Rural and farming news

'Our cows really surprised us': Why less is more on this dairy farm

The Burgesses' 320-cow Friesian herd now averages 700kgMS from 550kg cows.

An epic, wild 218 days: Meet the family of six who walked the length of NZ

An astonishing adventure, including being mistaken for the then-missing Marokopa family.

From hotline to honours: Farmer receives New Year Honour for rural sector service

Neil Bateup helped raise more than $3m for farmers after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Climate change is stressing Italy’s cows, and coming for your burrata

NYT: Extreme heat causes cows to produce less milk. This is a problem for cheese-lovers.

The Country: Who is Jamie Mackay's Ag Person of the Year?

On air today: Carson, Wyn-Harris, Rookes, Guy, Duncum, Wiggins, Brandolino, McKay.

The Country: Shane Jones' Ag People of the Year

Shane Jones, Alison Shanks, Todd Charteris, John McOviney, and Chris Russell are on air.

The Country: Who is the PM's Ag Person of the Year

Christopher Luxon, Miles Hurrell, Jane Smith, Hunter McGregor, and Jim Hopkins.

Fonterra spreads festive cheer with food bank support, giving trees and gifts

Sponsored content: Co-op's farmers, tanker drivers and staff are busy helping communities.

Farming with AI: Waipukurau farmer moves his stock while on holiday in Colombia

'It was just one of those light bulb moments like ‘holy s*** I need this.'

Chris Bray: 3 tech megatrends driving NZ's post-harvest revolution

OPINION: We need machine-driven agriculture, but with human oversight and innovation.

The newest farmhands are tiny and pink and love devouring a potent pollutant

Microbes at a California dairy farm cut effluent storage pond methane by more than 85%.

Scientist honoured for groundbreaking work in plant genetics

Dr Tony Conner led Southern Hemisphere's first field trials of genetically modified crops.

Alliance boss Willie Wiese steps down as Dawn Meats installs acting CEO

Dawn Meats paid $270m last year for a 65% stake in Alliance Group.

Rural leader launches finance and payments app

The GrowPay app links farmers to lending, deposits and a digital wallet.

'Our cows really surprised us': Why less is more on this dairy farm

The Burgesses' 320-cow Friesian herd now averages 700kgMS from 550kg cows.

From sawmilling to $2b empire: The Kiwi rich-listers most people have never heard of

The Richardson Group's wealth was reported at $600 million this year.

Vege tips: Carrots - how to grow (and pickle) them

OPINION: Carrots are a must for the vegetable garden; they are so versatile.

'Patient and efficient’: Praising farm dogs back in 1936

"A good canine worker represents to the full the labour element of dogdom."

An epic, wild 218 days: Meet the family of six who walked the length of NZ

An astonishing adventure, including being mistaken for the then-missing Marokopa family.

'Nuisance': Roosters keep New Plymouth awake in 1937

“I suggest that people who keep roosters should be compelled to pay a tax."

On The Up: Bourbon in wine barrels - US-made spirit gets a Hawke’s Bay twist

Zach Gustafson wants to remove the 'negative connotation' around bourbon in NZ.

Cutting-edge safety: Kiwi team builds AI chainsaw drone

Year in Review: AI chainsaw drone could revolutionise high-risk arborist work.

'Every day is a privilege': Mark Leslie on leading NZ's largest farm

This catch-up with Pāmu's CEO was one of the most-read stories of 2025 on The Country.

A-maize-ing: Young photographer puts farming life in frame

This story about a young rural photographer was widely read on The Country in 2025.