Blue Shed Diary

Staples in our frozen veggie aisles - Watties and McCain - have announced they're closing up shop in New Zealand. Watties is closing factories in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin and their frozen packing lines in Hastings. McCain's is also exiting Hastings by the end of this year. Hundreds of jobs are set to be lost, but the repercussions of these closures will be felt far wider. What d...

The repercussions of military action in Iran continues to be felt globally. From the cost-of-living pressures, to rising petrol and diesel prices and stock shortages, everyone is feeling the pinch. But for rural communities, the impacts are more than just stress on the wallet. Joining the conversation is farmer and Rural Women New Zealand member, Emma Burke, who has tips on watching the wallet and...

Blue Shed Diary host, Milton Munro, and his colleague Shane McDowall, have seen the future of farming. Back from their whirlwind tour of the USA—including a visit to Microsoft in Seattle, Washington and the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, California—Milton and Shane have peered into the crystal ball and gotten insight into what innovations and technology are on the horizon for...

With the last of the fruit leaving the vine in Kerikeri, what should growers be doing next to ready their kiwifruit orchards for winter? Post-harvest advice from Technical Horticulture Representative Louise Shepherd.

While the Ag Sector has been on an upswing, one primary sector is still feeling the pinch: Arable Farmers. What's behind the struggle? Why are some looking to leave the sector in search of greener pastures? What impact will the Watties and McCain's frozen veggie closures have on the sector? And what can we do to support the industry? Joining the conversation to answer these questions and m...

For over 40 years, IHC has raised money to support people with intellectual disabilities and their whānau in rural communities through the calf & rural scheme. Farmers donate livestock (and virtual calves, too) to IHC who use the proceeds from their sale to raise vital funds. As a principal sponsor, PGG Wrightson wants to make sure everyone gets involved with Pink Week! Joining the conversatio...

Vocational, hands-on, work-based practical training is essential for bringing new farmers, growers, and workers to the industry. One of the major organisations behind this kind of training is Primary ITO, however government reforms could significantly change the way we deliver work-based education in New Zealand. What does this system look like in the future and can you have your say? Joining the...

Autumn fertiliser can be one of your largest annual input costs, but with the price of fertiliser on the rise, how can you make sure you are maximising your investment while getting the best results for your crop? Joining April's Tech Talk is PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist for Soil Science, Dr Jay Howes.

As the war in Iran continues, the impacts to the global economy cut deeper. Petrol and diesel costs are up along with price of inputs and commodities. Is this a short-term or long-term problem? And what does this mean for New Zealand's economy, particularly our farmers and growers? Joining the conversation is Simplicity Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub.

In life, there are few things in which we can all agree. The Resource Management Act (RMA) may be an exception with most New Zealanders agreeing it's in dire need of overhaul. The 25-year-old legislation governs nearly everything about NZ—our land, air, water—and what we can do with them. A lot has changed since it was enacted, and several governments have tinkered with fixes over the years. T...

Back in the day, the go-to approach for pest control was to use insecticide to kill anything moving in the crop. Not only was that not the most effective control method, but it also led to a rise in resistance. The new way is Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. This method moves beyond a chemical-only solution and employs a multi-faceted approach. It is a valuable tool for farmers and growers. Mar...

A rebound in the rural sector has seen stronger returns and bigger payouts for our farmers and growers. Its great news after several tough years. As confidence in the sector grows, so too does the interest in the rural property market. So, is it a good time to buy a farm? What operations are generating the most interest? Joining the conversation to answer these questions and more is PGG Wrightson&...

For six decades, Country Calendar has marked the lives of New Zealand's farmers, growers, and rural communities. More than half a million people, both rural and urban audiences, tune-in to watch our longest-running television show. If anything is an institution in our cultural landscape, it is TVNZ's Country Calendar. Joining the conversation is the voice behind the show, and its producer,...

It all started with 888-acres of retired farmland in East Taranaki when Miranda Wells, her partner Daryl Egarr, and brother Bjorn Doherty purchased this land in 2013 as a weekend hunting spot. But the discovery of wild kiwi changed the trajectory of their lives and this land. Together, they formed the 800-Trust which has an ambitious mission to restore a dying forest and create a biodiversity corr...

This month's On the Vine episode asks what happens when you have too many grapes? In this case, more is not always more. Turns out, in the world of viticulture, it's possible to have too much of a good thing. Last year, an estimated 100,000 tonnes, or approximately a fifth of the crop, was left on the vine. The 2026 season is shaping up to have a lot of excess grapes, too. So, what's b...

The greatest friend and worst enemy of every farmer and grower is Mother Nature. It's either too dry or too wet, too hot or too cold. Considering New Zealand is famous for having four seasons in a single day, predicting Mother Nature's whims can be a game changer. So, as we enter autumn after a no-summer summer, we decided to get insight into what the good mother has instore for us over th...

Farmers and growers like to have a yarn about the how their crops are doing, but not necessarily how their mental health and wellbeing are doing. We know farming isn't a predictable 9-to-5 job. It can be incredibly challenging and stressful, but help is available! One group giving farmers the tools to cope with the ups and downs of the job is Farmstrong. They are on a mission to improve the we...

Spraying out your old crop before re-grassing or planting new crop is standard operating procedure. But what goesinto your spray out matters. Depending on what's happening in your paddock, you may need more than a single herbicide to do the job. Is there something you can do to 'spike' theweed competition in the field? Joining the conversation is PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist for...

On the last day of February, the United States and Israel launched a joint strike against Iran—beginning a new war in the Middle East. Iran's retaliatory strikes against its neighbours including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, have all but closed shipping and travel to and from the region. So, what does a war, half a world away, have to do with New Zealand and New Zealand Farmers? Well, trad...

Women have always been the backbone of rural communities, and the ones people turn to in times of need. For these women, when they are in need, there is one organisation for them to turn to: Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ). Since 1925, its mission is to give support, connection, and voice to rural women, their families, and communities. Now, as the organisation enters its second century, how is the...

Tech Talk is our brand-new segment where we answer your questions and get technical or seasonal advice from PGG Wrightson's Technical Team and Field Reps. Joining the Conversation is Pete McKnight, PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist for Agronomy based in Otago. He has sage advice on dealing with Diamondback moths in your brassicas. Have a question you want answered? Send us an email at podcast...

Once upon a time, not too long ago, if you had pests in your crop or paddock, the go-to approach was a blanket-use of insecticides. If it was crawling, kill it. But it turns out, that is not such a great method for control; and it led to a rise in resistance. Integrated Pest Management or IPM takes a multi-faceted approach to pest management that doesn't solely rely on chemical options. Joinin...

On the Vine -- our brand-new segment takes a deep-dive into the horticulture sector. Kiwifruit is New Zealand's largest horticultural export -- nearly $4 billion last year. Given its role in our economy, it seems only fitting that we start our inaugural On the Vine segment with a focus on Kiwis. Joining the conversation is Dr Matt Glenn, CEO of the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre in Te Puke.

Introducing our brand-new segment: Tech Talk. We answer your questions and give technical or seasonal advice from PGG Wrightson's own Technical Team and Field & Hort Reps. Joining the conversation the first Tech Talk is Gary Speers, PGG Wrightson Technical Horticultural Representative based in Hastings. He gives us an update on the apple growing season.

Each summer, PGG Wrightson has a selection of university students join us for a 10-week paid internship. We pair them with mentors, provide hands-on experience in field trials, put them in our stores, send them off with our livestock and wool teams, or have them join our Research & Development teams. At the end of the internship – we want them walking away with a better understanding of the pr...