Podcasts

Reinstating live animal exports from New Zealand is currently on the table under the new coalition government, and is drawing attention from all sides of the debate.
In this episode, we hear from Julia Jones, who asks what reputation we want New Zealand to have; Dr Helen Beattie, a veterinarian who advocates for animal welfare; and Brent Wallace, who sees this as an opportunity to lead the industry.

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.

When it comes to looking at the future of regenerating biodiversity, farmers have a key role to play, with 24% of native biodiversity found on sheep and beef farmland, second only to conservation estate.

The wellness industry is valued at $1.8 trillion so why aren’t we positioning New Zealand’s red meat’s positive health attributes? From selecting the right sire through to how we market our beef, hear from three experts on what they think we need to do. We talk about livestock genetics sales ahead of bull sale season, meet our new host of BEEF Country and hear the updates in nutrient profiling of meat cuts from an AgResearch scientist.

In February 2024, the Overseas Investment Office approved 7 foreign buyer sales to pine trees under the eye of the current coalition government.
It has hill country sheep and beef farmers scratching their heads as to whether National and ACT were even listening to the drum being beaten by the “50 Shades of Green” movement at all?

Old chemistry is being withdrawn from the market globally, and being more selective is encouraged for both avoiding insecticide and pesticide resistance while also bringing down onfarm costs. So how do you control pests without relying on an overuse of pesticides? Three science experts aim to support the major knowledge gap on pests and diseases in pasture, forage and cereal crops.

Shearing & animal health costs outstrip the income from strong wool and one academic believes it’s a no brainer to lean into Wiltshires (shedding sheep). Rebecca uncovers the benefits of the breed from the research trial at Massey University along with the inspirational story of one East Coast farmer who had his capital stock wiped out from a drought and a cyclone.

Following the tragic death of her husband Gav, Rosie Dowling wasn’t going to leave their first farm and was determined to carry on farming despite a steep learning curve. This episode features Rosie sharing her inspiring story. We also hear learnings on resilience in farming from Gerard Vaughan, project director at Farmstrong, and catch up with Jack Jensen, the man behind the #sparkthatchat movement and who pulled together the Fuel Your Stoke Tour on the East Coast.

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? 

Are you having to balance a lack of feed and holding ewe condition in a dry Autumn? This episode is jam-packed with technical knowledge from two farmers and a veterinarian. Mark Zino shares how to juggle feeding grain and silage to not overdo it, Alistair Bird shares why he’s not mating his ewe hoggets this season, and vet Peter Anderson of Marlborough gives key tips for tupping, teaser rams, timing and triplets.