Steel Blue partners with Sweet Louise
Safety boot manufacturer Steel Blue has partnered with breast cancer support organisation Sweet Louise.
Labour's Primary Industries spokesperson Damien O'Connor has come out in support of a rural breast cancer fundraiser following 'revelations' that older farmers were loath to be associated with the colour pink.
It's been reported that farmers 'of a certain age' had not embraced a PGG Wrightson/Tru-Test Group promotion that saw $7 from various pink Speedrite products donated to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.
"While younger farmers, lifestylers and women had no qualms about purchasing these products, the older blokes were apparently very hands-off," O'Connor says.
"Maybe that's not surprising, but it is a real shame because it's an excellent cause.
"Thankfully there are enough astute women in the farming sector who know that by purchasing these products they will be contributing to that cause, and possibly helping save lives.
"One advantage of having pink gear is that it will be it easier to find in the mud, and there's plenty of that around at the moment.
"So all I can say to those old guys is that the world's changing. They need to harden up. I know plenty of men who wear pink. Hell, even I've got a light red shirt."
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.
Grace Su, a recent optometry graduate from the University of Auckland, is moving to Tauranga to start work in a practice where she worked while participating in the university's Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.

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