Dairy field day provides a chance to troubleshoot
Dairy field day provides a chance to troubleshoot
Resolute rain is putting pasture under pressure, dairy farmers in Northern Southland say.
Shawn McAvinue
Shear-a-thon back next year
Shear-a-thon back next year
For Shear 4 A Cause, five men will shear sheep for 24 hours over a 32-hour period to raise money for their respective charities at Wohelo Station in West Otago on the Saturday and Sunday of...
‘Ecstatic’ about ram sale result
‘Ecstatic’ about ram sale result
Neighbouring farmers travelled from Otago to Southland to do deals on rams last week.
Pet dog’s death prompts warning
Lethal combination: pet dog’s death prompts warning
A South Otago dairy farmer is warning about the dangers of calf milk replacer after the death of his beloved pet dog.
Ram prices continue to rise
Ram prices continue to rise
The pursuit to breed structurally sound, high-performing commercial rams continues in West Otago.
Impulse buy turns into passion project
Impulse buy turns into passion project
Taieri farmers Rachael Powell and Shaddon Waldie admit an obsession with Wagyu cattle - and why not when an eye fillet sells for as much as $160 per kg.
Venison meeting the market
Venison meeting the market
Reporter Shawn McAvinue asks five questions of Duncan New Zealand marketing manager Chris Duncan, of Dunedin.
Guest judge's fact-finding tour
Guest judge's fact-finding tour
Shawn McAvinue spends five minutes with New Zealand Herefords president and Limehills Herefords owner Gray Pannett , of Millers Flat.
Lay of the land: sheep farming
Lay of the land: sheep farming
Shawn McAvinue asks farmers at a southern ram sale, how spring treated them on their farm and how is feed supplies shaping up going into summer.
'Aunty Kathryn's Scones'
'Aunty Kathryn's Scones'
In a series, Shawn McAvinue asks people making the food served at ram sales in the South to share their recipes.
$25,000 to aid effort to improve water
$25,000 to aid effort to improve water
Dairy farmer Pete Benny is continuing to work to improve the water quality on his family farm in South Otago.
About getting ‘meat on them’
About getting ‘meat on them’
Shawn McAvinue spends five minutes with South Otago ram breeder Wharetoa Genetics owner Garth Shaw.
Rural career winds down
Rural career winds down
Shawn McAvinue spends five minutes with Gallagher Otago and South Canterbury territory manager Lindsay Whyte, of Wānaka.
Scheme supports vet in rural role at outset of career
Scheme supports vet in rural role at outset of career
Gore veterinarian Holly Hender is getting a kick-start to her career from a Government scheme that aims to ease the shortage of vets in rural practices.
Catlins farmer wins award for use of native trees
Catlins farmer wins award for use of native trees
Farmer Barry Gray is the South Island recipient of the 2022 Landcare Trust Award for his use of native plants on his sheep and beef property in the Catlins.
Funding applications open for catchment and watercare groups
Funding applications open for catchment and watercare groups
A call is being made for funding applications from watercare and catchment groups in Otago.
Rural men wanted to talk dating
Rural men wanted to talk dating
University of Otago student Sophie Dix is calling for young rural men to tell her about their dating habits.
A spirited way to diversify
A spirited way to diversify
A plan to diversify a business to protect a Southland sheep and cropping farm for future generations is maturing like a single malt whisky.
Breeding philosophy passed down
Breeding philosophy passed down
As the ram buying season gets under way, a father and son running two separate Coopworth studs in West Otago share the same breeding philosophy.
Sweet peat: Digger buried among blueberries
Sweet peat: Digger buried among blueberries
An orchard in a peat bog is producing a bounty of blueberries in Western Southland. Shawn McAvinue talks to Blueberry Country orchard manager Kowie du Plessis about the intricacies of working with this spongy soil.