Susan Murray

Georgia Richard's early ambition was to one day live in the country and grow culinary herbs. Instead she and partner Dot Kettle run in Dovedale near Motueka which is a blooming peony venture. Dove… Audio

Sheep farmers have had a less than average year but beef finishers are smiling. Every cloud has a velvet lining. The state of the deer industry with Deer Industry New Zealand Chief Executive Dan Coup.

Cattle sales are buoyant on the East Coast following good rains while in Bay of Plenty silage is mainly being shut up on run-off blocks because of the dry. In the South Island orcharding regions were… Audio

The North Island's East Coast could do with a good lot more rain, while in the South Island lambing is still in full swing. Audio

Spring, in the few North Island regions where it had tentatively started, came to a halt this week, while in the South Island, lambing and calving is in full swing. Audio

Houses will soon be sprawling over vegetable producing land around Pukekohe, banks in Northland are advising some dairy farmers to sell up, while in the South Island frosts are keeping soil… Audio

Around the country North Island farms are generally pretty short of pasture after a more typical, colder winter, while in the south lambing and calving is underway. Audio

In the North Island calves are arriving thick and fast but in Southland, cows are still coming home from winter grazing. Audio

Mairead Fox has won the national women's gumboot throwing title and is off to compete in Italy. Audio

Rain is needed all over the North Island, it threatens to arrive but never does, while in the South Island at last there's relief for Marlborough with good rainfall, and parts of the West Coast is… Audio

Northland's summer has been a cracker compared to last year's, and South Canterbury's Opuha Dam has dried up. Audio

It is dry everywhere, many regions are desperate for rain. The Otago Regional Council is asking the Government to call for a state-of-drought declaration. Audio

Three hail storms in Hawkes Bay have damaged apple crops and in the South Island Marlborough is bone dry while Wyndham's A and P Show is cancelled due to the wet conditions. Audio

Sheep Heaven is a lifestyle block near Hamilton. Four years ago a foundation flock of ten ewes was purchased and over time the ups and downs of farming them and their off spring have been reported… Audio

The difficulty securing workers in the agriculture and horticulture sector is also hitting the racing industry. Some trainers say in 20-years, 80-percent of training stables in this country will be… Audio

Strong winds have battered most regions of New Zealand and the wind, along with intermittent rain, have delayed docking on both North and South Island farms. Audio