Whatever your thoughts or knowledge are about cannabis, the New Zealand government believes in the future of establishing evidence-based medical cannabis cultivation practices with the awarding of funds to Lincoln University-based, Greenlab. Greenlab aims to generate standard cultivation protocols for a range of New Zealand genetics with the optimized pharmaceutical compounds required by doctors and needed by patients to improve their quality of life. Dr. Rupinder Brar & Dr. Parmjit...

The last 5 years for New Zealand's largest rural supply co-operative have been disruptive to ensure they are positioned to support their shareholders into the future. Newly appointed CEO, Tanya Houghton has a fresh approach to leadership that is being well-received across the board. Sarah caught up with Tanya as part of Sarah's Country sisters to discuss how to lead a team in a time of uncertainty, her thoughts on balancing the books of farmers with lower prices and that of the...

Many farmers across New Zealand fear the future sheep farming faces is the viability of the business model in the face of trees on hill country. The merger of Primary Wool Co-Operative & Wools of New Zealand closes on the 4th of November and maybe the ticket to contracting the fragmented industry to provide more value behind the farm gate. As this week's Change Maker, Sarah catches up with Richard Young, Chair of Primary Wool Co-Operative to discuss what the merger will mean for...

Positive community outcomes are what drive this Central Otago sheep & beef farmer who has found herself supporting the diversity of opinion towards environmental progress.    Emma Crutchley, farming with her husband in the Maniototo, has a wide range of experience from a career in agronomy to governance in water management aware that her biggest strength she offers is facilitating challenging conversations.    "I've learned that you have a limited time so don't spread yourself too...

Did you know that New Zealand farmers in their 40's are having heart attacks? It's time to reframe what it means to be a top farmer. It's not about what people think of you as the stress unbalances the economics of your farm and life. Being a Triple-A farmer is assessing, adapting, and adjusting your farm to have a holistic approach to wellbeing. From the books to the bed, being successful is having your physical, mental, social, and business wellbeing in order right across the...

Cherry-picking facts and non or discounted 'accounting' is happening everywhere across the conversation of climate change and food production.  One New Zealand scientist wants the narrative to include the full energy analysis of our food production which doesn't look good for plant-based proteins or vertical farming.  Craig Anderson's webinar "Is energy the Achilles heel of agriculture" has caught many people's attention and highlighted the opportunity to focus on the full life cycle...

What has been polarising the New Zealand farming community for some time is a word! Yep, that's right. The word 'regenerative'. Unable to be pigeonhole or tamed by certification. So why do we care so much about it? It's because the principles of regenerative resonate so deeply with New Zealand's essence of how we naturally care for the environment that we have become so passionate about our identity being under threat. In the Regenerative Agriculture Market Scan & Consumer Insights...

Did you know over 200,000 treated and broken timber vineyard posts every year discarded wood destined for landfills? Greg Coppell found himself looking to fence off his farm on a shoestring budget and Stu Dudley his mate works in the viticulture industry which was the onus for creating REPOST, this great company in Marlborough recycling what has been a waste product for the vineyard industry into a new life of farms repurposing posts as a cheap, no-fuss fencing solution for fencing off...

She oozes passion for our food storytellers to lead the next generation of New Zealand's identity as a proud food-producing nation. But she says there is no time to rest on our laurels and we must come together around our proposed national food strategy, Mana Kai, for which she is on the steering group for.   "We have had the moral and environment high ground for so long. The push back that we are better than the rest of the world is really dangerous as other countries can frog-jump us...

We are heavily assuming if you are reading this article you are already well educated on the nutrition and climate science that supports grass-fed, pasture-raised beef and lamb from New Zealand. But to also go on to assume that just because consumers may be wealthy and educated, doesn't necessarily mean they will choose to purchase red meat as often as they once did. They have been afforded the privilege of having a food identity. You can throw all of the complex science at the human...

From farm to fork, food is the least digitized supply chain. However, with the recent advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics, and for the first time in human history, it’s now practical to digitize agriculture and its supply chain. The billion-dollar space race is allowing connectivity to sensors like never before which will transform how we collect data in areas without cellphone coverage.  This week's Change Maker is Dr. Sara Spangelo, Founder...

This is the one episode in nearly 900 episodes where I teared up editing it! Meet one of my great mates, Anna. As an open-minded, intelligent, technologically advanced sheep & beef farmer in her 30's she is trumped, not at why change is needed, but how. Anna Fisher, a passionate farming mother of 2-under-5 gives an authentic insight into life on farm navigating the rise in demands from every level and why farmers took to the streets in protest.  "Most of our friends in the farming...

Want to understand the proposed changes to the freshwater farm plan and intensive winter grazing rules? Are these changes more workable for land-owners, how will improvements be measured and audited, what on-farm tools will be used?   Bryan Smith, Chief Advisor for Freshwater from the Ministry for the Environment presented as part of this Livestream Q & A on Sarah's Country about the proposed changes to the freshwater regulations on Wednesday 22nd September 2021, prior to submissions...

Sarah is super excited about the future of wool after this episode - it is truly wool reimagined! New Zealand scientists at the Wool Research Insitute (WRONZ) have been exploring new uses for strong wool - nature's miracle fibre that is costing farmers to shear for animal health reasons. The game-changing development is the patented technology to break down the fibre into unique particles, powders and pigments with global export potential for applications as diverse as cosmetics,...

Curious about how 'those bureaucrats in Wellington' think? Sarah Perriam, host of Sarah's Country uncovers the nurturing nature of the woman with one of the hardest jobs in the primary sector right now. With policy flying out the door at pace from Minister Parker, her team has been elevated within the Ministry for the Environment as they have realized to achieve the outcomes they need to work with farmers and growers on the ground and provide better feedback loops.   Sarah has an...

It goes without saying when you are in a relationship, the ultimate glue to the longevity of that relationship is trust. New Zealand is a trading nation exporting 95% of our products and is the largest industry geographically so there are multiple relationships to keep the trust to the highest possible level to continue to exist. In this week's Opinion Maker series, Sarah dives into the world of technology that has the potential to digitally connect with all farms in New Zealand,...

Parents for generations have tried to preach to their children that apples are packed with good nutrients, yet lunchboxes plenty have been returned with the trusty snack. From the orchard gate in New Zealand through to the packaging of its product in Japan, RockitTM apple is not only the world's first snack-size apple but also a brand and business model that will make you sit up and take notice of how great brands are created by more than just great marketing.   "It's high in...

A short message from Sarah Perriam to share the excitement of being back with three new episodes every week from Monday 13th September in partnership with Farmlands Co-operative.

Rural mental health can now benefit from a simple, effective Kiwi invention that attracted crowds at Fieldays. Farmers find it hard to get off-farm due to the tie of feeding their working dogs daily, as the Manawatu farmer-turned-inventors knows personally so he set out to do something about it! I wondered about heading to the coast for a fish for the weekend, with the hope the manager could feed my dogs for me. He mentioned he had a bit on with family, so that made my decision for me - I...

The early findings of a survey show that New Zealand sheep farmers' are feeling they are hamstrung to meet the expectations of ‘transitioning to sustainability’ until the information collected and the wider system they operate in can tell the full picture. The government’s role is to create an environment where businesses can solve problems. If great businesses and farming is one of New Zealand’s largest businesses, gets out and shows how it’s done, then the policy can be led by...

It turns out, according to new research, that Kiwis - urban and farmers - share similar views on what sustainable farming looks like. They both share concerns that big retailers, like supermarkets and regulators, are putting pressure on producers and holding back a healthy food system with more and more Kiwis ready to shop with their farmers in mind whether buying direct, at farmers markets or labelled NZ-grown. "Urban and rural dwellers have a similar vision for sustainable farming. They...

Following Covid Consumers like never before are wanting to stay healthy and are searching for ethically produced foods that have quantified health benefits and New Zealand’s natural product has a huge opportunity to capitalise on this trend. “The interesting opportunity is how to develop a branded ingredient from New Zealand primary produce that has quantified health benefits. We have a programme that takes the concept right through to commercialization, everything from evaluating what the...

Having known Abby France for over a decade as a friend, this episode provides an insight into two 30-something females having an honest yarn about how they see the future of New Zealand's primary sector. In this fortnight's Sarah's Country Sisters, Abby discusses her work with farmers attitude towards risk in FMG, resilient communities in her work as a Rural Support Trust trustee and community event organiser and her passion for the deer industry as a former young farmer with her husband...

Despite the government's efforts to reduce our reliance on migrant workers, there has always been an issue with the pathway's into the primary industry. However, Covid also brought about a chance to co-design a solution with Primary ITO taking the lead to facilitate an industry-wide collaborative project to address the gapping labour shortage. As a Change Maker this week in Sarah's Country, Eve Williams, Project Lead at Primary ITO explains their winter workshops and the outcomes they are...

A great tale of the next generation making change to the orchardists have been price-takers of commodity products for too long. For information 73 Citrus visit, https://www.73citrus.co.nz/ Subscribe to Sarah’s Country on the podcast and if you love us, please leave a review! Contact the show: [email protected] Follow Sarah’s Country on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahscountry  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahscountry