Blue Shed Diary
Blue Shed Diary, a weekly podcast brought to you by PGG Wrightson, features news and information for, and about, New Zealand's rural communities. Like the blue sheds dotting New Zealand's landscape, the Blue Shed Diary is the go-to resource for our farmers and growers. We tackle important issues, explore innovations, showcase best practices, investigate how policies made in the cities impact rural communities, and offer advice on everything from sustainability to animal health. The Blue Shed Diary is a conversation about the people and the land, come be a part of the conversation!
Episodes
The Environmental Protection Authority, or EPA, wants your input. They propose restricting the use of the insecticide bifenthrin, a synthetic pyrethroid.
Bifenthrin is a common insecticide that has been around for years. It's used to control pests in agriculture and your home. However, studies show it is harmful to aquatic life and bees, therefore the EPA is taking another look at how this insecticide is used in New Zealand.
Jo...
The new Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Penny Simmonds, wants to give additional funding to New Zealand's burgeoning advanced technology sector. However, recent reporting shows the likely source of this new funding will be the existing funding already allocated to agriculture, the environment, and human health.
What does a potential loss of funding mean for future farming innovation? Is this a bad idea for one of N...
This May, New Zealand Young Winemaker National Finalists for 2025 won a field trip to the Wairarapa region for a behind-the-scenes look at how the region's top winemakers make their finest drops. They visited incredible vineyards in Greytown, Masterton, and Martinborough to meet and learn from winemakers who have their own approach to creating wines that celebrate the land on which it is grown. One of the tour guides was Fruitf...
The continuing conflict in Iran is putting greater pressureon the Ag sector in New Zealand. From petrol prices to supply chain squeezes, the uncertainty is making life harder for our farmers and growers.
The Middle East is one of the world’s main exporters of Urea, which is used in Nitrogen fertiliser production, and New Zealand imports some 500-thousand tonnes of it annually.
With no end to the conflict insight, what impact is it c...
Keeping your ewes fed and healthy comes down to a balanced diet and maintaining Body Condition Score in late winter. Any loss in body condition impacts lamb survival, so getting the balance between protein and carbs right makes all the difference. PGG Wrightson Technical Expert for Animal Production, Dr Andrew Dowling, joins the conversation with advice on your winter-feeding system to maximise profits and productivity.
Staples in our frozen veggie aisles - Watties and McCain - have announced they're closing up shop in New Zealand. Watties is closing factories in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin and their frozen packing lines in Hastings. McCain's is also exiting Hastings by the end of this year. Hundreds of jobs are set to be lost, but the repercussions of these closures will be felt far wider.
What do these closures mean for the growe...
The repercussions of military action in Iran continues to be felt globally. From the cost-of-living pressures, to rising petrol and diesel prices and stock shortages, everyone is feeling the pinch. But for rural communities, the impacts are more than just stress on the wallet.
Joining the conversation is farmer and Rural Women New Zealand member, Emma Burke, who has tips on watching the wallet and keeping connected.
Blue Shed Diary host, Milton Munro, and his colleague Shane McDowall, have seen the future of farming. Back from their whirlwind tour of the USA—including a visit to Microsoft in Seattle, Washington and the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, California—Milton and Shane have peered into the crystal ball and gotten insight into what innovations and technology are on the horizon for New Zealand's farmers and growe...
With the last of the fruit leaving the vine in Kerikeri, what should growers be doing next to ready their kiwifruit orchards for winter? Post-harvest advice from Technical Horticulture Representative Louise Shepherd.
While the Ag Sector has been on an upswing, one primary sector is still feeling the pinch: Arable Farmers. What's behind the struggle? Why are some looking to leave the sector in search of greener pastures? What impact will the Watties and McCain's frozen veggie closures have on the sector? And what can we do to support the industry?
Joining the conversation to answer these questions and more is Federated Farmer's Arabl...
For over 40 years, IHC has raised money to support people with intellectual disabilities and their whānau in rural communities through the calf & rural scheme. Farmers donate livestock (and virtual calves, too) to IHC who use the proceeds from their sale to raise vital funds. As a principal sponsor, PGG Wrightson wants to make sure everyone gets involved with Pink Week!
Joining the conversation to tell us how you can make a dif...
Vocational, hands-on, work-based practical training is essential for bringing new farmers, growers, and workers to the industry. One of the major organisations behind this kind of training is Primary ITO, however government reforms could significantly change the way we deliver work-based education in New Zealand. What does this system look like in the future and can you have your say?
Joining the conversation is Primary ITO CEO Gin...
Autumn fertiliser can be one of your largest annual input costs, but with the price of fertiliser on the rise, how can you make sure you are maximising your investment while getting the best results for your crop?
Joining April's Tech Talk is PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist for Soil Science, Dr Jay Howes.
As the war in Iran continues, the impacts to the global economy cut deeper. Petrol and diesel costs are up along with price of inputs and commodities. Is this a short-term or long-term problem? And what does this mean for New Zealand's economy, particularly our farmers and growers?
Joining the conversation is Simplicity Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub.
In life, there are few things in which we can all agree. The Resource Management Act (RMA) may be an exception with most New Zealanders agreeing it's in dire need of overhaul.
The 25-year-old legislation governs nearly everything about NZ—our land, air, water—and what we can do with them. A lot has changed since it was enacted, and several governments have tinkered with fixes over the years. The most recent overhaul proposal in...
Back in the day, the go-to approach for pest control was to use insecticide to kill anything moving in the crop. Not only was that not the most effective control method, but it also led to a rise in resistance. The new way is Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. This method moves beyond a chemical-only solution and employs a multi-faceted approach. It is a valuable tool for farmers and growers.
March's Tech Talk is all about ado...
A rebound in the rural sector has seen stronger returns and bigger payouts for our farmers and growers. Its great news after several tough years. As confidence in the sector grows, so too does the interest in the rural property market. So, is it a good time to buy a farm? What operations are generating the most interest?
Joining the conversation to answer these questions and more is PGG Wrightson's General Manager for Real Esta...
For six decades, Country Calendar has marked the lives of New Zealand's farmers, growers, and rural communities. More than half a million people, both rural and urban audiences, tune-in to watch our longest-running television show.
If anything is an institution in our cultural landscape, it is TVNZ's Country Calendar. Joining the conversation is the voice behind the show, and its producer, Dan Henry.
It all started with 888-acres of retired farmland in East Taranaki when Miranda Wells, her partner Daryl Egarr, and brother Bjorn Doherty purchased this land in 2013 as a weekend hunting spot.
But the discovery of wild kiwi changed the trajectory of their lives and this land. Together, they formed the 800-Trust which has an ambitious mission to restore a dying forest and create a biodiversity corridor for some of our rarest indigeno...
This month's On the Vine episode asks what happens when you have too many grapes? In this case, more is not always more. Turns out, in the world of viticulture, it's possible to have too much of a good thing.
Last year, an estimated 100,000 tonnes, or approximately a fifth of the crop, was left on the vine. The 2026 season is shaping up to have a lot of excess grapes, too.
So, what's behind the supply hangover? What are...
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