Business as usual, say Southern farmers
Business as usual, say Southern farmers
Southern farmers are taking a national lockdown “in our stride” and “getting on with it”.
Shawn McAvinue
Survivor hails safety feature
Survivor hails safety feature
As WorkSafe is warning farmers about fatalities on-farm spiking in spring, cattle farmer Russell Clearwater talks to Shawn McAvinue about how crush protection on his quad bike saved his life.
Sweet side hustle key to survival
Sweet side hustle key to survival
A North Otago family is finding new ways to add value to its summerfruit business in a bid to survive decades of stagnant prices and rising operational costs. Shawn McAvinue reports.
Career dream furthered by internship
Career dream furthered by internship
Ella Zwagerman knew the career to target after a summer job at a meat works, when she had finished at Southland Girls’ High School.
Farm dream from bullock wagon
Farm dream from bullock wagon
A dream to farm in North Otago began on a bullock wagon.
Father aiming to set son up for dairy farm ownership
Father aiming to set son up for dairy farm ownership
The 25-year history of a family sharemilking on the same South Otago property is set to continue and grow.
One family but many changes
One family but many changes
Five generations of the Woodhead family have lived and worked for more than a century on sheep and beef farm Glenkelrie, in Milton.
Tour spurs career move
Tour spurs career move
Southern students considering careers in the red meat sector were among the Silver Fern Farms Plate to Pasture youth scholarship recipients of 2021. In a series, Shawn McAvinue asks them about...
Signed and sealed
Signed and sealed
Gore Mayor Tracy Hicks (left) and Mataura Valley Milk chief executive Bernard May shake hands during an online signing ceremony last week, linking parties in Gore, Beijing and Australia involved in...
Water sampling technology on trial
Water sampling technology on trial
It is a data stream with a difference.
Lay of the land
Lay of the land
Farmers flocked to the Balclutha in-lamb ewe fair last week. Shawn McAvinue asked some how they were feeling about farming over the next year, the challenges and what was looking positive.
‘Finally we will have some cohesion’
‘Finally we will have some cohesion’
The time for two wool companies to merge is now, Eastern Southland sheep farmer Mark Copland says.
In this together
In this together
Celebrating fertiliser manufacture Ravensdown becoming a bronze sponsor of Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust at Taieri Airfield this month are (from left) Helicopters Otago chief pilot Graeme Gale,...
Testing efforts to keep family farm
Testing efforts to keep family farm
South Otago "primary school sweethearts" David and Ailsa Mackie have kept their farm in the family for more than 100 years.
Father, daughter go head-to-head
Father, daughter go head-to-head
A Western Southland father and daughter duo went head-to-head at a dog sale.
Heading dog fetches good price
Heading dog fetches good price
Lena Wells and her children, Max (1) and Scarlett (3), of Invercargill, pat heading dog Matt at the 64th annual Gore Dog Sale.
‘Good mate’ sells for ‘crazy money’
‘Good mate’ sells for ‘crazy money’
Emotion got the better of Western Southland farmer Martha Broughton after catching a glimpse of her working dog Bryn in her rear-view mirror yesterday.
Direct drilling no-till system good
Direct drilling no-till system good
Southern growers featured at the Federated Farmers Arable Industry Awards in Christchurch earlier this month. Shawn McAvinue talks to them about their mixed cropping operations.
Thousands turn out in support
Thousands turn out in support
Farmers united across the South to protest against feeling over regulated and undervalued by the Government.