RNZ: Country Life

A brief selection of rural news from the past week.

In both the North and South Island it's been wet, wet, wet. But there is grass growth in many areas because it's been relatively mild.

Australian farmer Bob Mackley is in New Zealand to warn farmers about the risks of GE crops.

Stephan Jamieson is the coal face manager at the Birchfield Coal Mines Rotokohu measures in the Giles Creek basin near Reefton. His uncle, Gary Birchfield, is a director of the family owned mining company that began production at the Rotokohu site in 1984, and is processing coal at a rate of about 500,000 tonnes per annum.

Peter Martin is a Waikato farmer and paralympian. He's at the national agricultural fieldays seeing how easy it is to get around.

The flock of sheep Country Life is running on a lifestyle block is about to start its third lambing season. The flock's named after the Magic netball team and they were mated to a texel ram. Next season, in an effort to increase meat production, a polled dorset ram will enter the mix.

Much of the North Island is sodden. In the South Island lambs are starting to appear in the early flocks.

After years of poor meat and wool returns, Cardrona Valley farmer Ben Gordon decided to throw a carcass over his shoulder, remove the middleman, and sell his delicate merino lamb direct to chefs. After a lot of hard graft and early on speed wobbles, Cardrona Merino is now performing well.

Andrea and Mike Gauland are living the rural dream on their 10 acre block near Oxford. They have chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs and a large herd of Toggenburg goats

The North Island had a very wet start to the week, but luckily was drying out as the week ended, while in the South Island the mercury has crept up and calving has started.

One of the five winners of the "Take a Stand for Good Sorts in Rural Schools" campaign, Waituna West School Glen Richardson talks about what he does to get the title.

Beverley Forrester owns and runs Blackhills Farm in Hawarden, North Canterbury. She breeds black and natural coloured sheep and produces wool that's spun into premium grade yarn, that's sold along with her own designer knitwear in her Blackhills showroom in England.

Te Atarangi Angus was named the producer of the decade at the Steak of Origin celebration of beef earlier this year. Chris and Karren Biddles own and farm Te Atarangi - a 1000 hectare farm on Northland's Pouto Peninsula.

Ripper frosts have chilled the North Island and in the south, farmers are gearing up for lambing and calving.

Bob Cook runs Ranfurly Orchard Services in Te Puke. His business has taken a hit since the arrival of PSA.