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A big wave from Kiwi Keith

Jim Brooker (83), of Darfield, was an interested spectator at this year’s NZ Ploughing Champion.

Jim Brooker (83), of Darfield, recalls winning the first NZ Ploughing Championship at Oamaru in 1956 when he was 23 years old.

Champion ploughman does it again

Ian Woolley with wife Jenni winner of the 2015 Silver Plough Trophy.

2014 champion ploughman Ian Woolley, of Blenheim, has again won the Silver Plough, sponsored by Case IH, and will represent New Zealand at the World Ploughing Championships in Denmark this September.

Science coming second in water decisions

DairyNZ water specialist Tom Stephens says emotions and values now dominate decisions on water quality.

Emotions and values now come first in water quality assessment and science comes second, says a water quality specialist with DairyNZ, Tom Stephens.

Costly fight too much for HortNZ

HortNZ’s Chris Keenan: “We are deeply concerned about this decision across the country.”

An "unworkable and economically” damaging recent Environment Court decision will not be challenged by Horticulture New Zealand because of the cost and time involved.

Sleep inducer goes to market

Canterbury dairy company Synlait Milk has begun selling a milk powder ingredient it claims is clinically proven to enhance sleep.

Close eye on animal truckers

Transport firms are coming under increasing scrutiny over carting livestock not fit for travel.

Trucking firm are coming under particular scrutiny about transporting cows that aren’t fit to travel, says Chris Leach, DairyNZ senior developer - animal husbandry and welfare.

Fruit-fly zone reduced

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says it is relaxing the fruit and vegetable movement controls for some households within Auckland’s fruit fly zone.

Mill opens cafe to showcase its wares

Farmers Mill chief executive Grant Bunting.

Overwhelming retail demand has prompted South Canterbury start-up flour miller Farmers Mill to open a café to showcase its Homebake range and other products.

Jogging collective memory about wool

Chair of NZ Campaign for Wool Trust Philippa Wright.

Initiative are underway in New Zealand and overseas to highlight the benefits of wool and to increase its use in buildings and homes.

Stopbank cuts costs farmers plenty

Northland farmer Steve Brown copped a $67,500 fine for cutting a stopbank during last year’s flood.

Two Northland farmers who dug through a stopbank during Northland’s biggest floods in July 2014 have been fined a combined $112,000, with one farmer copping most of the penalty.

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Hunting trip leads to hort career

Hamish Gates (R) in action during the horti-sports section of the 2015 Young Vegetable Grower of the Year Contest.

Young Vegetable Grower of the Year, Hamish Gates, may never have joined the horticultural industry if it wasn’t for the global financial crisis.

It’s all about safety

WorkSafe says its Safer Farms Programme is about helping farmers meet their current and future legal obligations.

In April two people died on farms in ‘workplace’ deaths – one was a boy aged 14. And in Waikato in April a toddler nearly drowned in dairy farm effluent.