protect the environment to being a farmer himself. A visit to his ancestral village in Samoa also helped this young man from Porirua unearth his interest in… Audio
Country Life for Friday 12 April 2024
This week on Country Life, farmers and growers around the country have been getting together to hear about research which might help New Zealand agriculture adapt to future challenges. The team also… Audio
Jump in productive land being used for urban development
Fruit and vegetable prices could rise by 58 percent because of of a drop in productive land, Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ research suggests.
Farmers have 'fingers crossed' for rain after driest summer on record
Rain forecast for Thursday cannot come soon enough for drought-stricken South Island farmers.
Imam dairy farmer fined $200,000 over migrant exploitation
One of the workers raised the alarm with MBIE.
NZ Post to end rural parcel and newspaper deliveries on weekends
NZ Post chief operating officer Brendon Main said Saturday services to rural areas were not commercially viable.
From techie to market gardener - 'Getting made redundant really pushed me'
Morgan Kane moved back home when she lost her job at a tech start up. It was the start of her move, with her husband, into market gardening. She and her parents welcome the advantages of… Audio
Sheds and cupboards cleaned out for Banks Peninsula fundraiser
Every year on Easter Saturday, unwanted bric-a-brac goes under the hammer at a huge Paddy's Market and White Elephant in Akaroa. It's run by the Akaroa and Bays Lions Club, which raises thousands of… Audio