Public articles

Keeping young people engaged in the farming industry is vital to the long term success of our sector. Nurturing and growing the next generation of farmers is something we should all care about. In this episode we look at the programmes that exist to upskill our future farmers, and give them the tools to have a long and rewarding career, such as Growing Future Farmers and the Trades Academy. We also dive into the current property markets around farmland prices, and whether it’s a sellers market yet.

Farm businesses, like any other business, thrive better when there’s good leadership, from large multi-farm businesses to family owned-and-operated farmers. But how do you become a good leader, and what actually makes one? In this episode we talk to Pāmu’s Bernadette Kelly about their leadership programme model, and Marlborough farmer Fraser Avery, who is investing in good leadership and team culture on his farm.

The light at the end of the tunnel is coming for the red meat sector, but how can farmers start planning now to stay out of the boom-and-bust cycle that seems prevalent in the sector? Hear from Rabobank Senior Animal Protein Analyst Jen Corkran on the opportunities available to red meat farmers going forward, and Australian Independent Livestock Analyst Simon Quilty on what opportunities we can glean from the Australian market.

Changing a farm system is no small feat, and Banks Peninsula farmer George Masefield, and his wife Emma, have spent the past eight years making significant changes to the family’s farming operation. In almost a decade they’ve been able to transform the business, enabling them to finish all of their lambs on their dryland hill country and buy in trading stock.
In this episode hear from farmer George Masefield, and PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative Robert Trott, who has been part of the farm transformation. We also catch up with AgResearch about their latest project: a brand new podcast exploring the big questions facing New Zealand agriculture, and Jasper Van Halder CEO of Agnition about the exciting opportunities available to farmers through their pilot farmer network.

The Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards are a highlight of the farming calendar, to come together and celebrate the hard work and excellence of the sheep and beef sector. The judges had their work cut out for them this year, with many notable figures in the industry up for awards, from science and technology, to farming leadership and community involvement. In this episode, hear from three farmer award winners. Let’s take the chance to celebrate the hard work being done in our sector.

Pathways to farm ownership can be hard to navigate, with young farmers having less access to the capital required to purchase land. Equity partnerships are a viable option that allow farmers to partner with investors to get a foot on the farm ownership ladder.

This week we catch up with Country-Wide’s Spring issue Home Block columnists from around the country to find out what’s happening in their patch. From yearling bull sales and cyclone recovery in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, to challenging lambing conditions in Southland, our four farmers discuss the challenges and rewards of farming in each of their regions.

Can we find common ground to solve the challenges facing the primary industries? The Common Ground platform has launched following a thought leadership report from KPMG looking at whether industry good bodies are good for industry. The report identified 150 different organisations that have been established to drive forward positive outcomes for farmers - but are they working in a way that will take farming into the future?

Sheep and beef farmers are weathering a difficult season so we spoke to industry professionals about their advice for getting through tough times. Words Sandra Taylor.

Kiwi farmers are some of the most sustainably efficient in the world but with the next chapter in New Zealand farming about ‘proving your improvements’, many Trev farmers are finding enhancing business efficiency in the process. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.