Public articles

Read SHEEP Country 2024 online here. SHEEP Country is an annual journal celebrating New Zealand sheep farming producing the best wool & lamb in the world. Packed full of great onfarm case studies, market analysis, animal health and breeding advice as well as a details ram sale calendar, SHEEP Country is regarded as the yearly bible for sheep farming!

We have less than five seasons until overseas 2030 targets begin to impact our overseas exports, and we may still yet need to be able to minimise and measure our own emissions domestically. With this in mind, farmers might be wondering what tools are out there to help them tackle their emissions, in ways they integrate into their existing systems.
Hear from two agricultural organisations, AgriZeroNZ and Ruminant Biotech, working to develop the tools to minimise methane emissions, and a farmer utilising genetics to breed low-methane sheep.

Investing off-farm in property or shares can be a daunting prospect, however it’s an increasingly appealing way to future proof your funds and diversify wealth away from land. Navigating how to start, what to invest in, and how to manage the risks should be top of mind for anyone interested in investing.
Learn more about how managing your wealth can help with farm succession, retirement, and preparing your rainy day fund. We also cover the importance of estate planning and insurance when it comes to key people in your business. Hear from Financial Advisor Carissa Fairborther, Scott McKenzie from PMG Funds, and Wealth Management Advisor Angus Marks.

When the traditional income streams are not delivering enough to the bottom line, is it time to diversify into activities that don’t rely on the cyclical nature of farm commodities? It can be hard to know what options are out there to diversify onfarm income, and how they can be integrated into your farming system. In this episode hear about different options for diversifying, from raising goats for cashmere to horticulture and viticulture. We speak to Olivia Sanders from NZ Cashmere; Che Charteris from Craigmore Sustainables; and Marcus Bousfield from ANZ.

Could solar farming be the next value-add option for New Zealand farmers? Agrivoltaics, which sees dual use of farmland between solar farming and traditional farming, is gaining traction as a viable way of diversifying income.
Hear what’s already happening in this space, including the Lincoln University energy farm project, how Lodestone Energy is partnering with farmers to expand their solar farm network, and listen to farmer Hamish Hills, who researched, financed and installed his own solar setup on his Golden Bay dairy farm.

Studies show that if you are kind to yourself you’re likely to do better in life. So why do we find it so hard to show ourselves self-compassion? Words Kathryn Wright.

A paddock in Mid Canterbury is providing a platform for the Foundation for Arable Research to offer a glimpse into the future of arable farming. Words Heather Chalmers.

Kiwis know a thing or two about persistence, toughness and high performance. It’s the same qualities you’ll find in our new Stampede CM142 diploid perennial ryegrass with the CM142 endophyte.