Blue Shed Diary

The ocean is not generally the first thing you think of when you think of farming in New Zealand, but one organisation is looking to change that. Surfing for Farmers is all about helping farmers find the perfect break—to get away from the hard work of farm life and have a bit of fun on a surfboard with their fellow farmers, rural families, and industry professionals. Joining the conversation for t...

Glyphosate, or 'Round Up' as it commonly known, is one of the world's most widely used herbicides. It’s been approved for use in New Zealand since the 1970's, but in recent years its safety has been called into question here and abroad. Six months ago, the New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the authority charged with looking into the safety and efficacy of our...

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for farmers and growers. Not only do you have a lot of jobs on the farm, but you also may want to squeeze in some time for relaxing, too! So, it is understandable if you're tempted to cut a few corners to get the job done. But accidents have consequences—from lost revenue to lost lives—so prevention is key! Working to improve health and safety in the...

Feral cats are taking a toll on New Zealand farms by killing native wildlife and spreading disease. Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that needs a cat's intestines to complete its life cycle and contaminates the soil and water. It can infect people, livestock, even dolphins. With millions of feral cats roaming New Zealand, the threat is everywhere -- and our farmers are feeling the pain. What can we...

By the end of March 2026, the nation's 3G network will be gone. Bit by bit, region by region, One NZ, Spark, and 2Degrees are shutting down their networks. While few in the urban centres will even notice, many rural communities will feel the pain. Joining the conversation to discuss 3G's demise and how to prepare for it is CEO of TUANZ (Tech Users Association of NZ) Craig Young.

For stories for and about New Zealand women who work the land, look no further than Shepherdess magazine. Each season, the publication delves into the lives of provincial women who play a unique role on their farms and in their communities. Six years ago, Kristy McGregor started the Shepherdess Instagram page to bridge the isolation gap that many in the primary sector feel. Now, 24-editions later,...

Our horticulture industry reached a new milestone this year - nearly $8.5 BILLION in exports. An impressive feat considering a decade ago the sector had a major problem on its hands. Resistance. The sector's response? Lean in. With consumers wanting sustainably grown food free from as many ag-chem products as possible, and willing to pay a premium, the industry decided collaboration would be a...

An orchard in Otago is doing things a little differently by ditching the diesel vehicles and machinery, installing solar panels, and adding an adopt-a-tree programme. Forest Lodge Orchard near Cromwell is better known by the name, Electric Cherry - a name inspired by their journey to become New Zealand's first certified fossil free cherry orchard. For Mike Casey, his wife Rebecca and partners...

Many farmers and growers, looking to diversify their income, are exploring agritourism. From sleeping huts and hunting to walking trails and cheese making, more and more in the primary sector are seeing how they can introduce tourism into their operation. But is getting into agritourism as simple as throwing up a sleeping hut on the back blocks and putting up a website? In a word: No. One woman is...

In April 2025, the government undertook a review into how our farm plastics are recycled, and Environment Minister Penny Simmonds walked us through the proposal to merge the existing voluntary schemes, Agrecovery and Plasback, into a single national system. Now, after industry feedback, the national system has the green light, and the Minister joins the Blue Shed Diary once again to give us all th...

In July, the EPA aka Environmental Protection Authority announced a ban on the insecticide – chlorpyrifos. It has been the primary weapon against pests like grass grub, nysius, and Argentine Stem weevil but it was also dangerous to everything and everyone around it. So, what can farmers and growers do for pest control now that Chlorpyrifos is banned. For those answers we turn toPGG Wrightson Techn...

PGG Wrightson has a long-standing commitment to Research & Development. We run some 70 scientific trials around the country each year. So, when a very unique plot of land – the Geelan Family Trust Research Station in Hastings – becameavailable, we leapt at the opportunity to have our very own dedicated R&D site. Joining the conversation is the man running the new PGG Wrightson Research &am...

Let's talk about poo. Specifically, sheep poo and why our next guest is asking farmers to send it in the mail. Why? Facial Eczema. To get an understanding of how FE impacts New Zealand, the woman behind this study is principal scientist at Beef & Lamb NZ, Dr Cara Brosnahan.

It’s not often we talk about bug guts or meet people interested in getting squashed flies and bug splatters through the mail, but Richard and Aimme want to know all about it. University of Auckland Geneticists, Dr Aimee van der Reis and Dr Richard O’Rorke, are using the dead bugs left on your license plate to unlock clues about insect biodiversity inAotearoa New Zealand. This citizen scientist pro...

Nearly half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture – methane and nitrous oxide. On a strictly per capita basis, we have the highest methane emissions in the world. In 2019, as part of the zero-carbon act, targets were set to reduce these biogenic methane emissions by 24 to 27 percent by the year 2050, but now the Government has announced a reduction in those targets to 14...

A landmark climate deal was struck in 2019 – the bipartisan legislation ‘Climate Change Response Act’ or Zero Carbon Act – which sets a legal framework for New Zealand to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Biogenic methane was the exception – with its targets set for a 24 to 47 percent reduction. In October, the Government announced they are reducing those methane targets to 14 to...

PGG Wrightson recently published our Sustainability Report and Climate Statement in which we lay out the activities of PGG Wrightson over the last year to become more sustainable and reduce our climate impact. At the helm of this report and PGG Wrightson’s Sustainability Programme is ourSustainability Manager, Michael Anderson. He joins the conversation now.

Agronomists play a huge role in the success of crops for farmers and growers. But what you may not know is there is no qualification requirement for agronomists. None. Meanwhile, overseas anyone calling themselves an agronomist must hold a recognised qualification. PGG Wrightson decided to do something about this and worked with Primary ITO to launch the very first, NZQA-approved programme and qua...

PGG Wrightson’s history extends all the way back to the 1840's when Nathaniel Levin established Levin & Co in Wellington. Since then, the company we now know has had many names and we would be surprised if there is a single farmer orgrower in New Zealand’s history who has not interacted with some form of PGG Wrightson. Big changes and consolidations in the 1990s set the stage for the PGG Wrigh...

The future is now. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere , even on our farms and orchards. There is a lot of potential and excitement around incorporating AI practices into the Primary Sector, but also pitfalls. To walk us through the future of the technology, and its role with the Primary Sector we turn to AgriTech New Zealand. Joining the conversation is Agritech's Growth and Transformation Mana...

It is September and that means the Cash for Communities programme is open. PGG Wrightson, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, and selected agchem suppliers donate $1 for every tonne of qualifying fertiliser or 10 litres of agchem products between September and November to charity. PGG Wrightson customers nominate their preferred charities, and since the start of the programme in 2011, we have given away hund...

In August, New Zealand crowned the Young Winemaker of the Year. PGG Wrightson's Fruitfed Supplies is a proud sponsor, and winners of the Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker earn a trip to Burgundy, France and whole lot more. The winner this year made four previous attempts at the crown before finding success in 2025. Joining the conversation is Ruby McManaway, who by day is a Production Win...

People around the world love to drink our wine. An impressive statistic from New Zealand winegrowers shows just how much: 81 glasses of New Zealand wine were purchased every second last year. Wine is a billion-dollar industry for Aotearoa and is a huge part of our Primary Sector. Advocating for this industry in New Zealand Winegrowers - the national organisation for our country's grape and wine se...

Each year, young fruit and vegetable growers from around the country compete for the title of Young Grower of the Year. The competitors are drawn from the winners of the seven regional competitions. This September, after a series of tough challenges, Phoebe Scherer was crowned the 2025 winner. Working full-time at Apata as Technical Lab Manager, and winning the Bay of Plenty regional competition,...

Horticulture is a major part of our primary sector. With over 4,000 growers and industry value of over $7.5B, the fruits and vegetables we grow in New Zealand are enjoyed here and around the world. But like the rest of the primary industry, growers face challenges bringing their product tomarket. Joining the conversation is Kate Scott, Horticulture New Zealand CEO who is helping our growers negoti...