Getting sheep shape at Pyramid Farm
The vineyards at Pyramid Farm in Marlborough’s Avon Valley have never been run of the mill, with plantings that follow the natural contours of the land, 250 metres above sea level.
A SHEEP and beef farm manager from the Wellington region’s west coast has landed the top prize in Cooper’s Bumper Season promotion.
Callum Watson, who manages Papanui Station for the Belfast Partnership, was stoked to be presented with the keys to the Honda MUV Big Red earlier this month but credits the win to his wife Siobahn.
“The competition sticker was on the drum of Alliance (drench) so she thought she’d enter… It’s the first time we’ve ever won anything in our lives so it came as a bit of a shock.”
Watson told Rural News he uses a lot of the abamectin, levamisole and oxfendazole combination drench in the station’s 10,000 lamb finishing operation. “When you’re importing a lot of lambs I think it’s wise to use the best drench out there.”
Now he’s looking forward to putting the 675cc Big Red to work. “It’s a brilliant machine. We’ll use it like a farm truck come quadbike; anything from a tractor to a farmbike.”
Cooper’s Bumper Season promotion ran November to March, and featured four draws for a suite of top prizes, including Gallagher weigh scales and data collectors, Honda farm bikes and water pumps, and Stihl chainsaws. The last draw, held late last month, was for one big prize with the winner choosing between a Gallagher Sheep Auto Drafter with TSi Weigh Scale G01900 and Electronic Tag Reader G0330, or the Honda side-by-side MUV700
To be eligible entrants had to have purchased any specially labelled participating product during the promotion period and submitted a valid entry form within that period.
Pāmu has welcomed ten new apprentices into its 2026 intake, marking the second year of a scheme designed to equip the next generation of farmers with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed for a thriving career in agriculture.
One team with 43 head, including a contingent from Mid Canterbury, are reflecting on a stellar NZ DairyEvent.
Fonterra farmer shareholders have approved the mechanism for a $2/share capital return expected from the sale of its global consumer and associated businesses.
Trainees in the horticulture industry studying towards a certificate or diploma can now apply for Horticulture New Zealand's (HortNZ) 2026 Industry Training Scholarships programme.
OPINION: The first three Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions have been a morale booster for farmers.
Former Fonterra executive Alex Turnbull has been appointed CEO to lead all five Yili Oceania Business Division companies in New Zealand.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.