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Rural Women New Zealand chief executive Sandra Kirby said uncertainty around fuel supply and pricing was creating anxiety for many rural families already dealing with significant transport demands. As New Zealand heads towards the 2026 New Zealand general election, Rural Women New Zealand says rural families are continuing to face growing pressure around cost of living, fuel, isolation and access to basic services. Chief executive Sandra Kirby said many of the issues affecti

A new partnership between Farmlands, Rural Support Trust and digital wellbeing platform ignite is set to make it easier for farmers, growers, farm workers and their families to access mental health and wellbeing support, without leaving the farm gate. Announced at the Rural Industry Leaders Dinner on the opening night of Fieldays 2026, the three-year partnership comes as the Government’s draft Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026–2036 identifies rural communities as a gr

A red shed sits against the hills near Parnassus (photograph). Bruce Mortimer Bruce Mortimer does not describe his work as rural. But his landscapes will feel familiar to anyone who spends time in open country. Wide horizons, open space, and a single element holding its place against something much larger. It is not farming, but it is the same land farming sits in. Originally from England, and raised in the Netherlands and South Africa, Bruce Mortimer has called New Zealand

In rural New Zealand, we often talk about rural infrastructure: good roads, reliable services, decent connectivity. But there’s another kind of infrastructure that rarely makes it into policy documents, yet quietly underpins rural wellbeing every day — the country pub. And let’s be clear from the start: this isn’t about alcohol. It’s about connection. It’s about having a neutral, welcoming place where people can turn up without needing a reason, a roster, or a role. In my pre

No matter which government comes to power after the 2026 New Zealand general election, it may make little difference to farmers if the people speaking on their behalf are not getting it right. That is the view of Groundswell spokesperson Jamie McFadden, who says the biggest issue facing the sector is not just policy, but a growing disconnect between farmers, advocacy groups and government. “The biggest challenge is the disconnect,” McFadden said. “It’s a disconnect from the r

“Can’t you just make it work?” are familiar words my colleagues across NZ will be all too used to hearing. As rural accountants, we understand that the numbers aren’t the reason you get out of bed each day, and when you dreamt about farming growing up, we doubt you pictured yourself sitting at a computer trying to sort your annual accounts & taxes. However, the software and systems available today mean shoeboxes filled with faded receipts are no longer the standard in terms o

Marty (left) and Ollie Ashby, balancing experience with new approaches as the farm transitions through succession. Marty and Jo Ashby have been farming at Alkington, just out of Fernside, long enough to see the industry change more than once. What sits there now, a 172-hectare milking platform running around 600 cows, didn’t start out that way. Like much of North Canterbury, the turning point came with water. “When irrigation came in through Waimakariri Irrigation Ltd, that w

I had the great pleasure of seeing Split Enz in all their quirky glory on May 4. There was something deeply inspiring about watching a group of 70-year-olds prancing around in flamboyant suits, playing the spoons and hammering piano keys with chaotic enthusiasm. Their complete indifference to what anyone else thinks produces music that is brilliantly creative, slightly unhinged, and timeless — as the audience’s replacement hips could attest. What struck me most was the contra

Justin Klar with one of his largest works on display at the Wānaka A&P Show. What started as a way to fill an empty driveway has quietly turned into something much bigger for Wānaka-based sculptor Justin Klar. The German-born artist, who now calls Central Otago home, only began working with metal just over a year ago. At the time, there was no grand plan. “My driveway was looking boring, and it just needed something,” he says. What came next wasn’t expected. Neighbours notice

Agright Operations Manager, Mathew Bryant, marks the occasion with a group of very excited Chertsey pupils. All with a basketball each, because playing a game with just one ball is boring! Amy Riach Bright blue astroturf and a brand new set of basketballs have made the children of Chertsey School into very proud athletes. A new, multi-use sports court at Chertsey School was officially opened on May 27, and it’s already making a difference for local pupils, said principal Clai

More than 120 women from across New Zealand’s seed and arable sectors attended the annual Women in Seed Forum in Christchurch. Claire Inkson More than 120 women from across New Zealand’s seed and arable sectors gathered in Christchurch for the annual Women in Seed Forum, a day focused on leadership, innovation, wellbeing, business and connection within the industry. Hosted by Seed and Grain New Zealand on May 28, the event brought together women working across the sector for

The Next Chapter Bookshop has become a destination in its own right, drawing in readers from Wānaka and beyond Tucked behind the bustle of Wānaka’s lake-side main street, The Next Chapter Bookshop has become as much a destination as the town itself. “One thing we didn’t anticipate was becoming a visitor destination,” says owner Sally Battson. “We get a lot of travellers buying books. I’m constantly surprised by how many.” In an era where print media is supposedly being swallo

For Luke and Nicole Kane, entering the Ballance Farm Environment Awards was as much about taking stock of their business as it was about recognition. “Coming off the back of doing the Rabobank Executive Development Programme, we kind of thought we might have our ducks in a row better than we thought,” Luke Kane said. “So, we thought, let’s give it a go.” For Kane, who is also Otago provincial president of Federated Farmers, the process was a chance to step back and take a clo

Fresh apricots prepared for sampling at local markets, where the Wilsons connect directly with customers. On a hillside above Clyde, the rows don’t look quite how you might expect. Instead of big, spreading orchard trees, everything is trained tightly onto wires, more like a vineyard than a traditional fruit block. It’s deliberate, and it says a lot about the way Tammy and Trent Wilson approach farming. They didn’t come into horticulture through generations of orchardists. T

Can a chicken climb stairs? Do a high jump? Achieve total spherical excellence? Chickenstock 2026 provided an official verdict: yes, they can (mostly.) Not quite Woodstock, and with far too much personality for regular chicken stock, Chickenstock 2026 is Canterbury’s “premier poultry athletics event”, delivering the kind of passionate crowd usually reserved for international sporting finals. Organised by Mark Chirnside, barista by day, musician by night, and curator of elite

Men’s champion Jay Reeve and Women’s champion Abbey MacDonald celebrate after earning their place at the World Stone Skimming Championships in Scotland. Photo Deanna Gerlach An icy start on the shores of Lake Hāwea did little to deter the crowds gathering for the inaugural Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championships. The event, held on May 16, was presented by Novus Glass supporting Melanoma New Zealand. Wrapped in puffer jackets and beanies, spectators lined the lake edge while c

Rabobank Farm2Future students, taking part in the 2025 programme at Rakaia Island Dairy Farm. Supplied. Rural education for young urbanites in Canterbury will return for a ninth year this winter, with applications now open for the 2026 Rabobank Farm2Future camp. The free three-day, two-night programme gives 25 Year 12 students the opportunity to explore the many career pathways available across New Zealand’s food and fibre sector, from farming and food production to consultin

Arthur Burkes’s John Veale (left) and Tim McCracken with the new JAC ute at the Amuri A&P Show. Claire Inkson Chinese-built utes are gaining momentum in the New Zealand market, offering buyers a new value-driven option and beginning to reshape a segment long dominated by familiar brands. At Arthur Burke Ltd, which has its main branch in Amberley and a second workshop in Waikari, sales manager Tim McCracken says interest in the JAC T9 has been strong, particularly among tradie

A wise man (Ben Harper) once said, “there’s good deeds and there’s good intentions, and they’re as far apart as heaven and hell.” The news that Wattie’s and McCain’s are shutting down New Zealand manufacturing due to high energy, labour and environmental costs feels like a case study in exactly that gap. Good intentions, uncomfortable outcomes. New Zealanders, and our governments, expect farmers and factories to produce food with high environmental standards, strong labour pr

Nathan and Joy Dodd at the Wānaka A&P Show in March. Claire Inkson On a clear Southland day, with Stewart Island visible off the back of the property, Nathan and Joy Dodd’s Glenham farm does what it has always done - just gets on with it. There is no big pitch, no grand claims. Just stock that performs, year in, year out. The Dodds run Glenvale Texel Stud with their son Ted on around 600 hectares of rolling hill country near Wyndham, alongside a self-contained sheep and beef