Ag in Conversation

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

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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

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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

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Track: "Sunrise Instr"

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

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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.

00X | show notes

This episode looks at Keri Johnston's journey from farming near Geraldine to governance, engineering, and co-chairing AWDT. It is a practical and thoughtful conversation about leadership, imposter syndrome, women’s development in rural communities, and how environmental stewardship and productive farming can work together.

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 133 |  How Rural Communities Stay Strong When Everything Is Changing : Kathryn Wright

The advice people give rural communities about mental health is often built for the wrong world.

Kathryn reveals why New Zealand’s rural struggles are different, why young men are not always facing the stressors you expect, and why land-use change can feel less like economics and more like grief.

If you live rural, work with rural people, or love someone who does, this conversation will change how you think about help-seeking, connection, and what really holds a community together. Kathryn shares the research behind her nearly finished 89,000-word PhD, along with the real-world counselling work that keeps her on the ground with farmers, shed hands, and families every week.

You’ll discover:

• Why the biggest barrier for rural men is often not shame, but not knowing where to go for help
• The surprising main stressor behind rural male distress in New Zealand
• How forestry conversions, carbon farming, and dairy change the social fabric of whole regions
• Why rural women carry so much invisible emotional labour, and why it matters
• What social infrastructure actually looks like in a thriving rural town
• Practical pathways to support, including brief intervention therapy, ACC sensitive claims, Rural Support Trust, and more

Kathryn also breaks down the hidden power of connection, the role of female friendship, the reality of succession stress, and why asking for help is not weakness, but one of the smartest things a rural person can do. Her perspective is both deeply personal and backed by years of research, making this essential listening if you want a clearer, kinder, more accurate picture of rural mental health in Aotearoa.

If you need a conversation that is honest, useful, and immediately relatable, this is the one to hit play on. And if you know someone who keeps saying "I'm fine," send this episode to them too.

Follow Kathryn on instagram:

Kathryn Wright rural mental health NZ (@ag_mental_health_nz)

See below for more information and help and advice that may have been prompted from these conversations

ACC sensitive claims service:

Support if you’ve experienced sexual abuse or assault

acc.co.nz

Brief Intervention Services

wellsouth.nz

WINZ funded counselling: 

Counselling

workandincome.govt.nz

Rural Support Trust funded counselling:

Ignite

rural-support.org.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.

132 | In this episode, we’re joined by Lindy Nelson, a sheep and beef farmer, former emergency nurse, governance leader, and the driving force behind major change in New Zealand agriculture. Lindy shares the story behind founding the Agri Women’s Development Trust, why she believed women needed stronger pathways into leadership and decision-making, and how that work has influenced rural communities across the country.We also dive into her role in Safer Farms and the Farm Without Harm movement, where the focus is on practical, real-world solutions to reduce harm on farms. From quad bike safety and rollover protection to better footwear, calving improvements, and technology that helps farming teams work more safely and efficiently, Lindy explains how safety and productivity go hand in hand.

Key Takeaways:

• Strong vision and the right people can turn an idea into a movement.
• Safety improvements work best when they are practical and farmer-led.
• Confidence at home can unlock confidence in community, business, and leadership.
• Better work design protects people, improves productivity, and supports long-term business success.
• Real change happens when people across the sector collaborate, not when they work in isolation.

Links to Lindy's work

• Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/0Vv7T52GzyDkYhD5pQIozI
• E Tipu 2021 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Q9UvdOy_M
• Farm without Harm - Quad Bike resources - https://www.farmwithoutharm.org.nz/safer-rides-2026
• Farm without Harm - Calving resources - https://www.farmwithoutharm.org.nz/be-a-farmer-for-longer
• Farm without Harm Membership - https://www.farmwithoutharm.org.nz/membership

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.