Blue Shed Diary

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary, a podcast for farmers and growers produced by PGG Wrightson. We get insight into what is on the horizon for NZ's farmers and growers after the new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect in November. As New Zealand and India's relationship grows, there's lots of interest in seeing what opportunities are out there for our Primary Industries from this quic...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary-- a podcast for growers, farmers and rural communities. With El Niño beginning to make its mark this spring, what can our pipfruit growers be doing to prevent the predicted super dry weather from pipping them at the post with their crop? Joining the conversation for this month's Tech Talk is Technical Manager for Fruitfed Horticulture, Kevin Manning.

For this episode of Tech Talk, we chat Joseph Watts, a member of PGG Wrightson's Technical Team who specialises in agronomy. When the weather is predicted to be super dry or super wet during this super El Niño -- what can farmers do to prepare and how do they keep their pastures growing throughout the season?

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary, PGG Wrightson's podcast for farmers and growers. El Niño is on everyone's lips. Since Earth Sciences New Zealand (formally NIWA) declared it three months ago, we have begun to see 'signs' of this super or godzilla El Niño. Spring has brought a mixed bag of weather to the regions, but the worst of the predicted weather has yet to arrive. So, to get the la...

Before picking a chemical option to tackle pests in your crops, is there a more natural option? Biological control agents are growing in popularity to deal with pest and disease problems. Rather than turning to pesticides, beneficial insects, mites, and microbes are part of Integrated Pest Management programmes. Bioforce Ltd, a New Zealand owned and operated company, is helping you find the most n...

Māori agriculture is a major economic powerhouse. The average area of Māori farms is two and half times larger than all farms in New Zealand. Nearly half are iwi-owned and operated. However, if you only compare livestock numbers and land area, you miss a large part of what Māori agribusiness entails, including how success is measured.   Joining the conversation to talk about the quadruple bottom-l...

Accidents happen, especially on farm. But that doesn't mean we need to accept the status quo. One group, Safer Farms, is working with farmers, growers, industry organisations, like PGG Wrightson, government, and safety experts to de-risk the industry…because EVERYONE deserves to get home safely after a day on the tools. Who do farmers listen to? Farmers. So, Safer Farms selected three Regional...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary podcast. This year, PGG Wrightson had a big birthday, 175 years. 175 years of helping Kiwi farmers and growers adapt and change. It's a legacy we want to continue for another 175 years. To celebrate, we have offered two scholarships to agriculturaland horticultural uni-students in their final year who had the best answer for this question: “Looking ahead to the next 25 y...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary's Tech Talk--where we get advice from PGG Wrightson's Technical to help you on farm. Today's Tech Talk is about Clover. The small plant doing some very heavy lifting in our pasture systems. Clover can improve feed quality, support animal performance, and most importantly-through Nitrogen fixation-supply valuable Nitrogen to the wider pasture. Getting it is es...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary! Many farmers and growers listening to the podcast know this year's 'Godzilla' El Niño conditions are set to impact those living from the land. Predictions show strong winds and dry conditions to large portions of the country, particularly the eastern parts. Those in the south will likely face more storms and flooding. But one farmer is taking these predictio...

PGG Wrightson celebrated a big birthday this year - 175! 175 years of helping Kiwi farmers and growers adapt and change. This is a legacy we want to continue for another 175 years. So, to celebrate this legacy, PGG Wrightson offered two scholarships to agricultural and horticultural university students in their final year who had the best answer to this question: "Looking ahead to the next 25...

New Zealanders are known innovators - particularly in the regions. Hamilton Farmer Bill Gallagher brought electric fences to the world and Southlander David Strang invented instant coffee. Both are staples on Kiwi farms throughout Aotearoa. We have never been shy from trying new things, but our primary industries are now being reshaped by AgriTech. Is this transformation a force for good? Are we r...

It's September, the grass is greening, the birds are tweeting, and the flowers are blooming which is why it's the perfect month for Bee Awareness. Bees play a HUGE part in our environment, economy, and food supply chain. These fuzzy fliers contribute some $5 billion (Yes, that's billion with a BEE) to our economy. Plus, growers and farmers need bees, and other pollinators, to thrive. B...

Blue Shed Diary's Tech Talk has us answering your burning technical questions with PGG Wrightson's Technical Team. August Tech Talk Topic is Calf Rearing. Many farms already have calves on the ground; others have calves on the way. Nutrition is essential to giving calves a good start, so to make sure you're feeding and nutrition game is on point, we turn to PGG Wrightson's Expert f...

In 2020, recognising agrichemical resistance was on the rise and needing to find better solutions for growers and consumers, industry and government collaborated on the creation of ‘A Lighter Touch’ programme. It’s mission? A seven-year, $27 million programme to reduce horticulture, arable, and wine growers' reliance on agrichemicals and to transition to biologicals and integrated pest managem...

Cash for Communities helps farmers and growers give back to the people and places keeping rural New Zealand strong through eligible fertiliser and agrichemical purchases they make in spring. Since 2011, more than a million dollars has gone to local schools, sports clubs, community organisations, Westpac Helicopters, Hato Hone St John, and the Cancer Society of New Zealand. 1 in 3 New Zealanders wi...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary, a podcast about and for our farmers and growers. In August, the pod took a roadie to Hastings to check out PGG Wrightson's 'new-ish' Research & Development site. Eleven months ago, PGW took over the lease at the Geelan Family Trust Research station to run a large portion of some 70 scientific trials we conduct each year. Host, and Technical Team Manager,...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary - a podcast about and for growers, farmers, and rural communities. Blue Shed Diary loves a road trip, and for our latest roadie we visited PGG Wrightson's Research & Development Site in Hastings and interviewed our newest Technical Advisor, Laura Morgan. Laura started her career as an intern but has since moved up the ladder into a full-time gig at the R&D St...

The Rural Support Trust helps our Farmers, Growers, and Rural Communities thrive in good times and bad. Through well-being initiatives to community connection to advice and support through financial pressure or adverse events, RST is there. The people of the Rural Support Trust are farmers and growers, too. They know the life, and the challenges, too. PGG Wrightson are big fans of the Rural Suppor...

Two years ago, when Cait Majeski (decidedly not a farmer) returned to the family farm to help her father after surgery, she often found herself crying in the field trying to figure out what to do next. With an office background, she was used to having tools to help manage the workload, but she couldn't find anything like it for farming. So, she built it herself. Introducing Pacala - a spatial...

Each year, Young Winemakers (30 years or younger) from around Aotearoa compete for top prize in the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year Competition. Part of the prize, besides bragging rights, is a regional winemaking tour with PGG Wrightson Fruitfed Supplies. The three National Finalists for 2025 got a tour of the Wairarapa wine region and Blue Shed Diary came along on the ride. T...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary - podcast for Farmers and Growers. This year we hit the road and headed to Fieldays at Mystery Creek to talk to the movers and shakers of the industry. One group, sharing a tent with PGG Wrightson, is LANDSAR or Land Search and Rescue. They are the volunteer rescue organisation you hope to never need but are so grateful they exist when you do. They help kiwis and visitor...

Blue Shed Diary hit the road for Mystery Creek in June to talk to the movers and shakers of Fieldays. Innovators are among many of the movers and shakers at Fieldays and in the Primary Industries. They are at the forefront of many changes in the sector. Halter is a New Zealand agriculture tech company who has developed solar-powered cattle collars and farm management software to assist farmers wit...

Blue Shed Diary - PGG Wrightson's podcast for Farmers and Growers - hit the road for Mystery Creek to interview the movers and shakers of Fieldays. Taking Fieldays, rural New Zealand, fashionistas, and soon the world by storm are the team of Honest Wolf. Sophie and Sam Hurley of Papanui Estate started Honest Wolf, using the wool from their farm, to find a fashionable and cool product using Woo...

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary - a podcast for Farmers and Growers. In July's Tech Talk, we turn to Christian Muller, PGG Wrightson's Technical Expert for Animal Production to talk about Dairy Cows. It's calf rearing season, and dairy cows are particularly vulnerable right now to metabolic diseases and disorders during the transition period around calving. So, how do you help cows transiti...