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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

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

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

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

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

The Methven A&P Show is set to return on March 21, with a growing ute muster and a Ford Ranger world record attempt running alongside the day’s traditional programme. The ute-focused events have quickly become one of the show’s biggest drawcards, bringing an extra layer of energy and competition to the showgrounds. “There’s been a lot of talk about it. Every time I go out, someone mentions it,” show president Mike McKenzie said. With over $6000 worth of prizes up for grabs, h

For many, the first thing that comes to mind when the Mayfield Show is mentioned is the pig racing. There aren’t many events that can claim a century of crowds, competitions, and community spirit. But on March 14, the Mayfield A&P Show will do just that, celebrating its 100th show with a day that promises to be as lively and family-friendly as ever. From livestock judging to trade stalls, tractor pulls and the famous pig racing, the Mayfield Show has built a reputation as one

Gabe Ross (left) and Riley Meason became full time content creators last year. A turning point was when the pair entered and won the reality show ‘Tracked’. Supplied. Weekend Mish didn’t start as a business. It started with a group of mates filming their hunting trips for fun - and seeing what happened next. Today, best friends Gabe Ross and Riley Meason run one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing outdoor content platforms, sharing everything from farming skits to multi-day bush

The Gore-raised country artist Jenny Mitchell returns to the Wanaka A&P Show stage this year. Photo: Supplied Country artist Jenny Mitchell has spent the past year on big stages across Australia and New Zealand, opening for international acts, winning awards and building serious momentum. But when she steps onto the Wanaka A&P Show stage on March 13 & 14, it’s a kind of homecoming. Because long before the tours and the awards, there were A&P shows, rural halls and small-town

A Merino ram is assessed during livestock judging, highlighting the strong agricultural focus at the heart of the Wānaka A&P Show. Supplied The Wānaka A&P Show has grown into one of the South Island’s biggest rural gatherings - but at its heart, it remains exactly what an A&P show should be: a celebration of farming, families and community. Running over two days in mid-March, the show draws farmers from across the lower South Island, many of whom lock it into their calendars

1. No driving, no worries. Visitors to the North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival can rise the rails to the vent this year on The Mainlander Train. Supplied. There is something satisfying about arriving at a summer festival without the stress of driving, parking, and working out how you are getting home at the end of the day. On Sunday March 8, festivalgoers can do exactly that, with a dedicated passenger train running from Christchurch straight to the gates of the North

Jack Jordan in action, driving the axe into the block as chips fly. Supplied. World champion axeman Jack Jordan will be one of the headline acts at this year’s Amuri A&P Show on March 7, bringing international-level woodchopping back to a grassroots country stage. Jordan, who farms sheep and beef in the King Country, said balancing life on farm with competing at the top level of the sport was part of the job. “Farming certainly helps being reasonably fit, but when you are tra

One of the standout features of the show will be woodchopping, which will see a New Zealand versus Australia test series held as part of a three-day timber sports programme. There will be the crack of axes, the rumble of jet boats, the thud of hooves and the smell of hot pies in the air. For one day, Rotherham will come alive as the Amuri A&P Show marks 110 years, bringing together everything that makes a country show what it is - livestock, competition, community and a good

Omihi School is inviting locals and visitors alike to come together for an evening of food, connection and community when Food Truck Friday returns to Omihi Community Hall on Friday, March 6. Now in its third year, the event runs from 5pm to 9pm and is designed as a relaxed community gathering rather than a fundraiser. Principal Maree Lucas says the idea grew from a desire to reconnect people after COVID and create something welcoming for the wider rural community. “It’s not

Festival director Kristy McGregor says the Shepherdess Muster is about “filling your own cup so you can give back to everyone else.” Supplied From 6–8 March 2026, the small Southland community of Tokanui will host the Shepherdess Muster – a three-day festival created to give women something many don’t allow themselves very often: time. Festival director and Shepherdess magazine publisher Kristy McGregor describes it as a deliberate pause from the constant demands many women c

AgProud chairperson Jon Pemberton (left) with National Lamb Day co-founder Pete Mcdonald. Supplied. National Lamb Day will be marked again on 15 February, with organisers encouraging New Zealanders to get behind a day that’s about more than just what’s on the plate. While lamb gives the day its name, chair of Ag Proud and the National Lamb Day committee Jon Pemberton says the focus is broader, celebrating New Zealand agriculture as a whole. “This is no one’s day. It’s not Ag

What started as a grassroots addition to the Methven A&P Show on March 21 has quickly become one of its biggest crowd-pullers — and this year, the Methven Ute Muster is aiming even higher. Running alongside the event, organisers are preparing for a Ford Ranger world record attempt, alongside a growing line-up of ute categories and a new women-led class designed to broaden who the event speaks to. Run as part of the annual Methven Show, the Ute Muster has been steadily buildi