This week Country life talks to an American poultry farmer about her bird flu experience, visits a llama farmer and meets a family who've been farming celery for more than a century.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

In this episode:

• 0:59 - Rural news wrap
• 5:45- What New Zealand can learn from a farmer who lived through H5N1
• 17:43 - Addicted to yarn: Llama herd follows love of fibre
• 31:36 - Celery, butterflies and Travis the goat

With thanks to:

• Georgie Cartanza, University of Delaware
• Janette Buckingham, Thickthorne Llamas
• Graham Franklin, Lucy Franklin, Alan Franklin, Monique Franklin, Jasmine Franklin, Luke Franklin, Brian King, and Solola Manulele, Franklin Farm

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For 120 years, the Franklin family has farmed celery through changing markets, wild weather and six generations of family life. Alongside the celery fields, visitors now wander through sunflower patches, butterfly houses and a bustling farmyard where one cheeky goat has become a bit of a celebrity.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

You can find more about Franklin Farm, here.

With thanks to:

• Graham Franklin, Lucy Franklin, Alan Franklin, Monique Franklin, Jasmine Franklin, Luke Franklin, Brian King, and Solokiala Manulele

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It was the 1990s when many farms were looking to diversify. 'Why not llamas?', thought Southland spinner and farmer Janette Buckingham.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Janette Buckingham, Thickthorne Llamas

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What happens when bird flu arrives on your farm? Delaware poultry farmer and educator Georgie Cartanza shares her first hand experience of an H5N1 outbreak, the loss of 148,000 birds, and the biosecurity lessons she believes every farmer should know.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Georgie Cartanza, University of Delaware

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A wrap of the week's news from RNZ's rural news team.

You can find more from RNZ's rural news team, here.

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This week on Country life, the team chat to Irish farmer and author John Connell and heads to East Timor to see how money earnt in New Zealand orchards is benefiting those back home.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

In this episode:

• 0:54 - Rural news wrap
• 5:27 - Yarn on a farm: Sheep, beef and trees in South Otago
• 12:32 - John Connell: Life lessons from those who work on the land
• 24:53 - A Ticket to a Better Life: Timor-Leste enters New Zealand's RSE programme
• 45:59 - A word from the late Sam Neill

With thanks to:

• Nigel Woodhead
• John Connell
• Loua Ward, José Ramos-Horta, Cherie Drummond, Marcos Dias and family, Pedro Suarez and Anna Thomas
• The late Sir Sam Neill - you can find our preview interview with him here

Producer Anna Thomas travelled to Timor-Leste with assistance from the Asia New Zealand Foundation

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Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

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Thousands of Timorese have applied to join New Zealand's seasonal worker scheme, which opened to Timor Leste for the first time in 2026. Seven months of orchard work could earn them up to $40,000, considered a fortune in one of the world's poorest countries. Anna Thomas travelled to Timor Leste to meet some of the families benefiting from their remittances.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Loua Ward, José Ramos-Horta, Cherie Drummond, Marcos Dias and family, Pedro Suarez, the Asia New Zealand Foundation

Producer Anna Thomas travelled to Timor-Leste with assistance from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.

Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Irish writer and farmer John Connell latest book is The Wisdom of Farmers. He shares some of the pearls of wisdom he has learnt from a decade of farming with Country Life.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• John Connell

Make sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.

Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

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Anisha Satya speaks with farmer Nigel Woodhead about his "mosaic" farming system.

With thanks to:

• Nigel Woodhead

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Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected]

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A wrap of news from RNZ's rural news desk

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details