OPINION: Most of us are under the impression that all of New Zealand has fertile soil that’s great for growing food. It’s more or less a fairy tale.

Runners-up for the Canterbury/North Otago Sharemilker of the Year title are Shaun and Andrea Wise, who contract milk 590 cows for Dairy Holdings on a 134ha Rangitata Island property.

A Buddhist couple whose personal philosophy forbids them owning cows has taken out the Canterbury/North Otago Share Farmer of the Year title.

A small organic farm in South Auckland has become the first NZ recipient of DeLaval’s new robotic milking system, the VMSTM V300.

DairyNZ has affirmed its commitment to the Dairy Tomorrow initiative which outlines six broad goals for the sector.

Ballance Agri Nutrients’ farm environment planning tool MitAgator last month won the Smart Farming Award at the South Island Agricultural Field Days at Kirwee.

Applying chemicals to arable or grassland crops has many variables — differing chemical formats and target volumes, and forward speeds that vary with undulating terrain.

Rural banker Rabobank is forecasting a milk price of $7.15/kgMS for the new season.

Soaring butter prices may see next season’s milk price go beyond $7/kgMS – even as high as the mid sevens.

Farmers spend many hours planning their lives around the farming year, but often health and safety is left out.