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Outgoing Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers of New Zealand provincial president David Acland (left) hands over the reins to incoming president Kerry Harmer following his four-year tenure. Harmer becomes the first woman to hold the role in the branch’s 81-year history. Photo: Angela Cushnie There has been a changing of the guard at Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers, with high-country farmer Kerry Harmer taking over as provincial president after the completion of David Acland’s fo

Hinehou Timutimu was named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year at the Dairy Women’s Network conference gala dinner in Christchurch. The Bay of Plenty leader says she hopes the award helps create pathways for other women in the sector. Photo Supplied. Bay of Plenty leader Hinehou Timutimu says if her win as the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year inspires even one other woman to step forward, it will have been worth it. “If I can just inspire one person, that would be

Waikari Warriors Rosie Barton, Max Beach and Fergus Butters celebrate their win. The North Canterbury trio are heading to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand final. There are only around 34 students at Waikari School. Which makes what the Waikari Warriors have just done feel even bigger. Despite being wrongly labelled the “Waikari Wanderers” in early coverage, these are Warriors and they proved it. Rosie Barton, Max Beach and Fergus Butters, all 12, have taken out the Agri

A Mid Canterbury dairy farmer has been named a finalist in a national award recognising grassroots leadership across the sector. Ashleigh Gordon, of Valetta, is one of two finalists in the 2026 Regional Leader of the Year Award, presented by Dairy Women’s Network (DWN). The winner will be announced at the gala dinner during the organisation’s annual conference on May 5 in Christchurch. DWN chief executive Jules Benton said the finalists reflected the importance of leadership

There are some songwriters whose music feels woven into the back roads of New Zealand. Not because they set out to write “rural” songs, but because they have lived that life. They have travelled the country, watched people closely, and learned how to tell a story the way New Zealanders talk. Straightforward, observant, and quietly reflective. Barry Saunders is one of them. This May Saunders returns to the Tussock Country Music Festival with The Warratahs, bringing decades of

Alastair Malcolm stepped into the role of branch manager at Diesel Tech Fernside earlier this year, bringing nearly a decade of machinery industry experience and a strong focus on supporting North Canterbury farmers with reliable service and specialised equipment. A new chapter is underway at Diesel Tech’s Fernside branch, with Alastair Malcolm stepping into the role of branch manager earlier this year. Malcolm officially took up the position on January 5, bringing with him n

Comedian Tom Sainsbury is used to travelling around the country to perform, but when he takes the stage in Gore during the Tussock Country Music Festival this May, it will feel more like returning a favour. Sainsbury says it was noticing how many people from Gore were travelling to see his shows elsewhere that prompted the decision. “Every time I go and do a show down there, people travel from far and away from Gore to come and see me,” he said. “And I feel terrible about it.

Tussock Country is back in Gore this May with its biggest programme yet, stretching across 10 days and more than 80 events. Festival promotions and event co-ordinator Annabel Roy says the festival has grown well beyond a single weekend, now spanning two weekends and running through King’s Birthday weekend. “It’s a 10-day festival, which in itself is quite unique,” Roy said. “It’s always the last week of May, it’s cold, so all the venues are cosy. There are fireplaces. There’s

The team at South Canterbury Toyota celebrate the dealership’s fifth President’s Trophy win, a national record for Toyota stores in New Zealand. Supplied Consistency might not sound glamorous, but for South Canterbury and Ashburton Toyota it’s proving to be a winning formula. The dealerships have just taken out Toyota New Zealand’s prestigious President’s Trophy for the second year running - and for a record fifth time overall. For CEO Mark Patterson, the achievement reflects

Rowland Smith took out the individual machine shearing title at the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Masterton, held March 4 to 7, winning on quality in a tightly contested final. Supplied. Rowland Smith has claimed a second World Shearing Championship title, more than a decade after his first, cementing his place among the best shearers New Zealand has produced. The Hawke’s Bay shearer took out the individual machine shearing title at the Golden

Some dreams sit quietly in the background for years. Not because they are small, but because they require time, money, patience, and a certain amount of stubborn belief. For Matt and Helen Barbour, owning their own vineyard was one of those dreams. Matt has been in the wine industry most of his adult life. He studied viticulture and oenology at Lincoln University in the mid-2000s and has worked in wine since. Having a vineyard was never guaranteed, but it was always the goal.

After 17 years as a volunteer firefighter, Felicity Lang is stepping into the role of first female officer for the Waipara Volunteer Fire Brigade. Felicity Lang has been answering the pager for nearly two decades. Now the Waipara volunteer firefighter is stepping into an officer role at the brigade, becoming the first woman to do so - although it’s not something she makes much of. To her, it is simply the next step. “I’m just one of the guys,” she says. “That’s how I look at

Ella Gorton with the new Ford Ranger Super Duty at the Wanaka A&P Show. Photo Claire Inkson With fuel prices climbing and global uncertainty starting to filter through to everyday decisions, the conversation around what people drive is shifting again. Petrol, diesel, hybrid - buyers are weighing it all up. At Macaulay Motors in Queenstown, Ella Gorton is having those conversations daily. There is interest in plug-in hybrids, she says, but for many South Island drivers - parti

Colin Maw with a vintage tractor and plough at the Methven A&P Show on March 14, ahead of the 2026 New Zealand Ploughing Championships. Claire Inkson Before GPS, before minimum till, before modern machinery - there was the plough. This April, that history returns to the paddock in Methven for the first time since 2010. The 2026 New Zealand Ploughing Championships and Methven Country Fair will bring together some of the country’s top ploughmen and women, along with a full week

The shores of Lake Hāwea Station will host the inaugural Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championships, with alpine views providing a dramatic backdrop for the event. What could be more kiwi than skimming stones? A flat rock, a stretch of water, a bit of friendly competition - and suddenly everyone’s eight years old again. That simple lakeside pastime is about to get a national stage, with the first-ever Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championships set for May 16 at Lake Hāwea Station. The

A big moment on stage as Bryce Win is named Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year. A win, a wedding, and a shot at the national title Less than two weeks out from his wedding, Bryce Win has added another milestone to what is already shaping up to be a big year. The 29-year-old Upper Moutere farmer was crowned Tasman’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year, earning his place at the Grand Final in July. “It is starting to sink in now,” Win said. “On the drive home, I realised I have actua

Thomas Slee after being crowned the 2026 Otago Southland FMG Young Farmer of the Year in Gore on February 7. Supplied Third time lucky for Slee in Otago Southland Young Farmer final Nightcaps dairy farmer Thomas Slee is heading to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final after taking out the Otago Southland regional title in Gore on February 7. The 28-year-old accumulated 271 points across five demanding modules at the Gore A&P Showgrounds, finishing ahead of Henry Smith

Farmers and transport operators say rising fuel prices are already reshaping decisions on the ground, with pressure building across the entire rural supply chain. Uncertainty is the word coming through loudest from rural New Zealand as fuel prices climb sharply off the back of the Iran conflict. Mid Canterbury farmer and Federated Farmers arable chairperson David Birkett says the impact is immediate - and far-reaching. “The vibe is uncertainty -everyone knows that fuel affe

1. Most of Renae’s farming life had been spent in the North Island, where she was born and raised. South Otago brought a new climate, new systems and a steep learning curve. Supplied. Renae Flett did not grow up dreaming of becoming a dairy farmer. Her career began almost by accident. “I think it was from a friend who took me to where he was working one day, milking. And from then on I decided cows were fun,” she says. That was around 18 years ago. Since then, Renae has

EcoPond being applied on Cam Henderson’s Oxford farm - a simple system targeting methane at the pond level. Claire Inkson A Canterbury farm hosted a global delegation last week as Synlait and Nestlé showcased EcoPond - a New Zealand-developed system reducing methane emissions from effluent ponds by more than 90 percent. A busload of visitors pulled into Cam Henderson’s Oxford dairy farm on March 18, carrying a mix of Synlait staff and international guests - for many, their f