RNZ: Country Life

Dr Paul Dettloff was in the country recently to educate farmers and vets about the transition to sustainable practices and homeopathic treatments for cattle infected with Mycoplasma bovis.  

Nick Pyke reflects on two decades at the helm of the Foundation for Arable Research in Christchurch. The outgoing chief executive talks about the evolution of cropping, the challenges he has faced and the future of arable farming in New Zealand.

High prices are being paid for store lambs and Suz Bremner from AgfriHQ tells us why.

Grass is growing at a phenomenal rate in the North Island. Central Otago's hills are looking green and the flats below them even greener. In Southland winter crops are growing well and baleage has been spaced out in the crop paddocks ready for break-feeding a bit further down the track.

It's been 175 years since Auckland's first A&P show was held in downtown Auckland. David Scott's a farmer and the chairman of the Royal Easter show and says the event now plays a crucial role introducing city folk to farm animals and to farmers.

Transition and Animal Health with Paul Dettloff, Outgoing FAR CEO Nick Pyke, Lambs Lively, 175 Years Since Cattle Came to Town and the Regional Wrap.

Each year women with breast cancer have the opportunity to get away from it all with Casting for Recovery. Country life joins a group as they enjoy the tranquillity of the country-side and, under the guidance of expert trout fishing 'buddies', flick a fly out into the river .

The Chamberlain family have cultivated spring flowers at Hadstock Farm in Mid Canterbury since the 1930s. Country Life pays them a visit as the last of the bulbs are dug up before it's time to plant early-flowering daffodils.

This week ABC rural news correspondent Brett Worthington says big changes are in the wind in the Australian dairy industry as foreign owners move on in and there's been skulduggery in the wool industry.

Many North Island regions are continuing to cut silage or baleage which is most unusual for this time of year. In the South Island wet weather's making harvesting of grapes in Marlborough very very challenging and it's halting apple picking around the Tasman district.

North Island hemp farmer Dave Jordon says in the future there will be thousands of hectares of industrial hemp grown on farms around New Zealand. This year he hopes to get about 10 tons of hemp stalk per hectare and once harvested it will be processed into fibre.

Country Life goes trout fishing with women recovering from breast cancer, talks to a family growing daffodils for a living, ABC rural correspondent Brett Worthington talks about dairy and wool industry woes, Dave Jordan's just harvested his hemp crop.

West Coast dairy farmer Katie Milne talks about life on the farm at Rotomanu, educating kids about agriculture, confronting environmental issues and some of the other challenges she's faced so far as the new Federated Farmers president. 

Many people believe sheep on steep hill country farms don't affect the water quality of streams – but that's not quite the case, says animal behaviour scientist Dr Lindsay Matthews.

Taranaki's had some decent weather. Areas that were exceptionally dry until the end of February have had good rain but are still reasonably short of grass and both pasture and cow condition need to recover. A huge amount of silage and bailage is being made across Southland and summer crop paddocks are being worked up for winter grass.