Country Life
The Country Life team take you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of every day rural New Zealand.
Episodes
Country Life heads to an arboretum where dozens of different types of trees are grown, including a few for Christmas. We travel up the Whanganui River on the rural mail run, delivering a few early Christmas presents and go behind the scenes of a family-run berry orchard in King Country to see what it takes to bring summer berries from the orchard to the Christmas dinner table.
The Roy family all pitch in getting berries from orchard to Christmas plate over the festive season. They have been growing berries in Piopio for more than three decades, and nearly all are sold from the farmgate. We go behind the scenes of the Christmas berry rush.
Rural postie Tracy Marshall takes visitors along her mail delivery route which winds along the Whanganui River.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
With thanks to:
- Tracy Marshall, Original Mail Tour
"You can come here and see nearly every type of forestry system that can be applied," Blair Jamieson says of Tāmata Hauhā's demonstration farm near Palmerston North.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
With thanks to:
- Blair Jamieson, Tāmata Hauhā
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
Country Life this week visits Cornwall Park Farm, the farm within New Zealand's largest city, and heads to the Bay of Plenty to meet animal trainer Bex Tasker who helps teens train animals which in turn provide them valuable skills for life.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
In this episode:
- 0:39 - Rural News Wrap
- 6:009- Cornwall Park: The farm within the heart of a city
- 28:07 ...
Chickens play football and sheep wave their hooves at Bex Tasker's place. She used to be a dog handler with customs and now uses her expertise in animal training and positive reinforcement methods to help kids learn new skills.
You can find photos and read more about this story on our webpage, here.
Cornwall Park farm is something of a hidden gem in the heart of Auckland City. But being a farm in the city comes with specific challenges.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
A wrap of the week's news from the primary sector
There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer population. Our friends over at The Detail took a look at the issue.
In a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winning
Guests:
- Richard Dawkins - Federated Farmers meat and wool chair
- Jill Herron - Newsroom journalist
- John Bissell - hunter and conserva...
This week Country Life is at the Wayleggo Cup, a trans Tasman sheep dog trial, meets a record-breaking Angus bull-breeder and opens the door on an unusual business finding opportunity and bringing thrills to a rural main street.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
And you can find our previous story with the late Angus Gordon of Clifton Station in Hawke's Bay, here.
In this ep...
How do sheepdogs and handling techniques vary between New Zealand and Australia? The best teams battle it out at a Trans-Tasman dog trial contest.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
And you can find our previous story with the late Angus Gordon of Clifton Station in Hawke's Bay, here.
With thanks to:
- Ben Millar, Michael Millar, Leo Jecentho, Barry Knight, Bailey Knight, J...
Tangihau Angus near Gisborne has a habit of breaking records. Last year it set the top price for New Zealand bulls at $135,000. This year it's done it again setting a new record price of $161,000.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
You can find more about Tangihau Angus, here.
With thanks to:
- Dean McHardy
How an unusual business selling adult toys has found opportunity on the main street of Eketāhuna
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
With thanks to:
- Ian Turner
A round up of conditions on farms and orchards around the country
Country Life visits two farms embracing agritourism - a Bay of Plenty avocado grower and a Hawke's Bay hill country station offering farm walks. The team also steps into an enviro-friendly greenhouse growing year-round lettuces at scale.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
In this episode:
- 0:30 - Rural News Wrap
- 7:10 - Keeping salad greens on the shelves, 52 weeks of the year
- 13:...
Set on the coast of Hawke's Bay, Te Aratipi Station offers walkers on the farm views across the bay, from the Māhia Peninsula right around to Mt Ruapehu on a clear day.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
You can find more about Te Aratipi Station, here.
With thanks to:
- Ro, Ed, Selby and Harry Palmer
Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t m...
Tour groups gather under the huge avocado trees belonging to orchardists Tim Rosamond and Michele Ricou to learn about the fruit and how its grown. The IT pros are relatively new growers and see agritourism as an important part of the venture.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
With thanks to:
- Tim Rosamond and Michele Ricou
Since officially opening last April, Leaderbrand's Future Farms facility has allowed them to grow salad greens all year round.
You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.
With thanks to:
- Billy Stackhouse, Leaderbrand
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
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