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The Rural Guardian
New Halter technology gives farmers a head start on calving
Halter’s new calving detection feature uses collar behaviour data to alert farmers when a cow is calving, helping them prioritise checks and respond sooner. Supplied A new calving detection tool is giving farmers an early heads-up when cows are calving, using behaviour data already being collected through Halter’s virtual fencing collars. The feature analyses changes in cow behaviour and sends an alert directly to a farmer’s Halter app when signs of calving are detected, help
4 days ago3 min read
Farm or city – unnecessary cost is the enemy
As politicians ramp up rhetoric and roll out the policy ahead of the November election, most New Zealanders want to hear what their solutions are for getting the cost of living down. Whether you’re a farmer out in Stavely or you’re living in the middle of Ashburton, we’re all interested in cutting out things that unnecessarily add to costs. In the last few years, a big focus of Federated Farmers has been to encourage central and local government to streamline and simplify res
4 days ago3 min read
Women in horticulture want a fair go, not a leg up
Women make up around 40 per cent of New Zealand’s horticulture workforce, but new research suggests many are still working harder than their male counterparts to be heard, recognised and given the same opportunities. And while women want change, they are not necessarily asking for special treatment. Independent research commissioned by Women in Horticulture found 80 per cent of women had experienced discrimination during their careers because of their gender, compared with 28
4 days ago4 min read
From the editor: Moving the dial on safety
Growing up on a farm, the dangers that came with working in our sector were ingrained in us from a young age. We all had near misses, even as children. It was almost a rite of passage. On quad bikes, driving the farm ute, working in the yards and discovering very quickly what happens when you get on the wrong side of a sheep. Most of the time, they were just that. Near misses. Sadly, some weren’t. We lost young members of our community in farm accidents in relatively quick su
4 days ago3 min read
Trust: the starting point
Once upon a time, I was sent to a Management 101 course to learn how to do the job I was meant to already be doing. Over lunch, I met a lovely lady who managed a team supporting minority women to engage with women’s health services. She spoke about how a core part of their job was simply chatting with small groups of ladies within their own communities, creating safe spaces with women who understood them and their backgrounds, breaking down the educational, social and cultura
4 days ago3 min read
Hers not His: Wita Svensson
Celebrating rural women and their trusty utes. Name: Wita Svensson Where and what are you farming? I’m not farming, although based in Canterbury, a lot of my family and friends are. I’m a Registered Nurse. What year, make, and model is your trusty ute? She is a 2021 Mazda BT50 XTR 4x4 (Australia Model)She’s called “Kaldr” (old Norse - loyal wolf/hero) What’s your favourite feature (or quirk) about your ute? The 9 inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and the roo b
4 days ago1 min read
Helping rural women understand the hormonal ‘why’
A new Mid Canterbury summit aims to cut through conflicting health advice and help women better understand what is happening in their bodies. Lauren Stokes hopes the Women’s Hormone Summit will help rural women better understand their health and feel less alone. Women struggling with heavy periods, sleepless nights, hot flushes or unexplained fatigue are too often left confused and unsure where to turn, says Mid Canterbury naturopath Lauren Stokes. It is a pattern Stokes sees
7 days ago3 min read
Young Country: Oliver Teale
Young Farmers are the future of New Zealand agriculture, so each issue we shine a spotlight on a Young Farmers Club member. Today we talk to Oliver Teale from Nightcaps Young Farmers What is the name of your club, and how long have you been a member?I have been a member of Nightcaps Young Farmers for three years. What has been the highlight for you of joining Young Farmers? What benefits and experiences have helped you most?The highlight has been meeting new friends an
Aug 312 min read
Rarotonga: Beyond the postcard
Island wisdom, delivered without fuss: a weathered sign offers a reminder that poor quality is remembered long after a bargain is forgotten. A rain-soaked family escape to Rarotonga delivered spectacular snorkelling, slow days and a reminder of what it takes to live and grow food on a remote Pacific island. The first thing I noticed when we stepped from the plane in Rarotonga was the air. Warm, sweet and impossibly soft, it felt like a balm after the chilly, damp days Christc
Aug 319 min read
From Scotland to Waipara: The music promoter betting big on rural Canterbury
Waipara Winehouse has undergone extensive refurbishment since Stuart and Judith Clumpas took ownership in 2023. When Scottish music promoter Stuart Clumpas first visited Waipara Winehouse three years ago, he immediately saw an opportunity. The vineyards. The wide North Canterbury skies. The proximity to Christchurch, while still feeling unmistakably rural. “I looked at it and thought: this could really work,” he says. Now, just a few years later, Stuart Clumpas with wife and
Aug 315 min read
Beyond the farm gate: a young farmer’s election wishlist
Lincoln Young Farmers vice-chair Hillary Cooper says greater investment in young farmers is essential to secure the future of New Zealand agriculture. With New Zealand now in an election year, political debate is beginning to sharpen. Inflation, infrastructure, health and the ever-rising cost of living weigh on the public mind. But for young farmers, there is another set of questions looming just as large: who will take over the farms, who will support young people entering a
Aug 316 min read
A recipe for community
From left, Emily Horne, Natasha Moore, photographer Liv Gorman, Jess Letham and Lauren Pearce, part of the team behind A Lauriston Harvest. A new cookbook from Lauriston School is serving up much more than tried-and-true recipes, capturing the people, memories and community spirit of a small Mid Canterbury school along the way. There is a particular kind of culinary nostalgia attached to recipes handed down through families. They are the cakes made for every family birthday
Aug 313 min read
The beauty in the ordinary: Kelly Shakespeare’s Lincoln Project
Kelly Shakespeare is photographing the ordinary. Old sheds. Quiet streets. Faded shopfronts. Brick homes with overgrown gardens. Hand-painted signs. Rusted roofs. The kind of places most people drive past without a second thought. But in a rapidly growing town like Lincoln, those ordinary places are disappearing fast. And Shakespeare knows it. “I’ll photograph something and six months later it’s gone and replaced by new houses,” she says. “That’s become a big driver for me. I
Aug 244 min read
Ravensdown backs Canterbury A&P Show’s return to its rural roots
The Canterbury A&P Show’s return to its traditional Wednesday-to-Friday format has gained a significant vote of confidence, with farmer-owned co-operative Ravensdown signing on as naming-rights sponsor for the next two years. Now known as the Ravensdown Canterbury A&P Show, the partnership comes as the Canterbury A&P Association continues to strengthen the event’s financial position and sharpen its focus on agriculture, farmers and the rural businesses that have long been at
Aug 244 min read
The unwritten rules of home
My husband and I recently returned from a holiday in Vietnam. I found myself thinking about culture. Not the big obvious parts of culture, like language, history or food, the tiny unwritten rules people just know. In Vietnam, one of those rules is crossing the road. A raging river of scooters, cars, bikes, people and horns greet you at any road. The first instinct is wait for a gap. Except, there is no gap. On our first day I ended up messaging a local friend to ask how one
Aug 243 min read
Go hard or go home: Rural school raffles Ranger for new playground
Ashley Rakahuri School pupils get behind the PTA’s ambitious Ford Ranger raffle fundraiser for a new playground. From left: Emmy Gregory-Hunt, Brody Gregory-Hunt, Stevie Dyer, Lucy Young, Zoey Gascoyne, Milla Dyer, Evie Clifford and Beaudan Clifford. Supplied. After five years of fundraising for a new playground, Ashley Rakahuri School parents realised they were facing a frustrating problem. They were raising money, but inflation was rising almost as quickly. “We were finding
Aug 243 min read
Collective Community Action
Collective community action is well supported locally, as was demonstrated at this Enviro Collective workshop hosted by Somerview Farm The nature of collective community action typically starts small and gradually spreads outwards. Individuals, farm owners and farm teams, catchment groups, and in the case of Mid Canterbury - a catchment collective. Ensuring there is a district-wide vision requires leadership and collaboration as locals can come together around a common goal.
Aug 173 min read
Hurst sets direction for Federated Farmers
South Canterbury farmer Colin Hurst says his new role as national president of Federated Farmers is about service, teamwork and ensuring farmers have a strong voice where decisions are made. The mixed arable and dairy farmer from the Waimate area was elected president at Federated Farmers’ annual meeting in June after serving three years as vice-president. For Hurst, the presidency continues a commitment to giving back to the farming community. “It is about community service
Aug 173 min read
Supporting Rural Mental Wellbeing: What Practitioners and Professionals Need to Know
Being rural in New Zealand is not a “niche” area — up to 19% of us are rural. Working with rural communities means working in a world where “just go and get help” doesn’t always match reality. It doesn’t reflect the layered, complex barriers rural people face when they’re under pressure. Help‑seeking is rarely straightforward — not because rural people don’t care about their wellbeing, but because the conditions of rural life make reaching out far more complicated than it app
Aug 173 min read
Students turn rural roots into business with purpose
The back of The Rural Collective jersey carries the message: “Behind every farm is a mind that matters.” A group of Year 13 students from Christchurch Girls’ High School have launched a rural clothing business with a purpose, using their own farming backgrounds to support conversations around wellbeing in rural communities. The Rural Collective was founded by Lucy Honeywell, Grace McKnight, Maddy Judd, Millie McAlistair and Georgia Henderson, who all board at Acland House and
Aug 175 min read
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