RNZ: Country Life

Hundreds of children around the country are competing in the AgriKids regional finals this month. The competition aims to promote the fun side of farming and help children develop practical skills. 

Stephen Dickson's frank business name says it all. The Central Otago man employs dogs, ferrets and guns to combat the region's exploding rabbit population.

Simon Easton has a 60-hectare apple orchard in the Tasman region. He says every year it gets harder to find fruit pickers, but this year takes the cake.

The apple harvest is coming to an end in Hawke’s Bay and almost all the grapes are in. Early signs of winter appeared last weekend in Canterbury with a couple of light frosts. Farmers have been busy planting autumn wheat while ground conditions are dry.

Apple Angst, Stephen Dickson and his ferret Crank, The Return of the Rabbits, Future Farmers and the Regional Wrap.

Malcolm Smith and Robyn Curtis-Smith have transformed an abandoned West Coast gold mining valley into fertile farmland for their cattle. They've also built a house and a huge waterwheel that generates electricity for the farm.

The Central Otago settlement of Ophir has the dubious honour of being the coldest place in the country. Sam Leask should know. Every day the sheep farmer ducks out to record the temperature, then sends it off to NIWA.

Dr Clive Dalton, a retired animal scientist, says New Zealand needs to seriously look at many farming and recreational practises that we see as "normal" and question how they'd look to overseas customers where attitudes to animal welfare are changing.

Farmers across the country have been reaching for their winter woolies this week. The apple harvest in Hawkes Bay has only a couple of weeks to run. Weaning is underway in Marlborough. One farmer says calf weights are up 15 to 20 kilograms on last year.

Wheel of Fortune, A Cool Farm, Squeaky Clean? and the Regional Wrap.

Susan Murray takes on the Mountain to Sea Cycle Trail – and checks out who is benefiting from extra visitors to the Central North Island.

Debra Cruickshank has had a chaotic few weeks. It's harvest time – a month early – and grapes have been arriving at her Central Otago micro-winery in buckets, bins and baby baths.

Susan Murray takes on the Mountain to Sea Cycle Trail – and checks out who is benefiting from extra visitors to the Central North Island.

Dry, mild weather with a stray shower or two prevailed this week in Pukekohe. Many vegetables are now in heavier supply and retail prices have eased. Canterbury is fully into autumn mode with all stock behind a wire and baleage being fed to slow the rotation length. Paddocks are being prepared for autumn sown cereal crops.

Country Life gets saddle sore cycling from Mt Ruapehu to the Sea .. checking out rural businesses along the way.