Goat proof barns, pens to control curious animals
Part of your preventative healthcare needs to focus on the safety of the physical environment, according to a dairy goat farming website.
Cheeses made from sheep and goat milk featured in the 2023 Champion of Cheese awards.
Manawatu-based Cartwheel Creamery took home two trophies: Puhoi Valley Champion of Champions (Boutique) for its Cartwheel Creamery Opiki Ma; and CHR Hansen Champion Soft-Ripened Cheese, also for Cartwheel Creamery, Opiki Ma.
Made with goat milk, Opiki Ma is a soft, white mould cheese - traditionally called a camembert-style - with a hint of mushroom flavours and a melting texture with lingering flavour.
According to Cartwheel Creamery website, the goat milk comes from Fraser Farm in Opiki, which has a cut and carry system for 700 lively Saanen goats who are housed indoors.
It says the milk is pasteurised using a gentle batch process to ensure the maximum goodness of the raw milk is retained. Only cheese cultures, rennet and salt are added to the milk to produce young cheeses that naturally mature to develop a complex flavour profile that varies with seasons.
Family-owned Waikato cheese company, Meyer received two trophies: dish Champion Sheep Milk Cheese for its Meyer Cheese, Sheep Milk Gouda; and New World Champion of Champions (mid-sized) for its Meyer Cheese, Fenugreek.
Meyer has been a regular on the winner's podium over the past 20 years amassing dozens of trophies. It's the third year in a row they have won the Farmhouse Champion - an accolade which recognises the cheesemaker that makes its cheese on the same site as it milks its flock.
After the assessing the cheese the judging panel commented, "A lovely cheese, lovely appearance with seeds... Flavour is lovely, almost a honey flavour and sweet curry. Also lovely creamy balance."
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.