Country Life

National ploughing champion Bob Merhtens hails from Timaru. He's recently returned from the 'United States where he's been doing what he loves best...

From Canton to Kerikeri, Japan quake sparks new life in the vines, NZ home for Siberian huskies and the regional wrap.

Country Life's Carol Stiles has been out sniffing for truffles. It was no surprise to learn Indi the truffle dog had a better nose! The cocker spaniel whizzed around 146 trees at a truffiere near Hamilton and found a lonely truffle under one of them. Indi and her trainer Karen Drummond are engaged by growers to look for the delicacy on about 60 properties from Whangarei to Wellington.

A new family-owned boutique milk business is set to bring the clink of glass milk bottles back to Canterbury. James and Chloe Davidson have leased 24 hectares of council land near Darfield and have started producing A2 milk. The cows, a small herd of herd of Shorthorns, are milked on a mobile shed in the paddock. Once it's in the vat the milk is pasteurised and bottled under the couple's Roan Farm brand. Initially it will be delivered to cafés and shops in Darfield, West Melton and Christchurch. The Davidsons are also keen to start selling it door-to-door.

The West Coast had a good dollop or rain this week but generally there's been fine spring weather around the country which has got grass pulsing and helped lamb survival rates. With buds bursting on trees and vines, growers are on the alert for frost.

Dairy farmer and rugby coach Blair Mirfin chats to Cosmo Kentish-Barnes about club rugby on the Coast and who'll do well in Japan.

From Farm to Fridge, looking for truffles, a rugby playing farmer and the Regional Wrap.

When the magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook North Canterbury nearly three years ago, a 3.5-metre high wall of earth formed on Dave and Rebekah Kelly's sheep and beef station. The 'Wall of Waiau' – as it's now known – sits on a faultline that cuts across a scenic hillside.

A century ago the Booth family set aside a paddock at their farm Middlerun for daffodils to raise money for charity and the fundraiser is still going strong.

Dr David Chagne and his team from Plant and Food Research are working on ways to speed up improvements consumers and industry want to see in our plants and crops..