Environment

Waste takes many different forms onfarm and there’s some great initiatives out there with an aim to give these resources another life - sometimes even back on the same farm!
In this episode, we hear from three experts who discuss the exciting ways we can begin to utilise onfarm waste as a resource.

The concept of receiving funds or credits for planting native bush rather than pine trees on farms could encourage farmers to retire sensitive land to regenerating native bush. But what’s the right financial model that can help outweigh the cost of establishment and maintenance for farmers that prefer natives to pines? 

Is it possible to truly forecast a drought? Country-Wide editor, Rebecca Greaves speaks to three passionate industry experts working to support New Zealand farmers to avoid being caught out by drought by staying one step ahead of mother nature. Guests include Ben Noll from NIWA, Kristin Kirkpatrick of B+LNZ and Vanessa Winning, chief executive of Irrigation NZ.

Country-Wide editor, Rebecca Greaves is taking their farm through integrated farm plan workshops in 2024. In this episode she speaks with Rachel Joblin of BakerAg, Sara Clarke from the Ministry for the Environment, and Annie Cates, Wairarapa sheep & beef farmer, about what integrated farm plans are, how they work, how the Ministry for the Environment plans to align with MPI to achieve them.

A change of ownership and putting in place an equity manager has seen a big boost in native tree planting on a South Head farm, spurred on by the assistance available from the Kaipara Moana Remediation Project. Glenys Christian reports.

Hawke’s Bay farmer Peter Arthur puts up an argument for mixed planting. It might mean more work, but the results would be worth it, aesthetically and financially.

Billboards in the Republic of Ireland are highlighting a big boxing match coming to town that is set to be quite controversial for the country’s livestock industry.

Peter Andrew is no stranger to cyclones but says Gabrielle showed the progress we’ve made in some areas and has highlighted ways to do things better.