Let the games begin!
New Zealand's largest celebration of rural sports athletes and enthusiasts – New Zealand Rural Games - is back for its 10th edition, kicking off in Palmerston North from Thursday, March 6th to Sunday, March 9th, 2025.
Winners' field day goers witnessed the spectacular scene of more than 75 cars snaking through the back tracks of Omarama station.
The cars, in a plume of high country dust, were a visual highlight of the South Island Farmer of the Year winners' field day on Monday.
But for the more than 250 attendees, the real meat in the day was the challenges and opportunities put to them by a variety of speakers.
Hosted by the Lincoln University Foundation and title winners Richard and Annabelle Subtil and their team, the field day was a popular attraction with visitors from throughout New Zealand.
Foundation chair Ben Todhunter says the day had a strong theme of looking forward and new opportunities.
Advances in farm technology, soil science, pasture trial successes in demanding high country soils, stock genetics, data collection and application, and innovative thinking were featured, Todhunter says.
"The day had an air of optimism for New Zealand high country farming, highlighted by end users such as Silver Fern Farms (red meats) and Icebreaker (fine wools) looking at the growing benefits to New Zealand of farmers working directly with their companies to produce what the consumer wants."
Todhunter says the diverse audience was actively interested with sharp and testing questions being put to presenters.
There are calls for the Reserve Bank to drop its banking capital rules, which Federated Farmers says is costing farmers a fortune.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on livestock farmers to take part in a survey measuring the financial impact of facial eczema (FE).
Soon farmers and working dog breeders will be able to have a dog that best suits their needs thanks to a team of researchers at Massey University.
OPINION: President Donald Trump's bizarre hard line approach to the world of what was once 'rules-based trade' has got New Zealand government officials, politicians and exporters on tenterhooks.
With wool prices steadily declining and shearing costs on the rise, a Waikato couple began looking for a solution for wool from their 80ha farm.
The Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) team is looking forward to connecting with growers at the upcoming South Island Agricultural Field Days, says HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott.
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