Mark Ferguson, chief executive of neXtgen Agri, is taking on a 2,000km movement challenge across 2026 to raise funds and awareness for brain cancer research. Supplied. Christchurch-based neXtgen Agri chief executive Mark Ferguson has set himself a significant challenge for 2026 — walking, running or riding 2,000 kilometres over the year to raise funds and awareness for brain cancer research. The challenge, called TwentySix2000, was inspired by the diagnosis of one of his clos

Nicola Johns  and Fern at their first New Zealand win in 2021. Supplied. Gundog trialling isn’t a sport that draws crowds or headlines, but it demands the same precision, teamwork and grit as any top-tier competition. To Hurunui’s Nicola Johns, it’s an obsession spanning generations, a sport that has taken her from muddy fields to national titles. Johns, who works as Animal Health Sales Team Leader at North Canterbury Vets, is secretary of the Working Retriever Club and a com

Grant Lightfoot first came up with the for Kiwi Econet idea years ago while working as a commercial diver on offshore oil rigs, spending weeks at a time in a decompression chamber. Supplied. A Southland deer farmer who once hand-knitted his first 50 metres of bale netting is now preparing to take his invention to agricultural events across Europe — and has caught the attention of Prince William along the way. Orepuki farmer Grant Lightfoot, inventor of the edible jute bale ne

Andy Macfarlane spent a lot of his life improving relationships and understanding around deer farming. Supplied. Ashburton man Andy Macfarlane was “a bit staggered” when he found out he’d received a New Years Honour. “It was the last thing I was expecting.” Macfarlane was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 Honours for his service to the Deer Industry. He and his wife Tricia have been a part of the industry for over 40 years. “We started

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

Good dogs, great yarns, and a day out worth leaving the farm for - the Hurunui Flock Tours are back, bringing the district together one paddock at a time. The top flocks from each area then go on to the Champion of Champions Day, which sees eight farms visited in one day, followed by a community prizegiving and dinner. Supplied. Each March, the hills and valleys of Hurunui come alive with the sound of dogs, utes, and good conversation as farmers open their gates for the annua

Neville Caldwell selects for growth rate, meat yield and constitution. Fertility is considered a given. Supplied. Just a few minutes inland from the Moeraki Boulders on the North Otago coast, third-generation farmer Neville Caldwell runs a Coopworth-based ram breeding operation where constitution and performance outweigh eye appeal. Caldwell established his stud about 15 years ago after attending the Gore Stud Sale and deciding he wanted more control over the quality of rams

"Farming is like being a slave to the most beautiful master," says Nadia Lim. "It consumes you. It's your home, your workplace, your life. But it's so beautiful, and it teaches you so many lessons." At Royalburn Station, perched high above Arrowtown on the Crown Range, Lim's days move with the rhythm of the land — and the happy chaos of three young boys. It's a long way from the TV studios and My Food Bag boardrooms where New Zealand first came to know her. Now, alongside her