Country Life

The Country Life team take you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of every day rural New Zealand.

Hosted and produced by Sally Round, Cosmo Kentish-Barnes, Duncan Smith and Gianina Schwanecke

An abstract heart constructed from shapes similar to rural fields seen in aerial photography sits behind the text 'Country Life'.

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FULL SHOW: Country Life for 7 March 2025

We take a bite of the apple breeding process and learn what it takes to make the fruit of tomorrow and the team visit a farming commune in Golden Bay that's still going strong after 50 years.
New episode
Some of the technology used to help assess the different characteristics of fruit being developed.

How about them apples? The team behind New Zealand's future apples and pears

We find out what it takes to produce some of New Zealand's tastiest apples by heading inside Plant & Food Research where they help Prevar create new apple and pear varieties.
From left: Anna Tattersall from Plant & Food research's post-harvest lab along with Natalie Proffitt, the pipfruit breeding programme operations manager.

'Back to the land': Commune still going strong after 50 years

Rainbow Valley is located on regenerating whenua at the end of a gravel road near Tākaka. Several families share the land and help run a small farm for the benefit of the whole community.
Rainbow Community

Rural News Wrap for 7 March 2025

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
The first year of Pāmu's apprenticeship programme offers a broad foundation before apprentices specialise in either dairy or livestock in their second year, with a guaranteed permanent role at Pāmu upon completion.

Grape picking starts soon at organic Waipara Valley vineyard

A pre-harvest update from the Greystone Wines, that recently hosted the inaugural Underground soil, food and farming festival. With viticulturalist and farming advisor, Nick Gill.

FULL SHOW: Country Life for 28 February 2025

We meet a small-scale farmer who has big ideas on how smaller farms can help solve the growing problem of food insecurity in New Zealand and a Southland deer farmer, who's invented a non-polluting baleage wrap that animals can eat.
Willow and Aria follow Alison on her morning round of the farm

Small but mighty - could small-scale farms be the best way to feed the country?

Seven-hectares can produce a "magnificent" amount of food. So says small-scale farmer and Kellogg scholar Alison Bentley who's done just that, growing beef cattle, hazelnuts and a wide range of fruit on her small farm near Rotorua.
Alison Bentley about to get rid of the suckers on her hazelnut trees, planted as part of a trial

Farmer rapt with edible bale netting

Plastic free paddocks have become a reality thanks to Grant Lightfoot. The Orepuke deer farmer has invented a nonpolluting baleage wrap that animals can eat.
Kiwi Econet

Shear joy: Wairarapa town hosts annual Golden Shears competition

Golden Shears President Trish Stevens shares her love of the wool industry and which heats the one to watch at this year's shearing and woolhandling championship event in Masterton.
Speed shearers at the Golden Shears 2024

On the Farm for 28 February 2025

Grapes are being picked in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, Taranaki's in drought and the hop harvest is about to start in Tasman.
Hawke's Bay's winegrowers are excited about this year's grapes and volumes.

FULL SHOW: Country Life for 21 February 2025

We meet a farming couple in Southland that are making health products from the hemp they grow, and we get some insights into the Chinese market for New Zealand wine.
Hopefield Hemp

Farmers turn weed into wellness products

A hemp crop flourishes beside wheat, barley and peas at Blair and Jody Drysdale's farm in northern Southland.
Hopefield Hemp

Sino-vino ties: A wine-lover linking China and New Zealand

Fang Mei fell in love with wine after working in the banking industry in New Zealand and China. Now she has her own vineyard here and educates people in China about New Zealand wine.
Fang Mei fell in love with wine while working as a banker. She now grows her own grapes, has launched her own label, and represents several New Zealand brands in China.

Ag student's dreams come true 15 years on

We check back in with Hamish Best of Conscious Valley just outside Wellington. A keen ag student the last time he spoke to Country Life, he's now a finalist for the prestigious trans-Tasman Zanda McDonald Award.
Hamish Best and his team of dogs on the back of a sidy-by-side overlooking the hilly farm with views out to the Cook Strait.

Rural News Wrap for 12 February 2025

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.
Huntaways, Heading Dogs and crossbreeds have been sampled for the project.

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