REX

On today's show: Dom caught up with the FMG Northern Young Farmer of the Year Lisa Kendall, who took out the award despite delays and disruption from cyclones and floods around her neck of the woods. And to tell us all about the Workplace-360 initiative, Dom is joined by Dairy NZ People Team Leader Jane Muir.

To tell us all about the Workplace-360 initiative, Dom is joined by Dairy NZ People Team Leader Jane Muir.

Dom caught up with the FMG Northern Young Farmer of the Year Lisa Kendall, who took out the award despite delays and disruption from cyclones and floods around her neck of the woods.

Stay up to date on the current weather warnings in place across much of the North Island with Richard Green, thanks to Affco.

Your one-stop solution for listening to REX off the grid - download the Weekend in Full so you don't miss any of the great Kiwi stories on REX. In part one (Saturday); we chat agri-tourism and farm diversity with the hugely impressive Nikita Gane, we look at the Climate Change Commission report with Sam McIvor from Beef & Lam NZ, and we assess the end of livestock exports with Taranaki farmer Mark Hooper. In part two (Sunday): All you need to know about duck hunting preparation ahead of opening weekend… We find out what’s making headlines in the rural print media with Tony Leggett… And we profile the best soda company in the land!

On today’s episode; All you need to know about duck hunting preparation ahead of opening weekend… We find out what’s making headlines in the rural print media with Tony Leggett… And we profile the best soda company in the land!

On today’s episode; we chat agri-tourism and farm diversity with the hugely impressive Nikita Gane, we look at the Climate Change Commission report with Sam McIvor from Beef & Lam NZ, and we assess the end of livestock exports with Taranaki farmer Mark Hooper.

Time to take a look at pine nuts! Andy and Barbara own Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts, which took out the Supreme Winner prize at the recent Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards… REX Today host Dom George caught up with Andy to find out more about the world of pine nuts…

Well, the shelf space for soda drinks is a crowded one, but a soda company that’s floated to the top is a Motueka-based business, called Pete’s Natural Lemonade… They recently won the very competitive Drink Champion section of the 2023 Outstanding Food Producers Awards… And today we have ‘Mrs Pete’ joining us here on REX, well her real name is Marleen Suy, and she’s one half of the business that she runs with her husband Pete.

Time to delve into the print pages to see what’s making headlines, Tony Leggett joins us from Country Wide and NZ Dairy Exporter.

Jason Flowerday is counting down the days to the opening of the duck hunting season… He’s finished harvesting grapes from his Marlborough vineyard Te Whare Ra and, he’s even negotiated a deal with his wife Anna… They’ve switched Mother's Day and Father's Day over, so he can get a clear ‘guilt free’ run at duck shooting!

Craig Patterson has been in the animal health game since the mid-1980s… He’s lived through some significant industry reshuffling - mainly larger companies buying up smaller brands. He was with Pfizer for 21 years, - this took him for a stint to Japan … and he’s also worked for Zoetis… Now he’s back in North Canterbury, where he is the business manager and a Director for North Canterbury Veterinary Clinics - made up of 4 clinics… He has some skin in the sheep game - with 40 Texel ewes on the home block.

Federated Farmers Taranaki President Mark Hooper is warning the loss of live exporting will be felt throughout the region ahead of a nationwide ban, which comes into force at the end of this month. A bill to ban live exports was passed in September last year, after concerns over ongoing animal welfare issues during voyages.

Last week the Climate Change Commission came out with its thoughts on the Government’s second emissions budget. The budget is to try and ‘balance the books’ - to get NZ to meet carbon emission reduction targets. Joining us now is Sam McIvor, Beef and Lamb New Zealand CEO, to talk through what the Climate Commission said, and give us a view on it from the sheep and beef industry.

Time to catch up with a good friend of the show, who always gives us something to think about! The GM of Rural at Property Brokers, Conrad Wilkshire.

Time to look back at the week that was with REX Today host Dom George.

Nikita Gane has signed up to run the St Clair Half and Noosa half marathons next month, plus the Coast to Coast next year, so she knows her stuff! But Nikita is not just a super-star athlete… She and her husband Freddie Gane purchased Kaituna Ridges, a beautiful 800-hectare sheep and beef farm between Havelock and Blenheim almost two-years-ago…. They’ve got 4 young children, run an agri-tourism business, have started a Romney sheep stud, and are looking at making wool apparel from Kaituna Ridges sheep. It doesn’t stop there….Nikita has organised many fundraisers on the farm - including a Shear-a-thon, at Kaituna Ridges for 24 hours… She joins us now from Havelock.

With citrus fruits returning to season and returning to stores, Peter Ensor joins Dom George as the Citrus NZ Exec Manager looks over the Citrus industry kicks into gear. And as it's Friday, REX host Hamish McKay joins Dom to talk all things sport.

With citrus fruits returning to season and returning to stores, Peter Ensor joins Dom George as the Citrus NZ Exec Manager looks over the citrus industry kicks into gear.

DNAiTECH won the Supreme Award at the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards last week. Dom George caught up with Dr Murray Broom from the Blenheim-based company to hear about the work they have done to get to where they are today. And with the launch of the "Good things start with New Zealand Beef and Lamb" campaign by B+L NZ, Dom caught up with CEO Kit Arkwright to get down to the bones of the new campaign.

With the launch of the "Good things start with New Zealand Beef and Lamb" campaign by B+L NZ, Dom caught up with CEO Kit Arkwright to get down to the bones of the new campaign.

DNAiTECH won the Supreme Award at the 2023 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards last week. Dom George caught up with Dr Murray Broom from the Blenheim-based company to hear about the work they have done to get to where they are today.

After a series of earthquakes hit the lower North Island in the morning on Wednesday 26th April, Dom caught up with the President of Federated Farmers Hawkes Bay Jim Galloway as the region can't catch a break. And to talk about the National Parties' new Agricultural Policies, including the "Get back to Farming" package, Dom caught up with Ag Spokesperson Todd McClay about their ideas.

To talk about the National Parties' new Agricultural Policies, including the "Get back to Farming" package, Dom caught up with Ag Spokesperson Todd McClay about their ideas.

After a series of earthquakes hit the lower North Island in the morning on Wednesday 26th April, Dom caught up with the President of Federated Farmers Hawkes Bay Jim Galloway as the region can't catch a break.

Dom George looks back on an interview from a few years back with ANZAC historian David Broome. And we revisit the small town of Rissington, On the corner of Soldiers Settlement Road in the small Hawkes Bay town of Rissington stands tall a hand-carved ANZAC sculpture that was made with a dying redwood tree. Bronwyn Farquharson was one of the local masterminds behind the development of the carving, and joins Dom George on REX Today to look back on the town's long connections to both World Wars, and how they will be commemorating this year's ANZAC day.

With ANZAC Day this week, Dom George looks back on an interview from a few years back with ANZAC historian David Broome.

After being named the supreme winners of the Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards for 2023, Co-owner of Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts Andy Wiltshire joins Dom to share his excitement after their long-awaited win. And ahead of The Big Check-in online exercise run by Beef + Lamb New Zealand on May 4th, New Zealand Defence Force Chief Mental Health Officer Lieutenant Colonel Steve Kearney joins Dom ahead of the event and how you can join in with the interactive session next week.

Ahead of The Big Check-in online exercise run by a pan-sector team on May 4th, New Zealand Defence Force Chief Mental Health Officer Lieutenant Colonel Steve Kearney joins Dom ahead of the event and how you can join in with the interactive session next week. Register for The Big Check-in here

After being named the supreme winners of the Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards for 2023, Co-owner of Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts Andy Wiltshire joins Dom to share his excitement after their long-awaited win.

You’d be hard-placed to find someone who’s been more intertwined with the Merino wool industry over the years, than John Brakenridge… He’s been involved with the NZ Merino Company since it was set up by growers in 1996 - known then as Merino New Zealand… John’s lived through the McKinsey Report of 2001 and the dissolution of the NZ Wool Board… He’s seen the highs and lows but kept his focus, and won the KPMG Outstanding Contribution to International Business Award, in 2013… He’s now close to stepping down as CEO of the NZ Merino Company, but we understand, he’s still got some pots on the boil in NZ businesses.

Mel Brookes is head of a farmer-owned cooperative… Nope, it’s not a meat company… Rather she’s the CEO of an irrigation cooperative, known as MHV Water… Based on the Hinds plains, it has two hundred farms involved, covering 50,000 hectares across Mid-Canterbury.

Time to head to Canterbury to find out what life is like for the man off the big farm, Carter’s Brand Ambassador, Richard Loe.

Ed Marfell has been in the livestock game for 40 years… Based in Canterbury, he’s the General Manager of Livestock for Hazlett. Being at the epi-centre of Canterbury lamb, that golden pinnacle of tastiness, we thought he’d be a good person to discuss all things lamb, in particular, what’s the ideal store lamb out there, to make a buck over winter, and deliver to export markets by spring… And, for our urban listeners, a store lamb is one that is still too light to be suitable for the table.

Stuart Smith is the MP for the Kaikoura Electorate and the National Party Spokesperson for Energy, Viticulture, and the Earthquake Commission… He’s based in Blenheim and used to run a vineyard and winery and was Chair of NZ Winegrowers, before entering politics. Even further back, he was a sheep and beef farmer in Methven.

Professor Derrick Moot is known by many as the Lucerne Guru… It all started after he revived interest in this luscious legume, through preaching the benefits of direct grazing… Patches of green lucerne are all over dryland NZ and he has his own text service to farmers on how to manage lucerne… But he’s not a one-trick pony… Prof Moot is a lecturer in Agricultural Sciences at Lincoln University and is heavily involved in on-farm research… One of his more recent projects has been the Hill Country Futures programme - an eight-million dollar programme focused on future-proofing the profitability, sustainability and well-being of New Zealand's hill country… He joins us today, to tell us more about it. And maybe mention that L word.

Right, get your horse saddled, we’re off for a trek down the South Island with Katie Herries… Katie has just completed a 940-km journey from the top to the bottom of the South Island… She’s worked as a shepherd, hunter, shearer, and a horse packie - learning the ropes in Canada… Now she’s recovering back in Hawarden, in North Canterbury, where we catch up with her

For those farmers out there, it’s pretty likely you started your farming career with a bit of help from the Lincoln University Farm Budget & Technical Manuals… These ‘bibles’ of agribusiness have been around since the 1960s… In the next few months, the updated Farm Budget manual is due to come out… Rob Reynish is the man behind them - he’s an agribusiness consultant in his own right, but also works as Business Manager for the Agribusiness and Commerce Faculty, at Lincoln… He joins us on REX.

On the corner of Soldiers Settlement Road in the small Hawkes Bay town of Rissington stands tall a hand-carved ANZAC sculpture that was made with a dying redwood tree. Bronwyn Farquharson was one of the local masterminds behind the development of the carving, and joins Dom George on REX Today to look back on the town's long connections to both World Wars, and how they will be commemorating this year's ANZAC day.

The only membership association representing New Zealand veterinarians is hitting a century soon, and to talk about the purpose of the NZVA and more, their President Dr. Kate Hill joined us on the show. And Edmond de Rothschild Heritage Wines Managing Director Boris Breau has been in the country to celebrate the company’s recent purchase of the 52-hectare Akarua Estate in Bannockburn, including the brand, winery, and 34.5-ha vineyard. He joined Dom George ahead of his return to the EDRH head office in Bordeaux.

Edmond de Rothschild Heritage Wines Managing Director Boris Breau has been in the country to celebrate the company’s recent purchase of the 52-hectare Akarua Estate in Bannockburn, including the brand, winery, and 34.5-ha vineyard. He joined Dom George ahead of his return to the EDRH head office in Bordeaux.

The only membership association representing New Zealand veterinarians is hitting a century soon, and to talk about the purpose of the NZVA and more, their President Dr. Kate Hill joined us on REX Today.

Hamish McKay is in the chair today, he gets a GDT update from NZX's Amy Castleton, and Rabobank Agribusiness Manager Paul Brough joins the show to discuss his work in bringing a group of Mongolian Shearers to the country after seeing them using shear with scissors whilst on a trip to the East Asian country...

Rabobank Agribusiness Manager Paul Brough joins the show to discuss his work in bringing a group of Mongolian Shearers to the country after seeing them 'shear' with scissors whilst on a trip to the East Asian country...