The Country

Jamie Mackay talks to Ian Kirkpatrick, Doug Avery, Nick Hammond, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, and Jeremy Rookes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask the Patron of New Zealand Rugby (and Poverty Bay farmer) what he thinks of Sky's decision to drop the two shows that extensively cover the club and lower-level provincial scenes. The Grassroots Rugby (club) and Mainfreight Rugby (lower provincial) programmes are amongst the longest-running on New Zealand television, their longevity and emphasis on normal lives seeing them dubbed the “Countr...

We talk to the Resilient Farmer, a man who reinvented himself and his mental state of mind after the crippling 1997 Marlborough drought, what he makes of the current one? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask the CEO of the Spring Sheep Milk Company, which has multiple farms in the central North Island, about the future of the sheep milking industry in the wake of the shock move from competitor Maui Milk to tell its suppliers to stop milking last week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the country's leading farming academics looks at “resilience” in the primary sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does this outspoken Canterbury hobby farmer have to say about the Big Dry, the demise of "Grassroots Rugby" and the Hurricanes Women's Super Rugby team being "puppets of this redneck government" (as per their latest haka)? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Greg Herrick, Te Radar, Phil Duncan, Julian Raine, and Steve Hollander. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Golden Shears president, and current Life Member, reflects on all the action from Masteron over the weekend at the 62nd Golden Shears International Shearing and Woolhandling Championships. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MC of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest talks about Tasman regional final winner, 22-year-old dairy farmer George Dodson, who won on his third attempt at the title in Christchurch this weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former president of Horticulture NZ comments on the Waimea Dam, which began releasing water from the reservoir at the weekend to support relief from worsening drought. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday’s weatherman, and geography nerd, says New Zealand is in for a “rough 24 hours” before facing a “cold 24 hours”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The founder and trustee of the NZ Rural Games and NZ Rural Sports Awards lets us know what’s in store this week in Palmerston North. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Derek Daniell, Damien O'Connor, Mark de Lautour, and Christopher Luxon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Kieran McAnulty, Emma Poole, Tim Dangen, Ray Smith, Brett Boreham, and Barry Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Labour Cabinet Minister, and TAB bookie, is still a passionate advocate for the Golden Shears. Today we talk about shearing, footy and politics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Dangen Zone panel discusses Fieldays, farmer confidence and a fleeting television career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Director General of MPI talks about dry conditions for farmers, M. Bovis management, Biosecurity Awards and the focus for the year ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brandt's Northland sales manager on the ground on day two of the Northland Fieldays at Dargaville.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wrap the week in politics and in the media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Rowland Smith, Jen Corkran, Chris Russell, Campbell Parker, and Daniel Eb. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Masterton to yarn to the eight-time winner of the Golden Shears and 2014 World Champion about the injury that’s forced his shock withdrawal from this year’s competition. We also get his pick for the open title with Toa Henderson a hot favourite. Plus, we ask how things are going on his Hawke’s Bay farm as the recovery from Gabrielle continues.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

We find Rabobank’s senior animal protein analyst on day one of the Northland Field Days at Dargaville, where we discuss the bank’s latest Q1 Beef Quarterly Report and outlook for New Zealand beef.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this morning we caught up with our Australian correspondent and we talked (wishful thinking) about cricket, electric utes and hydrogen tractors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chief executive of DairyNZ comments on the Blue Greens conference over weekend, the organisation’s priorities for 2024, and how his industry-good body is working with B+LNZ and Federated Farmers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We catch up with the founder of Open Farms, which is back on Sunday, March 10. The initiative has put over 10,000 urban Kiwis on-farm since its inception in 2020 and aims to reconnect urban folk with the people and places that grow their food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.