Country Life

Country Life meets Berwick Settle who's worked on huge dairy farms in Russia and China, joins a shearing gang for a day and finds out about the world of heritage seed saving.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:30 - A kiwi's life in the world's largest dairy farms9:30 - Rural News Wrap15:23 - From the Archive: Sheep on the board35:31 - Saving seeds, saving storiesWith thanks to:Berwick SettleJemma OstenfeldNgā Taonga Sound & VisionMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In this story for the long-running programme Spectrum, first broadcast in 1972, Jack Perkins joins a Wairarapa shearing gang, on a farm near Masterton. It starts at the beginning of a day's shearing, with sounds of sheep in the yards, dogs barking and shepherd's whistling.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here. With thanks to:Ngā Taonga Sound & VisionGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's a story to many of the heritage seedlings which Jemma Ostenfeld grows on a patch of borrowed land in the eastern Bay of Plenty. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Jemma OstenfeldGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Twenty years ago Berwick Settle was a Southland sharemilker. Since then he's worked in some of the biggest dairy farms in the world, helping set up farms in China and Russia where cows live year round in huge barns, a far cry from New Zealand's pastoral system. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Berwick SettleGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life learns more about LIC's project to breed bulls which emit less methane, while a Waikato sheep farmer does the same, using genetics to reduce emissions. Also, from the future to the past, step back in time with the volunteers at Eketāhuna Museum.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:45 - On the Farm8:17 - A 'numbers game': LIC's quest to breed low methane emitting bulls18:00 - Breeding the 'wagyu of lamb' for an every-changing farm environment32:49 - Eketāhuna Museum - keeper of the community's storiesWith thanks to:Dr Lorna McNaughton, LICAlastair Reeves, Waimai RomneyBruce Laurence, Chris Petersen, Ian Day, and Bridget Ferguson, Eketāhuna MuseumMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Volunteers at the Eketāhuna Museum are getting ready to reopen. This treasure chest of curiosities shines a light on the small town's Scandinavian heritage and the challenges of running a country museum. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can read more about the Eketāhuna Museum, here.With thanks to:Bruce Laurence, Chris Petersen, Ian Day, and Bridget FergusonMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Alastair Reeves has followed in his father's footsteps, using genetics to help farmers solve problems on farm by breeding sheep that make for good eating, are tolerant of facial eczema and emit lower amounts of methane. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can learn more about Waimai Romney, here.With thanks to:Alastair ReevesGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The team of scientists at LIC, the Livestock Improvement Corporation, hope to know by late next year if they can offer farmers more methane-friendly bulls.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can learn more about LIC, here.With thanks to:Dr Lorna McNaughtonGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life meets some characterful Clydesdale horses, finds out about the Waimate Trail, explores rural life through objects via a new book and heads to threatened Thornton Lagoon in Bay of Plenty.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:44 - Rural News Wrap8:06 - Kiwi Country: New book explores rural New Zealand through 100 objects16:37 - The Waimate Trail23:10 - Battling off-roaders and pests at Thornton Lagoon33:53 - Clydesdales - the gentle giants of the horse worldMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

They used to be a regular sight on New Zealand's roads and paddocks - the plodding but magnificent Clydesdales. The horses with the hobbit hooves are becoming rare and their personality, dignity and legacy have inspired Susie Izard and her daughter Cate Smith to help save the breed. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Suzie Izard and Cate Smith, Silverstream ClydesdalesGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ben Banks is trying to protect the fragile dunes, wildlife and vegetation at a coastal lagoon near Whakatāne. Volunteering his time, he and his family trap for predators and pests but there's another threat to the area - the four-wheeled kind. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Ben BanksGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Husband and wife duo Te Radar and Ruth Spencer have recently partnered together on a new book 'Kiwi Country: Rural New Zealand in 100 Objects'. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Ruth Spencer and Te RadarOne lucky listener can win a copy of the book - tell us the type of milkshed invented in New Zealand. Email country@rnz.co.nz with the answer to go into the draw - the winner will be announced on next week's show.The couple also have a couple of book tours coming up:Hastings, Tuesday 25 NovemberWaipukarau, Wednesday 26 NovemberPalmerston North library, Wednesday 26 NovemberHedley's Masterton, Thursday 27 NovemberGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Volunteers are nearing completion of the first leg of a new trail for walkers, runners and cyclists in South Canterbury, the 67km Waimate Trail which will pass through native forest, limestone rock formations, tussock tops, river flats and valleys. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.You can find more about the project and track its progress, here.With thanks to:Jo SutherlandGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This week Country Life talks to researchers who say there’s potential for the brown kiwi to become a pest patroller in orchards and vineyards. Mark Leishman pulls on his Country Life gumboots to meet an entrepreneur behind an intriguing gateway made of the toughest timber – ironbark, and a visit to a Waikato farming family who’ve been integrating robotics and automation into their dairy operation. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:36 - Kiwi on pest patrol14:33 - Rural News Wrap18:32 - Ironbark - the wood as hard as steel32:51 - Tech is key on this Tirau dairy farmWith thanks to guests:Isobel Castro and Karen MasonSteve EvansBrett and Linda CoubroughMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

When it comes to farming, planning for the next season today is key, says the Coubrough family. The 5th generation dairying family is are all on the same page - they want robotics to milk the cows for them. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Brett and Linda CoubroughMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ever wondered what happened to some of the damaged timber from the Lyttelton wharves after the Canterbury earthquakes? The tough ironbark they were made from was too good not to be rescued and Oxford's Steve Evans was just the man for the job, as Mark Leishman discovered. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Steve EvansGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Could growers harness the kiwi as a way of reducing pests attacking their crops? A recent study has filmed the endangered birds entering vineyards and orchards at night to feast on beetles, weevils, grass grub and other insects. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to guests:Isobel Castro and Karen MasonGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details