Goats

With a goal of Predator Free 2050, it can seem ambitious with only 25 years to go. Is it a fantasy, or can it become our reality? In this episode we catch up with different groups working to tackle pests and weeds across New Zealand, from animals like ferrets, goats and possums, to weeds like wilding conifers.
Hear from Pete Oswald from Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group; Mike Perry from DOC’s new National Wild Animals Management Programme; and James Ross, Professor of Wildlife Management at Lincoln University.

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.

Goats get a bad rap as feral pests and are often remembered as a fledgling industry that went bust in the 80s. But the tide has turned and New Zealand Cashmere believes there has never been a better time to diversify into cashmere and integrate goats into farming systems in New Zealand. Words Rebecca Greaves.