RNZ: Country Life

This week's Country Life is all about tech and science - from cutting edge ag drone, to collecting sheep poo samples to be processed in the lab as part of a national study, and the team helping breed the kiwifruit of tomorrow.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:46 - Rural News Wrap5:52 - Farmers' ag drone venture takes flight13:56 - 'Poo hunter': In the name of science26:56 - Inside New Zealand's Kiwifruit Breeding CentreWith thanks to:Mitchel HoarePaul Crick, Sarah Riddy and Cara BrosnahanMatt Glenn, Amardeep Nath, Megan Wood, and Thomas PatersonMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It takes years to perfect cultivars and to keep New Zealand's kiwifruit industry ahead of the game. Country Life takes a tour of the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre in Te Puke and meets those helping create the fruit of the future. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Matt Glenn, Amardeep Nath, Megan Wood, and Thomas PatersonMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Wairarapa sheep farmer Paul Crick is one of hundreds out collecting poo samples from his flock as part of a national study testing for the presence of spores which cause facial eczema in sheep.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can find more about the trial, here.With thanks to:Paul Crick, Sarah Riddy and Cara BrosnahanGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Two King Country farmers have trained up as drone operators to offer on-farm drone spraying services, a side hustle alongside their traditional farming work. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Mitchel HoareGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life gets up close and personal with some of the animals at Massey University's teaching farm and heads to a high country station near Omarama where merino sheep run alongside shorthorn cattle.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:32 - Jefferson Fellow Kate Green on the future of food security11:28 - Rural News Wrap17:03 - Massey University's 'outdoor farm classroom' celebrates 30 years29:28 - Living the High Country LifeWith thanks to:Kate GreenMike Reilly and Professors Jon Huxley and Paul KenyonSimon and Kirsty WilliamsonMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's a romance attached to living in the Mackenzie High Country, but does it still exist? For Simon Williamson it is the only life he knows. He grew up through the harsh winters and hot summers and loves the challenge of it. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Simon and Kirst WilliamsonMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Set on 40-hectares near the university's Palmertston North campus, the Large Animal Teaching Unit, is home to a menagerie of animals for veterinary students to work with. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Mike Reilly, Professors Jon Huxley and Paul KenyonGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

RNZ reporter Kate Green has recently returned from parts of Southeast Asia as part of a Jefferson Fellowship exploring food security issues across the region. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Kate GreenGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Country Life meets Berwick Settle who's worked on huge dairy farms in Russia and China, joins a shearing gang for a day and finds out about the world of heritage seed saving.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Make sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In this story for the long-running programme Spectrum, first broadcast in 1972, Jack Perkins joins a Wairarapa shearing gang, on a farm near Masterton. It starts at the beginning of a day's shearing, with sounds of sheep in the yards, dogs barking and shepherd's whistling.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's a story to many of the heritage seedlings which Jemma Ostenfeld grows on a patch of borrowed land in the eastern Bay of Plenty. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Twenty years ago Berwick Settle was a Southland sharemilker. Since then he's worked in some of the biggest dairy farms in the world, helping set up farms in China and Russia where cows live year round in huge barns, a far cry from New Zealand's pastoral system. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life learns more about LIC's project to breed bulls which emit less methane, while a Waikato sheep farmer does the same, using genetics to reduce emissions. Also, from the future to the past, step back in time with the volunteers at Eketāhuna Museum.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:45 - On the Farm8:17 - A 'numbers game': LIC's quest to breed low methane emitting bulls18:00 - Breeding the 'wagyu of lamb' for an every-changing farm environment32:49 - Eketāhuna Museum - keeper of the community's storiesWith thanks to:Dr Lorna McNaughton, LICAlastair Reeves, Waimai RomneyBruce Laurence, Chris Petersen, Ian Day, and Bridget Ferguson, Eketāhuna MuseumMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Volunteers at the Eketāhuna Museum are getting ready to reopen. This treasure chest of curiosities shines a light on the small town's Scandinavian heritage and the challenges of running a country museum. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can read more about the Eketāhuna Museum, here.With thanks to:Bruce Laurence, Chris Petersen, Ian Day, and Bridget FergusonMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Alastair Reeves has followed in his father's footsteps, using genetics to help farmers solve problems on farm by breeding sheep that make for good eating, are tolerant of facial eczema and emit lower amounts of methane. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can learn more about Waimai Romney, here.With thanks to:Alastair ReevesGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The team of scientists at LIC, the Livestock Improvement Corporation, hope to know by late next year if they can offer farmers more methane-friendly bulls.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can learn more about LIC, here.With thanks to:Dr Lorna McNaughtonGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life meets some characterful Clydesdale horses, finds out about the Waimate Trail, explores rural life through objects via a new book and heads to threatened Thornton Lagoon in Bay of Plenty.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Make sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

They used to be a regular sight on New Zealand's roads and paddocks - the plodding but magnificent Clydesdales. The horses with the hobbit hooves are becoming rare and their personality, dignity and legacy have inspired Susie Izard and her daughter Cate Smith to help save the breed. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Suzie Izard and Cate Smith, Silverstream ClydesdalesGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ben Banks is trying to protect the fragile dunes, wildlife and vegetation at a coastal lagoon near Whakatāne. Volunteering his time, he and his family trap for predators and pests but there's another threat to the area - the four-wheeled kind. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Ben BanksGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Husband and wife duo Te Radar and Ruth Spencer have recently partnered together on a new book 'Kiwi Country: Rural New Zealand in 100 Objects'. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Ruth Spencer and Te RadarOne lucky listener can win a copy of the book - tell us the type of milkshed invented in New Zealand. Email country@rnz.co.nz with the answer to go into the draw - the winner will be announced on next week's show.The couple also have a couple of book tours coming up:Hastings, Tuesday 25 NovemberWaipukarau, Wednesday 26 NovemberPalmerston North library, Wednesday 26 NovemberHedley's Masterton, Thursday 27 NovemberGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Volunteers are nearing completion of the first leg of a new trail for walkers, runners and cyclists in South Canterbury, the 67km Waimate Trail which will pass through native forest, limestone rock formations, tussock tops, river flats and valleys. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can find more about the project and track its progress, here.With thanks to:Jo SutherlandGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life talks to researchers who say there's potential for the brown kiwi to become a pest patroller in orchards and vineyards. Mark Leishman pulls on his Country Life gumboots to meet an entrepreneur behind an intriguing gateway made of the toughest timber – ironbark, and a visit to a Waikato farming family who've been integrating robotics and automation into their dairy operation. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:36 - Kiwi on pest patrol14:33 - Rural News Wrap18:32 - Ironbark - the wood as hard as steel32:51 - Tech is key on this Tirau dairy farmWith thanks to guests:Isobel Castro and Karen MasonSteve EvansBrett and Linda CoubroughMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

When it comes to farming, planning for the next season today is key, says the Coubrough family. The 5th generation dairying family is are all on the same page - they want robotics to milk the cows for them. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Brett and Linda CoubroughMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ever wondered what happened to some of the damaged timber from the Lyttelton wharves after the Canterbury earthquakes? The tough ironbark they were made from was too good not to be rescued and Oxford's Steve Evans was just the man for the job, as Mark Leishman discovered. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Steve EvansGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Could growers harness the kiwi as a way of reducing pests attacking their crops? A recent study has filmed the endangered birds entering vineyards and orchards at night to feast on beetles, weevils, grass grub and other insects. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to guests:Isobel Castro and Karen MasonGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life is in Marlborough's back country on Molesworth Station, we check out the sale action at the Feilding saleyards and learn more about Chinese mooncakes, or suncakes as one gardener views them.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:30 - Mooncakes under a southern sun4:37 - Rural News Wrap8:47 - The 'big money' changing hands at the Feilding saleyards24:41 - From the Archive: Mustering at MolesworthWith thanks to guests:David RuanEric LinklaterJim WardMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It's an early start for the musterers at Molesworth Station. The bulls are out with the cows for the mating season and everyone needs to beat the heat. Country Life producer Sally Round spent a day with the stockmen, the farmer and the cook, peeling back some of the mystique of New Zealand's most famous farm. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Jim WardGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Global demand for red meat is driving strong prices for sheep and cattle, some of the best former Feilding farmer Eric Linklater has seen in over 20 years of guiding tours at the local saleyards. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can find more about the tours, here.With thanks to:Eric LinklaterGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

David Ruan says the colourful vegetables growing in his garden are like little cakes relying on the sun for energy, hence the name Suncakes Gardens. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:David RuanGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life is inside one of Fonterra's large dairy plants and meets a Canterbury farming couple making beautiful wool coats from their family's flock.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:38 - On the Farm8:13 - The art of the auction14:35 - The high-tech dairy hub feeding China's sweet tooth31:06 - The Clip: Wool to WearWith thanks to guests:Alex StewartMatt SmithCharlotte and Hamish Bell, The ClipMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Driven by a desire to find a pure New Zealand wool coat, and to find more use for the bales of wool sitting idle in the shearing shed, Charlotte Bell started her fashion business The Clip. She and husband Hamish farm in Hakataramea Valley in Canterbury You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to guests:Charlotte and Hamish Bell, The ClipMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A growing taste for pastries, cakes and dairy-topped drinks in China and southeast Asia is fuelling demand for New Zealand-made cream cheese. Country Life takes a tour of Fonterra's high-tech factory at Darfied to see how it's made. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to guests:Matt SmithGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Feilding livestock agent and saleyards auctioneer Alex Stewart on breaking into an old man's game, human calculators and conducting the sale. With thanks to guests:Alex StewartGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life meets a couple who've had a lifetime on the same farm, and some newcomers to the truffle industry, and the team also talk fitness with a farming-focused physiotherapist. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:00 - 0:00 - 0:00 - 0:00 - With thanks to guests:Storm Baynes-RyanIan and Pam BuckinghamLance and Nikki Dodd, and IndieMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details