Public articles

Imagine if a crop could be both productive and improve environmental outcomes in a cold and wet climate? Plant & Food Research have been working with several Canterbury catchment groups to ground the science to see how winter forage oats can reduce nitrate leaching losses even in the toughest conditions.

James Kellow has taken an unconventional path into farming with the purchase of Lighthouse Station on the Āwhitu Peninsula in 2017 for a deep connection to his rural roots and a desire to create something enduring.

In this episode, Sarah Perriam-Lampp speaks with James Kellow about transforming Lighthouse Station Farm from a former dairy farm into a regenerative beef and gamebird estate.

In this episode, Sarah Perriam-Lampp speaks with 2024 Nuffield Scholar Peter Templeton about alternative pathways to farm ownership and succession.

Drawing on global models, Peter explores solutions like lease-to-buy and equity partnerships to help young farmers overcome rising land costs and secure New Zealand’s farming future.

Are your ewes performance ready this season?

In this must-listen vodcast, NZVA Sheep & Beef Cattle Branch president Alex Meban of VetEast joins Sarah to unpack everything trace elements pre-lamb — why they matter, how they help, and the benefits he’s seen from supplementing with trace elements like Multimin ® Plus Copper for Sheep.

Tune in for a practical, expert-led discussion to help you set your flock up for a successful, productive lambing season.

Firearms and mental health are a serious topic and attitudes around them can be emotional and polarising. Words Kathryn Wright.

The Yates family name is synonymous with seed with the family’s involvement in the seed industry starting in England in the late 1700s. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Crops like Pallaton Raphnobrassica, lucerne, Relish red clover, Ecotain plantain-clovers, Sika chicory-clovers grazed in the summer show promise in a recent study for reducing worm challenge in lambs on farms which can help with drench resistance issues through less drenching, while also lifting lamb growth rates. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

A major milestone has been achieved after four decades of managing TB at Molesworth Station, marking one of New Zealand’s most determined and complex biosecurity challenges. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Photos Kara Tait.

In this episode, Sarah Perriam-Lampp speaks with Nuffield Scholar Jenna Smith about her research into managing peatlands to reduce emissions while maintaining productive land use. Travelling through Europe and the UK, Jenna explored wetland farming and highlighted sphagnum moss as a promising opportunity for New Zealand.

In this episode, Jo Scott speaks with George and Penny Johns of Kaiwara Angus. They discuss breeding structurally sound, resilient bulls for dryland systems, with type and functionality prioritised alongside data.

The pair highlight the importance of matching genetics to farming systems, managing milk for fertility, and balancing phenotype with performance to deliver practical, commercially relevant cattle.