The Farming Fast Five: where we ask a farmer five quick questions about agriculture, and what farming means to them. Today we chat to Culverden dairy farmer Allie King.   1. What did your journey into farming look like? I was born and raised in Christchurch, having no knowledge or experience of farming let alone the fact that Canterbury Dairy Farming was quite literally on our doorsteps! My family and I lived in the suburbs of Christchurch, with Dad being a banker and mum a L

Each issue we ask a farmer five quick questions about agriculture, and what farming means to them. Today we chat to Sefton farmer and owner of The Good Cow Tammy Acton-Adams.   1.      What did your journey into farming look like? I grew up on a small farm on the other side of Sefton that was very diverse.  Between leaving school and when my secretary course started, I joined a shearing gang for the summer.  Oh, how I wanted to stay doing that!  But was told I had to do the c

Raised in the small settlement of Ohai, Cheyenne Wilson grew up alongside her father on sheep and beef farms, learning early how to read stock, ride motorbikes and tractors, and work hard for what she wanted. Supplied. Southland’s Cheyenne Wilson never planned on a career in dairying or agribusiness leadership.  Raised in the small settlement of Ohai, she grew up alongside her father on sheep and beef farms, learning early how to read stock, ride motorbikes and tractors, and

70 Synlait farmers who travelled to Shanghai take the stage at CIIE. Supplied. Synlait Milk marked one of its biggest occasions of the year at the China International Import Expo (CIIE). Hosted at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Centre from 5 to 10 November, this is the world’s largest import expo, attracting over 400,000 visitors and more than 4,000 exhibitors from 138 countries. This was Synlait’s eight consecutive year at the expo showcasing how, through thei

Having come from a long line of Scottish dairy farmers, dairy farming is in Lynnes blood. Supplied. Ten years after stepping off a plane from Scotland, Lynne and Gregor Ramsay are about to pay the deposit on their first New Zealand dairy farm, a 200-cow, 105-hectare property near Gore. It marks the culmination of a decade of determination, long hours and careful planning for the Southland couple. Lynne grew up in a long line of Scottish dairy and sheep farmers, while Gregor i

We ask a farmer five quick questions about agriculture and what farming means to them. Today we chat to Southland dairy farmer Gregor Ramsay.   1.What did your journey into farming look like? I grew up in a very rural village in Scotland. My mum is a teacher, and my dad was part of his family’s engineering business. My older brother and I loved farming however and found jobs on local farms from a very young age. I worked during weekends and holidays on a beautiful little fami

Open days are a great way to explore and understand what agricultural tertiary pathway to pursue and how to prepare for life at university. Supplied. Many Year 12 and 13 students are beginning to map out their futures - but for those eyeing a career in agriculture, what does preparing for the industry actually look like? According to Tom Maxwell, Senior Lecturer at Lincoln University, the ag sector is hungry for capable, skilled graduates - particularly for roles such as rura

When fourth-generation dairy farmer Olivia Cahill walks into the rotary, every cow is known by name, number and lineage. That’s because each cow carries more than a century of family breeding behind it. This winter, Olivia and her husband Jared took a bold step, shifting the historic Sherraine Holsteins stud from Ohoka to a larger property at Swannanoa, doubling their herd and creating a platform for the next generation.