Country-Wide Winter 2024
From Farm to Fashion
Honesty has been a hard thing for marketers of wool to deliver on in the fashion industry, with an archaic way of trading wool hindering the full traceability, one merino industry expert says. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp
Live export ban drags on
Live cattle export has been a contentious issue, banned by the previous government, exporters and farmer suppliers are hoping a new gold standard accreditation can lead to the ban being overturned by August. But time is ticking, as politicians wait for advice from Ministry for Primary Industries officials before making a decision.
Words Tony Leggett
Waste – what’s required in your audit?
If you have an onfarm audit under the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP), chances are you will have been asked about how you deal with farm waste. What are the requirements farmers need to meet to get the green light?
Strategies for a sustainable future
How strong wool growers can improve returns – Annabel Barnett’s Rural Leadership Programme report, Growers Feeling Fleeced, explores how market price might improve for strong wool growers.
Gaining credit for nature
Mitigating the risk of New Zealand’s unique wildlife, plants and habitats disappearing is at the heart of a proposed biodiversity credits system. Words Phil Edmonds
‘Ag’vocacy and why it’s important
Kate McBride is a fifth-generation farmer from Western NSW. She is a vocal advocate for rural Australia and continues this while working on her partner’s sheep station.
Waste not, want not
From the wine to the waste industry. WM New Zealand Managing Director Evan Maehl has gone from producing the wine to collecting the empty bottle from the kerbside, and he couldn’t be happier. He explains why waste is sexy, and why we should all care about it.
Let’s talk rubbish …
Taranaki dairy farmer Trish Rankin has worked with catchment groups to help farmers plan their actions, and with councils to build in better waste minimisation strategies for their rural communities, here she shares top tips for how to manage waste created onfarm.
Words Trish Rankin
Regenerating nature through collaboration
Farmers are conservationists at heart. Telling our story around the good work being done to enhance biodiversity on farm is key, and organisations like the Sustainable Business Network are partnering with businesses and landowners to access funds to help fast-track important biodiversity work on farms.