Ag in Conversation

EP 144 | Election Watch: Farming, Markets & What Comes Next

With the election looming, we're checking back in on what the major parties are offering New Zealand agriculture — and, importantly, what's changed since our last Election Watch.

We look at the latest policy announcements affecting farmers, from water infrastructure, consenting and fertiliser security to fuel costs, investment incentives, climate policy and environmental regulation.

But first, we're heading offshore for three stories with some fascinating implications for New Zealand agriculture.

🥩 A halal certification issue has disrupted NZ meat exports to the UAE — highlighting just how quickly non-tariff barriers can affect market access.

🐄 An Irish dairy-beef research project is looking at how better genetics, calf selection and management can turn dairy-origin calves into valuable beef animals. What could New Zealand learn as we continue tackling the bobby calf challenge?

🦌 And NZ farmed venison could soon be feeding around 5,000 US Army cadets at West Point, as American demand grows for venison as a lean, premium protein.

Then we finish with our pre-election deep dive: what's new, what's relevant to agriculture, and which policies could actually make a difference at the farm gate?

Join Myfanwy Alexander and Emily Walker for another Ag in Conversation.

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EP 142 | So… What’s All the Farmlands Drama About?

This week on Ag in Conversation, we're digging into one of the biggest talking points in NZ farming right now: Farmlands, AgriZeroNZ and the backlash that's followed.

What has Farmlands actually agreed to? Why are some shareholders so unhappy about it? What's behind the investment, where does the money go, and what could it actually mean for the average Kiwi farmer? We strip away some of the noise and look at the facts, the concerns and the bigger picture — without telling you which side you should be on.

But it's not all drama! We're also talking about a Kiwi independent grocer with ambitious plans to take on New Zealand's supermarket duopoly, and Myfanwy gets very excited about Welsh rugby legend Nigel Owens swapping the whistle for Hereford cattle.

Supermarkets, farming, rugby, emissions and a healthy dose of rural controversy — just another week in agriculture.

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode covers three big farming and food topics that are all showing up in the same week: UK subsidy reform, the rise in high-protein consumer demand, and the controversy around methane-reduction technology for cattle. Myfi and Emily connect the dots between policy, public health trends, and the realities of producing food in a unique pasture-based system.We discuss why UK farmers are facing a major funding reset, why shoppers are leaning hard into protein and whole foods, and why a new cattle methane vaccine is drawing both interest and concern.

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

141 | Emily and Myfanwy cover a packed farm news update, from record red meat export returns and PAMU’s profit surge to the political noise around freshwater rules. The main deep dive looks at why diesel and fertiliser costs are climbing together, how Middle East supply disruptions are rippling through global markets, and what farmers can do to reduce input pressure.

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE and get your ticket to the Ladies Long Lunch at Riverstone in Oamaru, HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EP 140 | El Nino, not all sunshine and warm winds

🌧️ Weather. 🥛 Milk price. 🌲 Carbon farming. 🗳️ An election looming.

There’s plenty to talk about in NZ agriculture this week.

We start down south, where farmers in Southland and on the West Coast are battling relentless wet conditions — and take a moment to acknowledge the very real pressure that puts on people, stock and farming systems.

Then we look ahead at El Niño. What could a strong event mean for pasture growth, feed costs and farm profitability — and does a $9.50 milk price still look quite so exciting if breakeven starts nudging $9/kgMS?

Fonterra has delivered a huge FY26 result, so we unpack the numbers and ask what the post-Mainland version of our biggest co-op might look like

.

Then we're talking trees 🌲 — specifically carbon forestry, whole-farm conversions and whether the ETS is creating the right incentives for NZ's productive land and rural communities.

And finally: Election Watch is here. 🗳️

With the election approaching and agricultural policy starting to come thick and fast, we're looking past the slogans at what the parties are actually proposing — and what those policies could mean on farm.

🎙️ All that, plus the usual opinions, tangents and agricultural chat, on this week's Ag in Conversation.

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

139 | The episode covers wilding pines, the new mandatory farm plastics recycling scheme, drone spraying rule changes, and what the major farming organisations are asking of politicians ahead of the election. They close with a practical resource for rural governance and trustee vacancies across New Zealand.

https://www.rrgnz.org.nz/job-board

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EP 138 | 🎙️ So… What Did We Miss?

We’re back! After a few weeks buried in calving, we’ve finally emerged to discover that global agriculture certainly didn’t take a break while we did.

This week, we’re catching up on some of the biggest ag stories from around the world.

🌾 Europe has been cooked by heat and drought — while farmers face the ugly combination of falling output prices and rising input costs.

🌽 A monster Argentinian corn crop is helping redraw global grain trade as war in Ukraine, European drought and Brazil’s growing appetite for corn all shift where the world buys its feed.

🇺🇸🇨🇳 China is buying American soybeans again — but is it about supply, economics or geopolitics?

🐄 The US is running seriously short of cattle, beef prices are soaring and the response has been to open the door to more imported beef. So what does that mean for farmers trying to rebuild the herd — and is there an opportunity for NZ?

🥛 Back home, global dairy supply has finally caught up with demand, putting some pressure on milk prices.

And tying it all together: global food prices are rising again.

There’s a LOT to catch up on. No deep dive this week — the news has given us quite enough to talk about.

Can you help one of our listeners out?

He is currently undertaking a Kellogg research project focused on awareness of chemical resistance and future-proofing productivity.

If you have a few mins can you fill out his survey.

Thank you

https://lnkd.in/euPEbsHA

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep 137 | Join us in this episode, Myfi and Emily reflect on their experiences with the Agri-Women's Development Trust Escalator Program, discussing its impact on leadership, confidence, and community. They share personal stories, lessons learned, and the importance of supporting women in agriculture and governance.

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

136 | Emily and Myfi catch up with first repeat guest Deanne Parks for a wide-ranging conversation about rural women’s mental health, her Inside Out workshops, and how life has changed over the past two years. Deanne also shares a deeply personal update about her son’s severe spinal injury, and the tools, support, and mindset that helped her family through it.

In this episode, we hear how advocacy, community, and simple mental fitness tools can make a real difference when life gets overwhelming. Deanne also explains why women need more space to talk honestly, ask for help, and be included in the mental health conversation.

https://www.facebook.com/DeanneParkesOffical/

https://deanneparkes.com/home/

https://www.instagram.com/deanne_parkes_/

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

135 | Emily sat down with Kate Cullwick, one half of Foxtrot Home, about how a side hustle between sisters became a thriving homewares business rooted in rural New Zealand. Kate shares the early decisions that shaped the brand, from choosing an online model and visual products for Instagram to prioritising natural fibres, sustainability, and giving back. We also dig into the process of how Kate and her husband have brought wool from their family farm into the business and manufacture beautiful blankets entirely in New Zealand.

She also talks about balancing farming, family life, and business ownership.

Check out their beautiful collections here - https://foxtrothome.co.nz/

Big thanks to our partners Cinta Insights and Ag Assist for supporting our podcast.

Sign up to our newsletter HERE

HOSTS | @‌emilywalker @‌myfanwyalexander

Intro/outro copyright info

Track: "Sunrise Instr"

Music provided by Slipstream - Tell Your Story with Music | 1 million+ Songs & Sound Effects

Free Download / Stream: Sunrise Instr 001 by The Rhinestone Cowgirls | Slipstream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.