Country Life

Gianina chats with an Otago taxidermist during the roar; Sally visits Halcombe, a community remembering its Home Guard this ANZAC weekend, and Anisha heads to Geraldine High School to learn about a farming pathways course.

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

In this episode:

• 0:40 - Roar Ready
• 4:41 - Rural News Wrap
• 11:08 - From Farm to Front Line: Halcombe honours its Home Guard
• 29:17 - Fencing in the classroom

With thanks to:

• Oliver Garland
• Alex Short
• Wayne Short
• Sarah Foley-Smith
• Dan Douglass
• Struan Moore
• Students of Geraldine High School

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Anisha heads to Geraldine High School to learn about their farming skills course, the Primary Industries Academy.

Learn more about Geraldine High School's Primary Industries Academy here.

You can find photos here.

With thanks to:

• Sarah Foley-Smith
• Dan Douglass
• Struan Moore
• Students of Geraldine High School

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Many small towns in New Zealand had their own "Dad's Army" during the second world war. But far from feeble and fumbling like those in the well-known TV series, the volunteers were highly trained and ingenious but had few resources, according to research. Country Life is in Halcombe which remembers their own Home Guard this year.

You can find photos, here.

With thanks to:

• Alex Short
• Wayne Short

The archival sound in this podcast is from the New Zealand National Film Unit film Citizen Soldiers (1942), which can be viewed via Archives New Zealand here

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"Once the reds start roaring, it really, really gets busy," Oliver Garland of All Over Taxidermy says.

You can find photos, here.

With thanks to:

• Oliver Garland, All Over Taxidermy
• Jordan Hamilton-Bicknell, Wild Game

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A round-up of the week's rural news.

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This week on Country Life Gianina meets a worm farmer in Hawke's Bay, while Sally drops in on a Kerikeri orchard growing dragon fruit and Anisha is with some Canterbury grain farmers. Amid punishing weather and high costs, they're making the switch to dairying.

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

In this episode:

• 0:47 - Rural News Wrap
• 6:30 - Wonder Worm
• 12:56 - Trading crops for cows
• 31:50 -In Northland there be dragons

With thanks to:

• Trevor Hellyer
• David Clark, Rod May, and David Birkett
• Satish Kumar, Luke Beehre, and Jeanette Johnstone

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

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A trial of the striking and exotic dragon fruit is hitting its straps in Northland. Could the new sweet varieties grown under cover be a viable crop in New Zealand amid a changing climate?

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

And you can find Sally's other story from Northland Te Tai Tokerau about the Land family, here.

With thanks to:

• Satish Kumar, Bioeconomy Science Institute
• Luke Beehre and Jeanette Johnstone, Northland Inc

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

Canterbury is an arable powerhouse, but in recent years, many have started moving into dairying. What's behind the change?

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

And you can find that other story we mentioned about the Wairarapa Grains Collective, here.

With thanks to:

• David Clark, Rod May, and David Birkett

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

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Trevor Hellyer made the move from one mud loving animal to another - changing from pig farming to worm farming just outside Havelock North.

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A wrap of news from RNZ's rural news desk

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