Journey from grower to consumer traced
United Fresh researchers followed a punnet of strawberries from grower to retailer and now they intend to do the same for lettuce.
Horticulture
Race to finish line between picking and frost
Race to the finish line between fruit picking, frost
Long days picking and long nights frost-fighting.
School starts regeneration project
School starts regeneration project
A requirement to remove a stand of large macrocarpa trees which were posing a safety risk has been turned into a major regeneration project at Aparima School in Riverton.
All ages pitch in to plant trail rest area
All ages pitch in to plant trail rest area
People of all ages pitched in to plant a rest area on the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail through North Otago farmland last week.
Lifetime working with seeds and grains
Lifetime working with seeds and grains
Lindsay Green, of Timaru, spent a lifetime working in the grain and seed industry, when there was great reliance on people's knowledge without the aid of technology.
Searching for region's young fruit grower
Searching for region's young fruit grower
One of the main benefits of entering the Central Otago Young Fruit Grower of the Year competition, is confidence, co-ordinator Grant McKay says.
Champion of a 'misunderstood' class
Champion of a 'misunderstood' class
Riesling is a ''misunderstood'' wine, Ata Mara Vineyard co-owner Janiene Bayliss says.
Good potential seen in sunflowers
Good potential seen in sunflowers
There is an untapped market in New Zealand for high oleic sunflower oil and it is looking like a highly viable rotation crop, says Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) which is trialling the regal...
Win proves area's wine can age well: manager
Win proves area's wine can age well: manager
Wild Earth Wines' success at the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards earlier this month proves Central Otago wines can age gracefully, marketing and sales manager Elbert Jolink says.
Sunflowers used to regenerate soil
Sunflowers used to regenerate soil
Mark and Madeline Anderson are trialing a pasture mix that includes sunflowers as a method of soil regeneration and as an alternative polyculture forage on their Waiwera Gorge dairy farm.
Pilot 'trees and carbon' workshop proves popular
Pilot 'trees and carbon' workshop proves popular
A pilot project helping farmers make the most of the One Billion Trees Fund has generated a lot of interest.
Ettrick packhouse upgrades technology but retains staff
Ettrick packhouse upgrades technology but retains staff
Some of the latest in New Zealand and Dutch pipfruit sorting and packing technology has been installed in an Ettrick packhouse, encouraging greater efficiencies and productivity, without losing staff.
Tree planting grants available for farmers
Tree planting grants available for farmers
Farmers are able to apply for grants to subsidise their tree planting programmes through the One Billion Trees initiative, which was launched in November.
Upgraded packing facility opening
Upgraded packing facility opening
Central Otago pipfruit business CAJ van der Voort will tonight celebrate the official opening of its state-of-the-art upgraded packing facility.
Good start to grape harvest
Good start to grape harvest
Central Otago's grape harvest is well under way and recent dry conditions are having barely any effect, Central Otago Winegrowers Association past president James Dicey says.
Enterprising family’s teamwork bears fruit
Enterprising family’s teamwork bears fruit
Usually, it’s the kids who leave home. In the Watt family, it was the parents.
Pickers fill the fields as grape harvest begin
Pickers fill the fields as grape harvest begin
Grapes are now ripe for the picking, as the first day of autumn also marked day one of grape harvesting in Central Otago.
PGG-Wrightson takes profit hit
PGG-Wrightson takes profit hit
PGG-Wrightson (PGW) has reported a profit plunge after its soon-to-be-sold Seed and Grain division delivered an $8.6 million loss, paring overall first-half profit down to $320,000.
Onions NZ to explore sustainable production
Onions NZ to explore sustainable production
Onions New Zealand has received support from the Ministry of Primary Industry's Sustainable Farming Fund to investigate ways to reduce the use of agrichemicals within the onion industry.
Onion growers report bumper season
Onion growers report bumper season
Onion growers around the country are reporting a good season so far after a hard season last year, Onions New Zealand chief executive James Kuperus says.