Podcasts

Selecting sheep for their lower methane traits could be a great tool for farmers, if emissions pricing is on the cards. Cool Sheep Programme Manager Dr Cynthia Lawrence discusses how they are using gene selection to breed lower methane sheep. Central Otago farmer Emma Crutchley shares how they’ve tackled emissions reductions on her family farm, using a range of actions, including a larger arable component, which led to a reduction in stocking rate.

Deferred grazing could be a great option for your farm, to reduce costs, and improve soil health, with environmental benefits too, and could be as simple as shutting the paddock gate. In this episode, hear from Waikato farmer Bill Garland, who has implemented this practice on his farm, and AgResearch’s Dr Katherine Tozer, the scientist behind the research into deferred grazing. We also hear from Property Brokers General Manager Rural, Conrad Wilkshire, about what changing land use regulations could mean for the rural property market going into 2025.

2025 could be a window of opportunity for farmers to get into the deer industry, with the sheep industry facing tough times. With new market access opportunities opening up in China and South Korea, and the benefits of mixed species farming in mind, it could be the year of the deer for New Zealand farmers. Hear from Taihape deer farmer and Chairman of the New Zealand Deer Farmers Association, Mark McCoard, and Deer Industry New Zealand CEO, Rhys Griffiths.

In this episode we focus on the loyal working dog, and give some practical advice on how we can best care for our vital farm workers throughout their life. Hear from Professor Matt Littlejohn about a new project at Massey University that looks at the DNA and behaviour of working dogs in New Zealand, and Hunterville vet, Jaime Watters, who shares advice for providing the best care for your dogs, from a pup through to an older dog.

Recruiting and keeping great employees is always relevant in the success of farm businesses, and is the focus of the special report in Country-Wide Summer. In this episode find out more about fair remuneration and what employees are looking for when it comes to work contracts from Federated Farmers Employment Spokesperson Richard McIntyre, and how you can attract good employees through your recruitment process from Rural Directions Manager Gretchen Parkes.

Keeping young people engaged in the farming industry is vital to the long term success of our sector. Nurturing and growing the next generation of farmers is something we should all care about. In this episode we look at the programmes that exist to upskill our future farmers, and give them the tools to have a long and rewarding career, such as Growing Future Farmers and the Trades Academy. We also dive into the current property markets around farmland prices, and whether it’s a sellers market yet.

Farm businesses, like any other business, thrive better when there’s good leadership, from large multi-farm businesses to family owned-and-operated farmers. But how do you become a good leader, and what actually makes one? In this episode we talk to Pāmu’s Bernadette Kelly about their leadership programme model, and Marlborough farmer Fraser Avery, who is investing in good leadership and team culture on his farm.

The light at the end of the tunnel is coming for the red meat sector, but how can farmers start planning now to stay out of the boom-and-bust cycle that seems prevalent in the sector? Hear from Rabobank Senior Animal Protein Analyst Jen Corkran on the opportunities available to red meat farmers going forward, and Australian Independent Livestock Analyst Simon Quilty on what opportunities we can glean from the Australian market.

Changing a farm system is no small feat, and Banks Peninsula farmer George Masefield, and his wife Emma, have spent the past eight years making significant changes to the family’s farming operation. In almost a decade they’ve been able to transform the business, enabling them to finish all of their lambs on their dryland hill country and buy in trading stock.
In this episode hear from farmer George Masefield, and PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative Robert Trott, who has been part of the farm transformation. We also catch up with AgResearch about their latest project: a brand new podcast exploring the big questions facing New Zealand agriculture, and Jasper Van Halder CEO of Agnition about the exciting opportunities available to farmers through their pilot farmer network.

The Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards are a highlight of the farming calendar, to come together and celebrate the hard work and excellence of the sheep and beef sector. The judges had their work cut out for them this year, with many notable figures in the industry up for awards, from science and technology, to farming leadership and community involvement. In this episode, hear from three farmer award winners. Let’s take the chance to celebrate the hard work being done in our sector.