Blue Shed Diary

New Zealanders are known innovators - particularly in the regions. Hamilton Farmer Bill Gallagher brought electric fences to the world and Southlander David Strang invented instant coffee. Both are staples on Kiwi farms throughout Aotearoa. We have never been shy from trying new things, but our primary industries are now being reshaped by AgriTech. Is this transformation a force for good? Are we ready for it?

Joining the conversation is Sarah Bell, senior researcher at the Helen Clark Foundation - an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank. Sarah's new discussion paper, 'Growing Innovation: The next wave of AgriTech for rural New Zealand,' says our policy settings need to be ready in order for the industry to thrive.

To read this discussion paper, visit: Helen Clark Foundation

It's September, the grass is greening, the birds are tweeting, and the flowers are blooming which is why it's the perfect month for Bee Awareness.

Bees play a HUGE part in our environment, economy, and food supply chain. These fuzzy fliers contribute some $5 billion (Yes, that's billion with a BEE) to our economy. Plus, growers and farmers need bees, and other pollinators, to thrive. But some practices (like applying herbicides and pesticides) can do harm.

Helping our growers and farmers to not be buzzkills this spring, we talk to Chris Lambert, PGG Wrightson Technical Specialist. He joins the conversation for Blue Shed Diary podcast's Tech Talk, to give advice on bee-ing safe.

Blue Shed Diary's Tech Talk has us answering your burning technical questions with PGG Wrightson's Technical Team.

August Tech Talk Topic is Calf Rearing. Many farms already have calves on the ground; others have calves on the way. Nutrition is essential to giving calves a good start, so to make sure you're feeding and nutrition game is on point, we turn to PGG Wrightson's Expert for Animal Production Christian Muller.

If you have a question for our tech team, send us an email at: [email protected]

In 2020, recognising agrichemical resistance was on the rise and needing to find better solutions for growers and consumers, industry and government collaborated on the creation of ‘A Lighter Touch’ programme. It’s mission? A seven-year, $27 million programme to reduce horticulture, arable, and wine growers' reliance on agrichemicals and to transition to biologicals and integrated pest management systems or agroecological pest management.

Now, as the programme is scheduled to wrap next year, A Lighter Touch has launched a new toolkit for growers to keep the mahi going, and to keep what works working.

Joining the conversation is A Lighter Touch Programme Director Livia Esterhazy.  

For more information on the 'Keep What Works, Working' programme, visit here.

To learn more about adopting crop protections strategies with 'A Lighter Touch', visit here.

Cash for Communities helps farmers and growers give back to the people and places keeping rural New Zealand strong through eligible fertiliser and agrichemical purchases they make in spring.

Since 2011, more than a million dollars has gone to local schools, sports clubs, community organisations, Westpac Helicopters, Hato Hone St John, and the Cancer Society of New Zealand.

1 in 3 New Zealanders will be diagnosed and the Cancer Society helps patients and whānau navigate their journey by offering information, practical and emotional support, transportation, and accommodation. Their mission is huge, but donations are their only source of funding. So, contributions from Cash for Communities or Daffodil Day (28 August 2026) means everything.

Joining the conversation is Nicola Coom, Cancer Society New Zealand CEO.

For more information about Daffodil Day, visit: www.daffodilday.org.nz

For more information about Cash for Communities, visit:

www.cashforcommunities.co.nz

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary, a podcast about and for our farmers and growers. In August, the pod took a roadie to Hastings to check out PGG Wrightson's 'new-ish' Research & Development site.

Eleven months ago, PGW took over the lease at the Geelan Family Trust Research station to run a large portion of some 70 scientific trials we conduct each year.

Host, and Technical Team Manager, Milton Munro and Marcus Fitzsimmons, Extension Advisor, take a video-tour of the grounds to give you a behind the scenes look at what is being done and how it benefits customers.

Welcome to Blue Shed Diary - a podcast about and for growers, farmers, and rural communities.

Blue Shed Diary loves a road trip, and for our latest roadie we visited PGG Wrightson's Research & Development Site in Hastings and interviewed our newest Technical Advisor, Laura Morgan.

Laura started her career as an intern but has since moved up the ladder into a full-time gig at the R&D Station where she works with the Tech Team on the 50-odd trials currently in operation.

She joins Milton Munro, our host and Technical Teams Manager (a.k.a. her boss) for a conversation.

The Rural Support Trust helps our Farmers, Growers, and Rural Communities thrive in good times and bad. Through well-being initiatives to community connection to advice and support through financial pressure or adverse events, RST is there.

The people of the Rural Support Trust are farmers and growers, too. They know the life, and the challenges, too. PGG Wrightson are big fans of the Rural Support Trust and their mahi, so at Fieldays, host Milton Munro sat down with Michelle Ruddell, Te Tai Tokerau Trustee and Chair of the National Council.

Two years ago, when Cait Majeski (decidedly not a farmer) returned to the family farm to help her father after surgery, she often found herself crying in the field trying to figure out what to do next.

With an office background, she was used to having tools to help manage the workload, but she couldn't find anything like it for farming. So, she built it herself.

Introducing Pacala - a spatial management system -- or software platform for use on-farm. No wifi, no problem. At your fingertips you have blueprints, paddock maps, logbooks -- all on one screen. So, everyone on the team is connected to the same source of truth.

Cait debuted Pacala at the Innovation Hub at Fieldays, and joins the conversation.

To try Pacala yourself, visit: Pacala Demo

Each year, Young Winemakers (30 years or younger) from around Aotearoa compete for top prize in the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year Competition. Part of the prize, besides bragging rights, is a regional winemaking tour with PGG Wrightson Fruitfed Supplies.

The three National Finalists for 2025 got a tour of the Wairarapa wine region and Blue Shed Diary came along on the ride. Together they visited several local vineyards, got to know about more about the craft from the head winemakers, and tried many a delightful drop along the way.

It was a jam-packed few days, so we fit in our interview where we could, literally, by recording from the car on the way toanother winery visit. So, we apologies in advance for a bit of road noise and the recorded voice giving directions. Despite this, we were able to explore what winemaking means for these young creators, how exploring the craft through another maker's work inspires them, and what makes a good and interesting drop.

Joining the conversation are the 2025 National Finalists:

Thalia Osborne, North Island Young Winemaker from Hawke's Bay, Dingying Jiang, Central Otago Young Winemaker, and National Winner of the 2025 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year competition, Ruby McManaway, whois from Marlborough.