CountryWide Spring 2026
The chef’s lamb at home
New Zealand’s finest lamb has primarily been focused on the tables of the world. Marc and Jess Hamilton of Leelands Lamb are changing that. From their Southland base, the couple hand-cut, age and dispatch the export-grade lamb straight to Kiwi home kitchens. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
Summer forage crops ideal for dry conditions
Strong El Niño weather patterns are expected this summer, Beef + Lamb New Zealand is encouraging farmers to consider the tools they have available to them to deal with hot, dry conditions. Summer forage crops allow farmers to make use of soil moisture in spring to grow feed that will be available over summer. Words Sandra Taylor.
Spring starts with a plan, not a paddock
A strengthening El Niño signal does not change the fundamentals of a good spring, but it does change the odds on the calls made in the next three months. Words Dr. Maria Elena Duter.
Focus Groups grow knowledge and networks
Sheep and beef farmers around the country are benefiting from the small-group learning environments made available through Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Focus Groups. One North Canterbury couple talk about their involvement in local Focus Groups and what management tweaks they have made as a result. Words Sandra Taylor.
Getting the systems right on biosecurity
For dairy farmers and processors, biosecurity is not an abstract idea to be debated, it’s something they practice every day. Words Campbell Parker.
When the safety net comes away
As calves are weaned onto pasture and their meal feeding stops, many forget the coccidiostat in the meal which prevents the parasite disease Coccidiosis also stops. New Zealand owned, Alleva Animal Health’s local innovation takes care of that. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
Performance above and below ground
Two Massey University PhD scholars, supported by the T.R. Ellett Agricultural Research Trust, are building a fuller picture of how New Zealand pasture systems work – one measuring what happens above the ground, the other what happens beneath it.Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
More leaf, less stem
If you are wanting feed quality where it counts and an early maturity ahead of a dry summer, a new summer forage rape, bred for lamb and cattle finishing, could be the answer that lines up with your weaning schedule. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp
Doing the little things right
Always wondered what the secret is behind a record-breaking maize crop? Waikato brothers Donald and Craig Stobie, who broke the national Pioneer maize grain yield record in 2025, say that big yields come from doing the little things right, following good advice and planting the right hybrid. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.