REX

Steven and Kellie Nichol of Otago's Auldamor were announced as the 2023 National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing last week. Steven joined Dom to talk about last week's celebrations and what goes down at Auldamor.

On Sunday's edition, we ask whether there really is an urban/rural divide in NZ… We take a look at the all-important issue of cyber security for farmers, And we profile one of the nation’s leading deer farmers.

On today’s edition, we check out outstanding cheese from the Pohangina Valley, find out just what is Respite Care for children on farms, and get the latest on Venison from First Light Foods Matt Gibson.

The hills to the west of Lake Hawea are home to leading deer farmers Richard and Sarah Burdon of Glen Dene Station, They are the recent winners of the coveted Elworthy Trophy for environmental management and Richard joins us now on REX.

Having your farm bank account hacked is the stuff of nightmares. Up every country road is a story of someone who’s had a cyber security breach or threat - money gone, sometimes for good. Cert NZ is a government agency that responds to cyber security threats in NZ… Sam Leggett works there as a Senior Analyst and is here today to help us get prepared.

This one’s for red meat eaters.. with NZ blessed with fantastic growing conditions for pasture-fed meat. And our next guest is Matt Gibson GM for Venison, at First Light Foods, a Hastings-based company known for supplying top Venison and Wagyu around the world.

Well, we’re very pleased to welcome back to the show Hugh Campbell, Professor of Sociology at Otago University - specialising in ag, food, and environment. He promised to come back and talk about the idea of an urban-rural divide…. Well, he’s from Dunedin, I’m Auckland based and Bex is a country girl, so we’ve got the panel covered on this one!

Our next guest not only cares for animals in her role as a dairy farmer, but she cares for other people’s children too… Sheena O’Reilly has been a foster parent - along with raising 4 of her own children… She and her husband Soren, now provide Respite care for children - all based on their dairy farm home in Southland!

On Rural Exchange for Saturday the 20th of May all thanks to Carter’s Tyres, We see what’s on the rather large plate of MPI Director Ray Smith… we get Nathan Guys View From the Top paddock… And we check in with the Carter’s Brand Ambassador Richard Loe.

Last week we recived the findings from a Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use triggered by the very visible damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. Professor Ilan Noy is Victoria University Chair in the Economics of Disaster and Climate Change joins us on REX.

The headwaters of the Manawatu River is where Blair and Penelope Drysdale farm 146 hectares. They're community leaders in improving water quality and join us now on REX.

High and hill country farms rely on the skills of shepherds and their dog. To build up their skills and experience, they often head to different parts of the country, to try their hand on different landscapes and different breeds of stock. Marlborough raised, Lincoln Uni graduate Ben Sattherwaite recently packed up his dogs and headed to Gisborne, and joins us on REX to tell us about what life is like on the East Coast.

Last weekend was the biggest razz-m-tazz on the calendar for the Dairy Industry. It was, of course, the annual Dairy Industry Awards, held in Auckland. Richard McIntyre is a dairy farmer and chair of the Awards Trust. He joins us now.

Ray Smith has the top job at the Ministry for Primary Industries - reporting to five Ministers - covering agriculture, biosecurity, forestry, rural communities, food safety, and oceans and fisheries. He joins us on REX.