Chef-turn-broadcasters-turn-farmers are super passionate about bringing the connection to eaters about where their food comes from, but there's a unique skill in going down a wormhole on the topic of soil and communicating the benefits of it in a way that everyday people can understand. Matthew Evans, renowned in Australia for his TV series 'Gourmet Farmer', was a chef by trade and then a restaurant reviewer for the likes of the Sydney Morning Herald before heading to their own farm in...

When your world feels like farming & growing food for the future is just getting a bit too hard, listen to our panel's discussion on what excites them about New Zealand's future. Sarah Perriam-Lampp recently hosted six guests at the Lakeside Memorial Hall at Leeston, Canterbury for a dinner event sponsored by ESAI to discuss how we can grow our farming destiny in the context of what we can control and the opportunities before us. Panel includes: Hamish Gow - Global Value Chains,...

Food production and not using fossil fuel seem like a headache of a problem to solve, but not for these Kiwi ex-pats who returned home to Central Otago to grow New Zealand's first cherries 100% electric. Mike & Rebecca Casey set up Forest Lodge Orchard as well as co-founded New Zealand Zero, a fossil-free food certification and loves opening his gates near Cromwell and the books to show all types of farmers & growers how they too can control the carbon narrative. LINKS: New...

Scratching your head on how you are meant to navigate farming with uncertainty? Do you need consent? What if I've already put in my crops? Will I be fined? Do my regional council rules or the national government rules apply to me? We have all your questions about regulations coming around intensive winter grazing and freshwater farm plans answered in one place! In the first edition of "How to Keep Farming with Uncertainty" co-hosts Sarah Perriam-Lampp (Sarah's Country), Duncan...

Sarah's Country has your sneak peek into E Tipu 2022: The Boma Agri Summit speaker lineup at the highly anticipated June 2022 event is set to catalyse the future of Aotearoa’s primary industries and you could get on the guest list to Sarah's Country E Tipu Cocktail Party when you enter the draw to win a double pass to E Tipu & dinner with Sarah Perriam at 5th Street (valued at $2,500!)  Sarah Perriam sits down with three of the E Tipu 2022 keynote speakers ahead of the event which gives...

 In an environment where farmers & growers may be thinking it's all coming at them, Becks Smith can see the light at the end of the tunnel when we condense the overwhelm and see the challenges through a more holistic approach.   New Zealand farmers naturally have an inter-generational view of stewardship of their land, but sometimes need support to bring the right expertise together when they are on the next level of their sustainability journey. Becks Smith discusses with Sarah...

Did you know that globally agriculture is one of the last industries to digitise? And for those farmers that will embrace the market access requirement to prove the provenance and verify the farm practices will ultimately win. But imagine if technology as a tool actually made you a better farmer? Perhaps more tolerant to climatic conditions, faster decision making in risky situations and free up time to actually do the thing you enjoy... farming... or boating/golf/fishing! As the Farmax...

In a special episode for 'Shaping our Future' on Sarah's Country released on 2022 International Woman's Day, Sarah Perriam discovers where women's role has come, the current is and can to in the New Zealand primary sector with female empowerment leader in rural New Zealand, Lindy Nelson. Lindy is a woman on a mission farming with her husband David, is the Chair of Safer Farms and founded the Agri-Women's Development Trust which has unleashed the confidence and talents of over 4,000 women...

 How do those tasked with implementing environmental policy best engage with farmers to come up with solutions that are best for the land and are fit for purpose? Ministry for the Environment has partnered with Sarah's Country to hit the road across the lower North Island in late 2021 to get out of Wellington and onto the farm to hear & see directly from farmers. In this third and final episode as part of the three-part series, Sarah Perriam takes Director of Policy Implementation...

How do those tasked with implementing environmental policy best engage with farmers to come up with solutions that are best for the land and are fit for purpose? Ministry for the Environment has partnered with Sarah's Country to hit the road across the lower North Island in late 2021 to get out of Wellington and onto the farm to hear & see directly from farmers. In this first episode as part of the three-part series, Sarah Perriam takes Director of Policy Implementation &...

Not all NZ farmers have their heads in the sand about He Waka Eke Noa as Sarah discovers a group of them have done your homework on the alternative pricing options for you to simply listen and make a submission on our weekly panel, "Tell us what you really think!". Farmers Mark McCoard (Taihape), Kerry Worsnop (Gisborne) & Graeme Gleeson (Waikato) shed some frank reality with host, Sarah Perriam on what amendments to the farm-level levy could look like to have a fairer emissions...

The level of data now being collected on farms on a daily basis is massive but it's not working together in a collaborative way for farmers to manage the data. It is also useful for brands to verify the environment's regeneration when sourcing their product. NZ Merino has recently partnered with Silicon Valley technology company, Actual to provide insights into each ZQRX growers’ sustainability credentials. Guided by science and starting with carbon emissions, this work will include the...

How do those tasked with implementing environmental policy best engage with farmers to come up with solutions that are best for the land and are fit for purpose? Ministry for the Environment has partnered with Sarah's Country to hit the road across the lower North Island in late 2021 to get out of Wellington and onto the farm to hear & see directly from farmers in this new series, Table Swap. In this first episode as part of the three-part series, Sarah Perriam takes Director of...

 With so much concern circling around the consultation on the alternative pricing options for New Zealand's greenhouse gas tax/levy (call it what you wish!), we break down the reality of the challenge with our esteemed guests on the first in our weekly panel, "Tell us what you really think!". Agricultural economist, Phil Journeaux, and rural commentator and former agriculture professor, Keith Woodford, have a candid discussion with host, Sarah Perriam on how pastoral livestock farming would...

High-value crops are often discussed on Sarah's Country as the potential to return more to farmers from fewer inputs. Whilst the industry for hemp seed and oil is becoming more established in New Zealand, the agronomic and market development for fibre has a way to go. In late December 2022, NZ Natural Fibres (co-owned by Carrfields NZ & Hemp NZ) received a $3.2million Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures Fund to develop its hemp growing, processing and marketing capability to“go...

The best way to kick back into gear for 2022 is of course with the chunkiest talking point in smoko rooms, dairy sheds and board tables in the primary sector "What is He Waka Eke Noa and why should I care?"  With the stresses in the face of Omicron affecting processing plants, tractors parked up waiting for the deluge of rain to bugger off to harvest crops it may seem too hard to wrap your head around another complicated pressure.   "Doing nothing is not an option, so I've created a...

The angst and noise of 2021 have led to a division in New Zealand's primary sector. However, the division appears to come down to whether farmers & growers are in the camp of a mindset that is optimistic, open-minded to change and unfearful of the future. Or not.   "Positivity doesn't mean your ignoring life's stress, you're just approaching hardship in a productive way," explains Dana Muir, Head of Natural Capital, BNZ.   As the last Sarah's Country Sister for the year, Dana...

When the directive from global food giants, such as Danone and Nestle pledges to source nearly a quarter of their milk globally from regenerative dairy farms by 2025, you pay attention. Announced this week was a unique partnership between Synlait Milk and Danone, AgResearch and the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund to study soil health between conventional and regenerative practices on 10 farms in Waikato, Canterbury & Otago over five...

The one thing this current government has given us is a lot to talk about in rural media! Recorded on the Saturday prior to the Groundswell protest, ACT Party Leader David Seymour joined Sarah to discuss a wide range of government policy that is overwhelming the primary sector that has seen them take to the streets in their tractors. They discuss the sector's representation in Wellington, hate speech by politicians towards farmers to Rogernomics. Sarah has an entertaining one-hour chat...

As the COP26 Climate Change Summit has concluded, a serendipitous scientific finding at Lincoln University virtually eliminates the methane emitted from effluent ponds and if uptook by 2030 will half dairy's emmission targets. As this week's Sarah's Country Change Maker, Mike Manning, General Manager Innovation and Strategy at Ravensdown, explains the breakthrough discovery of the EcoPond system to target methane with an additive normally used in the treatment of drinking water. Nearly...

What led me to Sue was a string of fate, and now I want to share her with the world as this week's Sarah's Country Sister. Sue McGaw is a specialist native plant consultant from North Canterbury who works with farmers to design their riparian plantings into biodiversity nodes to ensure 99% success rate, all year round bird feed, resilence from pests, weeds, droughts, and floods and Rongoā Māori, the traditional healing properties. At 63 years old, after 25 years of landscape design, Sue's...

We are excited for you to meet the three emerging food and fibre sector leaders who have been awarded the 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships. This group comes from the most diverse range of backgrounds we have seen in recent times and each of the scholars brings talent, passion, perspective, and a track record of performance.  Covid 19 restrictions mean this year’s scholarship recipients’ formal awards ceremony at Parliament, will be delayed until February 2022, when Minister...

Brave leadership has been a fabric of our primary sector for the past century and now is a time to continue that attitude in the face of what many think is just a New Zealand government challenge when our farming cousins around the world are facing the same challenges. Science entrepreneur and agri-business commentator, Anna Campbell, is walking the talk transitioning from AbacusBio, a highly respected science, and technology firm operating from offices in Dunedin and Rotorua New Zealand,...

Brave leadership has been a fabric of our primary sector for the past century and now is a time to continue that attitude in the face of what many think is just a New Zealand government challenge when our farming cousins around the world are facing the same challenges. Science entrepreneur and agri-business commentator, Anna Campbell, is walking the talk transitioning from AbacusBio, a highly respected science, and technology firm operating from offices in Dunedin and Rotorua New Zealand,...