Bella Taylor is living her dream. Based in Manapouri, Bella works as a farm technician for Pāmu, collecting data from the stud breeding and research programmes under way on four of the 13 Pāmu farms in Southland’s Te Anau Basin. Words Sandra Taylor.

There is no denying that there is pain associated with certain practices used on farm when it comes to sheep. Vet Sara Sutherland discusses some of the challenges around providing pain relief for docking, castration, and shearing injuries, and what the future might look like when it comes to this evolving issue.

Harnessing the power of the sun offers the chance for drystock farmers to diversify their operations. Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor Jesse Brennan’s 2024 Kellogg Report Cultivating the sun – challenges and opportunities of solar farming for drystock farm diversification explores the opportunity.

As the world faces mounting challenges such as food security, climate change, and environmental degradation, the New Zealand Government is reconsidering its stance on genetic technologies. Farmlands Category Manager Lisa Lunn’s 2024 Kellogg Report Understanding a future with genetic technologies in New Zealand agriculture delves into the issue.

A new year brings a fresh wave of new industry leaders. What attracted them to the role? What do they see as the biggest challenges and opportunities?

Richard McIntyre’s mobile phone runs hot with calls from farmers who are keen to share their war stories about how they have been treated by their bank. Words Tony Leggett.

Arable farming in Rangitikei runs deep in the Nitschke family history. Tony Leggett investigates what is behind a phase of rapid expansion for the family’s grain business and what lies ahead. Photos Brad Hanson.

There is a strong correlation between on-farm performance and emissions intensity. A panel at the New Zealand Agriculture & Climate Change Conference 2024 discussed market drivers for agricultural emissions reduction – how are financial institutions influencing climate change actions by farmers? Words Rebecca Greaves.

The days of farmers arriving at a meeting with their bank manager with little more than an idea and expecting to work up a bankable proposition are long over. Tony Leggett investigates how to succeed in the new era in banking.

Pathways to farm ownership and, equally, farm succession planning have long been meaty issues the agricultural sector has battled to address. Landify is a new online platform that could be a game changer for those on both sides of the equation. Words Rebecca Greaves.