Any company that has a 50-year relationship with a supplier is justified in feeling proud.

The success of a recent UK auction of 1960s tractors should be a prompt to see what’s lurking in the gloom of your old machinery shed.

Determined to reinvent itself as an adventurous SUV brand, Holden recently invaded the far flung Chatham Islands, shipping in its entire SUV range and an army of motoring journalists.

Founded in 1955, Pukekohe-based Fieldmaster is well known New Zealand-wide for its mowing and post driving equipment for the agricultural, orchard, viticulture and municipal sectors.

Since Mulch and Mow Ltd started business in 2004, Duane Crow has run out of fingers counting how many tractors he’s bought, but he thinks the tally is 14.

Many agricultural contractors use off-the-shelf machinery to deliver their services, but others ingeniously modify such gear or design bespoke implements to fulfil a particular need.

Twin or four rotor tine-based swathers tend to dominate the market for machines that will satisfy the voracious appetites of self-propelled foragers and large balers.

Wearing parts for soil engaging implements are a hefty cost for any farmer or contractor, so selection should be based on factors such as prevailing conditions and areas to be covered.

The Canadian off-road vehicle maker Can-Am, which claims the top spot in the side-by-side sector with its Defender range, went on tour recently to show its machines NZ-wide.

Erratic weather and seismic events, more frequent these days, are prompting many farmers to have standby generators on site.