Country Life
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A Chance for Chestnuts
Three North Island chestnut growers have banded together and are exporting their nuts frozen to Japan. They're hoping their venture will help jump-start New Zealand's beleagured chestnut industry. Grant Sharman and John Margetts.
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Radar Ready
Graham Thurlow uses a ground penetrating radar to locate wires and water pipes on Otago farms.
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Regional Wrap
Grass is leaping out of the ground in the North Island while milking is winding up in the South.
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Intro and Guest
Ohoka teenager Charlotte Flay has been passionate about breeding dairy cattle for as long as she can remember.
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Milmore Downs
Ian Henderson was one of the Biodynamic pioneers in New Zealand agriculture. His farm in Scargill, North Canterbury is Demeter and BioGro certified and produces and sells beef, mutton, whole grains, flour and flakes. It was first certified organic in 1983 and is now managed by Ian's son Matthew.
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Rural Population Trends and Impacts
Professor Natalie Jackson, director of the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, Waikato University says central Government seems to focus on population trends in places like Auckland, which means it doesn't have a good handle of dealing with population decline in many rural regions.
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Regional Wrap
Rain and warm temperatures have fueled grass growth across much of the North Isalnd while in the South Island a few more frosts are starting to nip back pasture growth.
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Intro and Guest
Dairy farmer Paul Bourke has just returned from helping install a water system for a remote rural village in Nepal.
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Vintage at Sherwood
Sherwood Estate in the Waipara Valley operate their own modern and fully equipped winery where all winemaking tasks are undertaken from crushing and pressing, through to bottling under the careful guidance of senior winemaker, Petter Evans, who takes Cosmo Kentish-Barnes into the belly of the winery to discuss this year's vintage. Owner Jill Sherwood is also on hand to shed some light on Sherwood Estate's history and the challenges of running the business side of things.
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Iron Man
Retired Oxford farmer Ray Mehrtens collects and restores vintage agricultural machinery from the North Canterbury area.
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Regional Wrap
It's been another week of mild temperatures in the North Island, while in the South there's been some welcomed rainfall.
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Intro and Guest
Taihape vet Anthony Oswald.
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Wairarapa Eco Farms
Frank van Steensel and Josje Neerincx run Wairarapa Eco Farms. It's an organic fruit and vegetable produce scheme for those who like eating seasonally and don't mind if broccoli or carrots aren't always in the shopping basket. Customers buy shares in the scheme and in return get their weekly bag of goodies. Deliveries are made to the Wellington region once a week.
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National Firefighters Competition
From all over the country, firefighters, some paid, some volunteers, have taken part in the United Fire Brigades Associations' Combat Challenge. Some say it's the toughest two minutes in sport.
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Regional Wrap
Rain has at last fallen in good quantities in many places, although it's still terribly dry around Taihape and in parts of Hawkes Bay.
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Intro and Guest
Matt Russell from Massey University on the reasons farmers subdivide.
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Dendrologists John and Bunny Mortimer
Bunny and John Mortimer farmed for many years on the outskirts of Hamilton and, following years of gathering seeds in New Zealand and overseas and planting them, they gifted the arboretum they nurtured to the city.
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Hablando de la Leche
Chilean sharemilker's Marcello Serrano and Carolina Burgos have come a long way since they began working on a dairy farm in North Canterbury in 2003.
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Regional Wrap
There has been good rain over much of the North Island, but some severely hit drought zones are still waiting for relief. In the South there's a backlog of lambs waiting to go to the freezing works.
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Intro and Guest
"Down the Back Paddock" child safety programme organiser, Kerry Miles.
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Sleeping in Silos
Traditionally grain silos are found in the country filled with feed, however designer Stuart Wright-Stow's 'Silo Stay idea in Little River is going against the grain.
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Sheep Heaven Regrasses
The persistence of the pasture at Sheep Heaven, the lifestyle block sheep farm, isn't great so regrassing is the name of the game.
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Burtergill Stud
Arnold Van Asch has been breeding South Devon cattle on his farm up the Awatere Valley for over 35 years.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week. For further rural news go to the Radio New Zealand website.
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Guest
Rion Belfield has just held the 60th consecutive annual Jersey dairy stud sale on his property.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The North Island is desperately waiting for the forecast rain to arrive in the next couple of days while in the South Island there's a backlog of lambs waiting to go to the works.
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Central Plateau A Year Round Playground
For many Kiwis and international visitors, the Ruapehu region has been primarily known for its winter playground appeal, but now with canoeing, kayaking and jet boating trips down the Whanganui River and a clutch of cycle ways, including the Mountain to Sea journey, the region's picking up tourists year round.
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A Fowl Business
After being made redundant a few years ago, Greg Boyle started making chicken coops and selling them in a package with chooks, feeders and food. Since then the Banks Peninsula business, now called Chook Manor, is flying and orders are coming in from around the country.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week. For further rural news go to the Radio New Zealand website.
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Guest
Martin Tinkner from the Southern Seed Exchange.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The North Island is not out of the drought but things are looking more comfortable following smatterings of rain, while in the South grapes are being harvested while the sun shines.
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Immigrant Farm Workers
Stella Sales came to Culverdon from the Philippines three years ago to take up a dairy herd position but her employer, farmer Sharon Davie-Martin, quickly realised that there was a significant knowledge gap between them. As a result Sharon has co-produced an educational information pack for farmers and immigrant workers new to the area.
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Tokirima Treasure
Jack and Rosemary Corbett have been digging for treasures throughout the New Zealand countryside.
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Regional Wrap
The drought is hitting home on the East Coast of the North Island while conditions for grape harvesting in the South Island have been perfect.
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Intro and Guest
A Wanganui optometry company is supporting Red Puppy Appeal by opening its doors to cats, dogs, maybe even sheep and horses, and testing them for cataracts. Optometrists will do the tests on Saturday April 6th, in return for a gold coin donation to help train guide dogs for the blind.
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Forgotten World Adventures
Waikato farmer, former regional councillor and entrepreneur Ian Blame has set up a tourism venture that uses a de-commissioned railway line to take people through the hidden valleys of southern King Country and eastern Taranaki.
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Windsong Orchard
Bob and Jennie Crum are founding members of the Marlborough Farmers' Market and grow over twenty varieties of plums on their organic orchard in Renwick.
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Regional Wrap
Glorious rain has fallen in the North Island while in the South Island grape harvesting's in full swing.
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Intro and Guest
Marlborough Environmental Awards co-ordinator, Nicky Eade.
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Urban Bees and Sunny Sunbeam
Picton bee keepers Matthew Wells and Catherine Gordon lease beehives to people who want greater returns from their fruit trees and vegetables. A few kilometres away retired car mechanic Sunny Sunbeam has built an energy efficient house from re-used materials on a hilltop block overlooking Blenheim.
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Nevalea Alpacas
King Country sheep and beef farmers Neville and Leonie Walker are enjoying their alpacas so much they're becoming a viable diversification for their business. From their now converted woolshed they sell passing tourists quality alpaca knitwear, designed by Leonie. Despite little advertising, they're hard pressed to keep up with demand.
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Regional Wrap
The whole of the North Island is now officially in drought, while in the South the ground is too hard for direct drilling.
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Intro and Guest
Jennifer Boggiss from Heilala Vanilla in Tauranga.
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Blue Duck Station - Whakahora Whanganui River
A sheep and beef farm, a tourist destination and conservation work all combine to become a good money earner for the farm owners. Six thousand tourists, many from overseas, stay on the isolated farm each year, and the Stray Bus visits about five times a week over summer. Back Packers take a break in their travels to work as volunteers on conservation projects, and like Hotel California, many find they can check out any time they want, but they can never leave.
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Lovebirds
Terry and Belinda Clancy have built a bird sanctuary on their Kaituna Valley property on Banks Peninsula where they provide respite care for old, unwanted or injured birds.
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Regional Wrap
North and South Island farmers are struggling to cope with the extremely dry conditions.
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Intro and Guest
North Waikato sheep and beef farmer, Steve Stark.
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When a Cow is in Clover...
...it's as good as it gets for a cow. David and Joanna Grigg's farm straddles the hills between the Awatere and Wairau Valleys in Marlborough and is part of a Lincoln University project driven by Professor Derrick Moot, that investigates strategies for dryland livestock farmers to drought proof their farming systems using different species of legumes.
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Propagating Strawberries
Nearly all of New Zealand's strawberry plants are grown in Katikati before heading out to commercial growers. Keith Taylor's family has been propagating stawberries there for almost 60 years.
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Soap Box with Richard Steele
This King Country farmer and board member of the Ruapehu Wanganui Rural Support Trust says sheep and beef farmers are sick of being blamed for not making money, and being told to improve their on-farm performance when the problem is between the farm gate and the consumer.
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Regional Wrap
The North Island continues in its parched state and the South Island is not too far behind.
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Intro and Guest
Howe Young has been growing vegetables for 50 years in Pukekohe and he's never seen it so dry.
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Bluebank Blueberries
Neil Charlton spends most of his time travelling the world . He's been home for summer though, looking after his friends blueberry patch.
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Just the Usual Farm Day
A farmer talks about a memorable day saving a hen from a drum of molasses, courtesy of the New Zealand Sound Archives.
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Time for Tea
Zealong Tea is New Zealand's only tea producer. Country Life re-visits the Waikato tea plantation after almost five years in production to find out who is drinking our tea.
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Hot Ice - It's No Skating Rink Story
When the drought finally breaks farmers are being warned not to drive down hillsides which they've casually been going up and down for months, because the hard earth pan with extra moisture becomes like ice and brakes don't grip.
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Intro and Weather Wrap
The North Island continues in its parched state, while in the South Island, Southland is a green oasis.
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Yealands Estate
Great winemaking goes hand in hand with eco-friendly grape growing for entrepreneur Peter Yealands, whose goal is to make his Marlborough based Yealands Estate Vineyard the most environmentally sustainable in the world.
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Musical Magic
Bevan Galbraith from Te Pahu, a small settlement near Waikato's Mount Pirongia, makes ukuleles from a wide range of native timbers and he reckons it's the best wood in the world to use for his instruments.
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Agrinews
Announcements about Biodiesel
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Guest
Doug Brooks is a director of Te Rua o Te Moko which oversees five blocks of Maori land in South Taranaki. In collaboration with the Landbased Training Centre they're running a course on the land to help young Maori take up farming as a career.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The dry conditions continue to bite.
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The Farm Northland
Northland couple Ellen and Mike Bennett have turned their 400 hectare working dairy farm at Whangaruru near Russell into the equivalent of an "open house". Backpackers, Woofers, kiwi holiday makers and more recently school groups, have been experiencing what life on a farm is all about. They also run holiday programmes: the Mean As Boys Camp and Sweet As Girls Camp.
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Wool Matters
The farmer-owned company Wools of New Zealand is asking strong wool growers to buy shares to allow it to build supply-chains and develop marketing opportunities. With Chairman and Banks Peninsula sheep farmer Mark Shadbolt.
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Guest
Fish & Game's South Island communications advisor, Andrew Currie,
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Intro and Regional Wrap
Some rain has fallen in the North Island but more is needed.The pear harvest is about to start at the top of the South.
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Goat People
Terrance and Lyn Windle are passionate about Boer Goats. They sell stud animals to other breeders and surplus finished goats are sold to Christchurch's ethnic community.
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Dealing with Depression
Hawkes Bay Farmer David Hunt describes how living with depression has impacted on his life and farming operation.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week. For further rural news go to the Radio New Zealand website.
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Regional Wrap
Much of the North Island seems to have turned brown overnight€ but in Southland animals are thriving with the abundance of feed.
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Intro and Guest
Jeff Atkinson grows sugar cane in Queensland. His farm is under 5 metres of water.
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Supplementary audio: Surprising Potato Subterfuge
Dr Shrikant Jagtap is the Provincial Reconstruction Team advisor with the Department of State. He talks to Marianne Elliott about the importance of branding potatoes.
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Tractors in Afghanistan
Marianne Elliott is a human rights lawyer who worked for the United Nations in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007 and has written a book, Zen Under Fire, about her experiences there. Last year she returned and visited a New Zealand Aid funded Agricultural Support Programme which is introducing mechanization to farmers in Bamyan province. She talks to Angus Davidson from Prime Consulting who is implementing the programme and visits a collective farm.
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Healing Horses
Nick Van der Sande runs a Clydsdale horse team in the small Waikato town of Pirongia. He has also started practising the Bowen technique which involves healing horses through gentle, hands on therapy.
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Agrinews
A selection of rural stories from the week. For more in depth rural stories go to Radio New Zealand news.
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Guest Neil Stott
North Canterbury Federated Farmers President.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
Many North Island regions are drying out quickly with high temperatures and wind, although a few lucky ones, especially in the lower part of the Island received rain last week. In the South Island most places have had a reasonable drop of rain this month. In between the moisture farmers are making baleage and hay.
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The Royal New Zealand Navy Operational Dive Team
Lynda Chanwai-Earle explores our most extreme and dynamic underwater vocations when she meets our Operational Navy Dive Team. Disarming live explosives underwater, body recovery, international deployments€ Lynda finds out what drives this elite team of scuba divers.
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When Country Comes To Town
It's the day before the150th Canterbury A&P Show opens and with more than 3,000 animals and 7,000 competitive entries, there is a lot of organising to do to insure preparations are complete before the gates of New Zealand's biggest A&P Show open to the public.
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Boutique Akatarawa Sawmilling
There used to be 36 sawmills in Akatarawa Valley, now only one remains. Akatarawa Sawmills has diversified and now supplies logs to Wellington Zoo and film sets and sells firewood to keep the business going.
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Regional Wrap
Most North Island pastoral farmers desperately want the forecast rain to arrive because it's as dry as mid-January in many areas, while in the South Island farmers are making hay while the sun shines.
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Intro and Rare Earth Jersey Bennes
Nick Webster lives in Oamaru and grows jersey benne potatoes. He reckons they're the king of spuds for Christmas and the region, with its volcanic soils, is famous for them.
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Staglands
Forty years ago John Simister set up a nature reserve near Wellington. It was something he'd wanted to do since childhood and ever since, he's been encouraging people to get up close and personal with nature.
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A Miner's Life
The Blackball Museum of Working Class History with Paul Maunder.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week. For further rural news go to the Radio New Zealand website.
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Guest
Flatpack Farming CEO, Sophie Green.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The North Island is drying out despite rain a week ago, and in the South Island lambs are heading off farm to get processed.
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The Show Must Go On
On November 10th 2012, Waimate North hosted its 170th Pastoral and Industrial Show. Many of the families involved in the first event in 1842 are still in the district and strong supporters of the show.
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Rams and Ewes
Cheviot farmer Ian Stevenson is a well-known sheep breeder, wool classer and is president of the New Zealand Sheep Breeders Association.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week. For further rural news go to the Radio New Zealand website.
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Guest
Natasha King is the recipient of a 2013 Nuffield Farming Scholarship.
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Intro and Wrap
In the North Island much needed rain fell across most regions while in the South Island cherry picking has started in Marlborough.
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Kilts and Cabers
The Hororata Highland Games are an initiative of the Hororata Community Trust. The Trust was established to support the community through fundraising activities and help the Mid-Canterbury town rebuild after the September 2010 earthquake left many facilities damaged. The inaugural Highland Games in 2011 was a huge success and this year, Trust director Mark Stewart and dozens of local volunteers have organised another tartan extravaganza.
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Matangi Christmas Tree Farm
Ulric Baumberger has three thousand Christmas trees growing on his Matangi property near Hamilton. He, his wife and young twins arrived in New Zealand nearly twenty years ago and he started growing trees nearly straight away. He still gets a real buzz seeing happy faces visiting his property in the yuletide season.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week. For further rural news go to the Radio New Zealand website.
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Guest
CRV Ambreed sire analyst Kevin Hart and David Smith.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The North Island is dry and farmers are weaning lambs early and at lighter weights, while in the South Island the first draft of lambs are going to the works.
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Taranaki Settler Griffith Williams
In 1962, Taranaki settler, bush clearer and farmer Griffith Williams was interviewed about his early days in the Province. It was a time prior to the turn of last century, when farms were only starting to be carved out of the bush.
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Rare Breeds
Willowbank Farm provides facilities away from Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch for the establishment of breeding programmes in a more private and relaxed environment. With Michael Willis and Sue Meager.
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Agrinews
A selection of agricultural news from the week.
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Guest
Nuffield New Zealand Director, Richard Green.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The North Island is dry and farmers are weaning lambs early and at lighter weights, while in the South Island the first draft of lambs are going to the works.
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Keeping it Green
Rob Macbeth is the driving force behind a private irrigation scheme near Cheviot in North Canterbury that draws water from the Waiau River for five farms located a few kilometres from the intake.
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Tara Tamarillos and Forgotten Fruits
Liz Holsted left the corporate life of Auckland behind 8 years ago and found a dormant passion for growing things. Her Mangawhai property has 1000 tamarillo trees which are sold locally and turned into a range of preserves, pickles and vinegars. Benji Woodman also grows heritage fruit trees on the Tara property.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
Growth is slow and late in both the North and South Islands after a less than ideal October.
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Nikau Caves
Forced to look for new ways to make their North Waikato sheep and beef property pay, Philip and Anne Woodward started hosting people through a kilometre long limestone cave on their farm 17 years ago. Four years ago they added a cafe, and despite being a good drive off SH 1, the business is humming. Daughters Emily and Catherine and their husbands also work in the enterprise.
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Beautiful Grapes
Fin Grieve has grapes on his mind, so it's fortunate he's the vineyard manager at the Mt Beautiful Vineyard near Cheviot.
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Regional Wrap
The East Coast of the North Island could do with a bit of moisture to kick-start pasture growth, while in the South a cold snap has caused major damage to vineyards in Central Otago.
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Intro and Guest
Janette Eason-Savage talks about the world wide Campaign for Wool. Prince Charles is patron and he's in New Zealand this weekend.
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Under the Mountain
84-year-old Paul Bush takes Cosmo Kentish-Barnes to the top Mount Parnassus that rises above family farm now run by his son David, who is busy tailing a flock of Romney lambs down by the Waiau River.
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Sustainability 101
Waikato University management students visit a Tirau farm to hear about the practicalities of sustainable farming.
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Jenny Roper
Jenny Roper from Wairoa museum talking about the latest exhibition Wool in Wairoa.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
The East Coast of the North Island is drying out and farmers are quitting stock.
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The Stone Walls of Whangarei District
The Whangarei area has an estimated 1500 kilometres of dry stone walls. Some were built as early as the 1860's. Fred and Jim Osborne build and maintain walls, Catherine Ballard has written a book about them and Les Donaldson farms with them.
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On a Saturday Night
Sara Newman talks about a new book she has co-written with Michelle Frey about the community halls of small town New Zealand.
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Guest
Greg Buck from Premier Orchards in Hope, Nelson.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
The buzz of top dressing planes can be heard in parts of the North Island and in the South, windmills have been whirring and helicopters hovering over frost prone crops.
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Planting Evidence
Many of the plants in Jamie McFadden's Hurunui Native Plant Nursery in Cheviot are grown from seeds collected in the North Canterbury area. The hardy plants are used by Jamie and his team to help restore streams and waterways on dairy and sheep farms in the area.
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FarmCare Produces Super Tender Lamb
After years of fine tuning and investment a group of farmers are now getting paid a premium for their super tender lamb in a European market. The secret is in what happens in a lamb's final hours on farm. The on farm system's come from mixing scientists driving the concept, farmers working out how to do it practically on farm, and a marketer selling the picture that backs up the product.
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Agri News
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Guest
Tim Aitken and Lucy Robertshawe have just won a major international award given out by the British food and clothing retailer, Marks and Spencer.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
High winds have battered the North Island and in the South, it's been raining cats and dogs.
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Tomorrow's Farms Today
Colin Guyton has a dairy farm in Reporoa. He's one of 25 farmers taking part in a three year project Called Tomorrow's Farms Today where they're aiming for minimal environmental footprints with optimal farming systems. Headlands Consultancy Alison Dewes is overseeing the project.
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Swiss Bliss
The dream of a building a new life in the country became a reality for Urs and Ursula Fricker, who came to New Zealand from Switzerland with their 3 children and settled on a lifestyle block in Waikari, North Canterbury.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Barry Hanna
Barry Hanna of Cheviot Transport.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
In the North Island, Hawkes Bay's apple orchards are in full bloom. On the mainland tailing's all but finished in coastal areas while hill farmers are well into lambing.
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Back on Track
Dan and Mandy Shand farm sheep and beef on a high country station near Culverdon. They also have a beekeeping business and run the Hurunui High Country Track that winds its way through their scenic property.
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Flying the Family Flag
Hal Harding's family has been working the land near Dargaville since 1877. His farm is now one of half a dozen flagship farms for the Kaipara Harbour Restoration Group.
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Agri News
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Guest
John Clark of Woodhaven Gardens in Horowhenua.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
In the North Island intermittent rain showers have been interrupting docking, while in the South farmers have been busy preparing ground for winter feed crops.
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Growing with PSA
Now that spring is here more and more kiwifruit orchardists are finding the vine killing disease PSA on their orchards. What do you do when your orchard tests PSA positive?
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Slicing Salami
West Coast butcher Phil Russ is meating his goals at the Blackball Salami Company.
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Guest
Wool entrepreneur Polly McGuckin is importing coffins from Yorkshire.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
Grass growth is a little slow in the North Island and stock are on top of it in many places, in the South Island.In the South Island arable farmers are in clover.
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Langford Store
Sukhita Langford is the fourth generation in her family to run the amazing little historic shop in the town of Bainham, Golden Bay.
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Sons of the Soil
Sons of the Soil is a book looking at the social history of Chinese market gardeners in New Zealand. With Ruth Lam and Howe Young.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The North and South Islands have both had kinder weeks weatherwise, letting farmers get out and do activities that have been delayed recently.
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Closeburn Station
Closeburn Station which over looks Lake Wakatipu, was one of the first properties to undergo Tenure Review, allowing the three developer owners to sell building platforms on the station. It now has 27 exclusive house sites primarily owned by overseas owners, but Farm manager Grant McMasters says the residential development's been good for the farm, Queenstown businesses and the community.
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Black Hills Farm Cob Cottage
Cosmo Kentish-Barnes visits Beverley Forrester in North Canterbury and checks out a cob cottage that her husband's great great grandparents lived in during the 1890's.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Guest
Adrian Rigby from Watties talks about asparagus.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
Frosts in the North Island have pinged potatotoes and asparagus crops, while in the South Island despite snow and rain earlier in the week, stock have fared okay.
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History on Hakatere
The Hakatere Station in the foothills of the Alps in Mid-Canterbury is now part of the Hakatere Conservation Park and managed by the Department of Conservation. It was once considered to be good sheep country but when farming on the land ceased, the Station's buildings fell into disrepair. Now thanks to the Hakatere Heritage Committee the buildings, which include shearer's quarters and a historic cottage, are slowly being restored back to their former glory.
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Postman Pat on the Back award winner
Diane Howe delivers the mail to 500 rural customers near Hokitika.
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Guest
Anton "The Chicken Boy" Cooper from Central Otago.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
The North Island has had a mixed bag of heavy showers, wind and sunshine and in the South Island lambing is in full swing.
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Baritone and Breeder of Belgian Blues
When he's not sitting in the Speaker's chair, Dr Lockwood Smith is, if he can possibly make it, at home on his farm near Ruawai in Northland. He is one of just a few breeders of the impressive and meaty Belgian Blue in New Zealand and knows each of his cows by sight.
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Kowhitirangi Forever
Warren Diedrichs has spent most of his life farming up the Kowhitirangi Valley near Hokitika.
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Regional Wrap
Sun at last in the North Island and in the South, the ground is finally starting to dry out.
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Intro & Guest
Dr Stephanie Palmer believes local residents could be marginalised if a sub-division gets the goes ahead in Kennedy Bay, on north eastern coast of Coromandel Peninsula.
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Westland - The Milky Way
The Westland Cooperative Dairy Company was formed 75 years ago and is 100 percent dairy farmer owned by about 330 shareholders from Karamea to Fox Glacier.
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Lake Farm Beef
Colin Brown runs Lake Farm Beef from his picturesque property over looking Lake Karapiro. He breeds and raises angus and angus piedmontese cross cattle to sell directly to consumers, a farm to plate business. He says his beef hit three tennets of tender, tasty and healthy, and he aims to raise the best beef in the world and show case that process to other NZ farmers.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Guest
Karapiro Kiwifruit grower Tim Oliver responds to the news PSA has been found in Waikato.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
The sun has shown its face in the North Island and on the east coast of the South Island conditions are muddy underfoot.
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Accidental Chicken Farmers
Dan and Lesley Love arrived from Britain in January 2009. These former police officers have settled in Omakau and are aiming to make their lifestyle block financially viable by running various ventures including chicken rearing, egg production, beef cattle and agricultural work for neighbours. Dan also has a collection of Land Rovers.
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Robin's Angels
The Grey Valley Senior Citizens Choir led by musical director Ellen Moreton, prepare for a concert at the Blackball Workingman's Club.
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Agri news
A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.
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Guest
Harry Lowe runs the New Zealand Bio Grains mill in Ashburton, Mid Canterbury.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
The extremely wet ground conditions are continuing to make dairy farmers' lives very stressful and in the South Island constant rain in South Canterbury is turning paddocks to mud.
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Moonlight Kiwi
The Paparoa Wildlife Trust is a conservation initiative to establish and maintain effective recovery programmes for Great Spotted Kiwi/Roroa in the South Paparoa Range near Greymouth. Trust volunteers Jo Halley and Trevor Johnston are in a 13 hectare predator free enclosure near Moonlight, to check and weigh a young bird that has a radio tracking device attached to its leg.
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The Kumara Box
Warren (a.k.a. Ernie) and Mavis Suckling have put the kumara on the tourist map.
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Agri news
Agricultural news.
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Regional Wrap
Rain in the North Island and on the mainland the sun is out and lambs are starting to come out too.
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Intro and Guest
The New South Wales Farmers' Association vice-president Peter Darely says Australia's horticulture industry is in danger of disappearing.
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Whangarei Growers' Market
The Whangarei Growers' market is the largest and oldest market of its kind in New Zealand. It was started by two growers 15 years ago who were sick of the supermarket chains squeezing returns. The market does absolutely no advertising yet thousands of shoppers turn up as early as 5.30 each Saturday morning to get their supplies for the week.
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Arnie's Girls
Your host at Blackball's Club Hotel is Arnie Jansen who also has a flock of sheep that regularly follow him down the road in order reach paddocks on the other side of town.
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Agri news
A brief selection of rural news from the past week.
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Regional Wrap
In both the North and South Island it's been wet, wet, wet. But there is grass growth in many areas because it's been relatively mild.
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Intro and Guest
Australian farmer Bob Mackley is in New Zealand to warn farmers about the risks of GE crops.
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Black Diamonds
Stephan Jamieson is the coal face manager at the Birchfield Coal Mines Rotokohu measures in the Giles Creek basin near Reefton. His uncle, Gary Birchfield, is a director of the family owned mining company that began production at the Rotokohu site in 1984, and is processing coal at a rate of about 500,000 tonnes per annum.
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Deals on Wheels
Peter Martin is a Waikato farmer and paralympian. He's at the national agricultural fieldays seeing how easy it is to get around.
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Sheep Heaven
The flock of sheep Country Life is running on a lifestyle block is about to start its third lambing season. The flock's named after the Magic netball team and they were mated to a texel ram. Next season, in an effort to increase meat production, a polled dorset ram will enter the mix.
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Intro and Regional Wrap
Much of the North Island is sodden. In the South Island lambs are starting to appear in the early flocks.
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Cardrona Merino
After years of poor meat and wool returns, Cardrona Valley farmer Ben Gordon decided to throw a carcass over his shoulder, remove the middleman, and sell his delicate merino lamb direct to chefs. After a lot of hard graft and early on speed wobbles, Cardrona Merino is now performing well.
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Kidding Around
Andrea and Mike Gauland are living the rural dream on their 10 acre block near Oxford. They have chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs and a large herd of Toggenburg goats
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Regional Wrap
The North Island had a very wet start to the week, but luckily was drying out as the week ended, while in the South Island the mercury has crept up and calving has started.
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Intro and Guest
One of the five winners of the "Take a Stand for Good Sorts in Rural Schools" campaign, Waituna West School Glen Richardson talks about what he does to get the title.
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A Good Yarn
Beverley Forrester owns and runs Blackhills Farm in Hawarden, North Canterbury. She breeds black and natural coloured sheep and produces wool that's spun into premium grade yarn, that's sold along with her own designer knitwear in her Blackhills showroom in England.
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Steak of Origin
Te Atarangi Angus was named the producer of the decade at the Steak of Origin celebration of beef earlier this year. Chris and Karren Biddles own and farm Te Atarangi - a 1000 hectare farm on Northland's Pouto Peninsula.
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Regional Wrap
Ripper frosts have chilled the North Island and in the south, farmers are gearing up for lambing and calving.
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Intro & Guest
Bob Cook runs Ranfurly Orchard Services in Te Puke. His business has taken a hit since the arrival of PSA.
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Geordie Hill Station Childhood Memories
Two sisters, Sheila and Marge, grew up on a high country station up the Lindis Pass in the late 40's and 50's. They reminisce about rural life, which included spending three days riding horses to boarding school after the summer holidays, and riding back home again in December.
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The Fernside Fancier
Poultry breeder and A&P show judge Murray Harneiss has a particular interest in Old English Game Fowl.
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The First Lady of Herefords
Jan Wills is the secretary general of the World Hereford Council. Recently she's been promoting the breed in Uzbekistan and Turkey. When she's not traveling, Jan spends many hours every day on the computer at home in Matamata answering queries about the distinctive red cattle.
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Intro & Regional Wrap
Around the North Island it was wet and cold earlier on, but warmed up by the week's end, however spud growers near Mt Ruapehu haven't been able to harvest because the ground's stayed frozen all day. In the South Island Ewe scanning's underway despite some freezing conditions.
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Out of the Woodwork
Bob Lynn established the Lynn Museum of Woodworking and Ornamental Turning Lathes and Tools in Tinwald, South Canterbury. Highlights of the collection are eleven lathes dating from 1804, including six Holtzapffel.
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Summerfruit Orchards Central Otago
This Central Otago business produces up to 10% of New Zealand's export cherries and 15 to 20% of the export apricots. The products are world class and general manager Ian Nicholl says they need to promote that fact more loudly.
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Regional Wrap
Around the North Island ewe scanning results are generally 10 to 20% up on last year, but last season wasn't flash. On the mainland it's been pretty miserable weather for feeding out in Southland.
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Gidday and Guest
Tim Hauber from the Bahamas talks about growing vegetables in a hothouse.
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Sheep Farmer to Snow Farmer
In 1970 when the school bus and postal service were being axed from Cardrona Valley near Wanaka, visionary farmer John Lee bulldozed tracks on his farm and started the Cardrona Ski Field. People moved in, the services stayed. He and wife Mary went on to develop a Proving Ground for testing products in sub zero temperatures, a cross country ski field and a skate board park for snow boarders. They also have consent to build a gondola from the valley floor up to a proposed new ski field,...
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Luxury Leather
Timaru based New Zealand Light Leathers supply spongy deerskin to some of the world's top fashion houses who use it for making garments, gloves and handbags.
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Regional Wrap
Around the country things have warmed up in the North Island and in the South, Otago's sitting pretty with a colossal amount of feed on hand.
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Gidday & Guest
Kate Addis from Geraldine based Addmore Elderflower beverages.
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PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Agriculture, Country Talk
- RNZ New Zealand
- English
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PO Box 489, Hamilton
07 8580729
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