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A mismatch on the hills
For decades hill country sheep farmers have just accepted that dagging, treating for flystrike and drenching for worms is a part of successful farming, vet Trevor Cook writes.
Reinventing the fleece
A fine-wool sheep breeding programme is following in the tracks of established, successful research. Sarah Horrocks reports.
Breeding wool off the sheep’s back
Moving to a self-shedding sheep flock could significantly cut onfarm costs and labour, as the strong wool price remains stubbornly low, but there are always things to consider when changing your farm system. Massey University is three years into a trial to transition a base Romney flock to a fully shedding flock of Wiltshires. Rebecca Greaves attended the latest field day.
Repositioning demand for strong wool
Innovation and entrepreneurship is leading a revival in the fortunes of strong wool. By Tony Leggett
Team approach adds value
Farmers can utilise the skills of their accountants and advisers to boost their financial literacy and get a better understanding of debt, assets and equity, Elaine Fisher writes.
Back to basics
Getting back to his roots and spending time putting cups on is a far cry from walking the halls of power, but newly minted Agriculture Minister, Todd McClay, doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty from time to time. He spoke to Rebecca Greaves about his priorities and what farmers can expect from our new Government.
Watching the weather – and data
Running a multi-million dollar farming enterprise demands tight cost control and finely tuned operational management. Tony Leggett reports.
A shared vision
A change of ownership and putting in place an equity manager has seen a big boost in native tree planting on a South Head farm, spurred on by the assistance available from the Kaipara Moana Remediation Project. Glenys Christian reports.
