Country Life

Ian Whitakker has been called a walking encyclopaedia on Mokau's history. He's lived there for 59 years.

The North Island has warmed up this week as the southerly died away and the sun appeared. In the South Island it was similar with plenty of sunshine and fruit trees in blossom.

On Country Life this week Mananui Ramsden is Environment Canterbury's cultural land management advisor and is helping farmers on land near Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to understand and implement new rules designed to protect Mahinga kai in the region and the possum man.

Mananui Ramsden is Environment Canterbury's cultural land management advisor. He is helping farmers on land near Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to understand and implement new rules designed to protect Mahinga kai in the region. Mahinga kai refers to Ngai Tahu interests in traditional food and other natural resources and the places where those resources are obtained.

What makes the tiny coastal community of Mokau tick? It's a tiny town of 75 permanent residents famous for its museum, friendly butcher and whitebait fritters.

A cold southerly has been ripping through the North Island, and despite the southerly blast in Canterbury, lambing and calving have gone very well and farmers are in good spirits.

Students in Canterbury are swapping screens for spades and learning how to grow and care for trees. The Orchards in Schools programme was initiated by the Canterbury Horticultural Society which supplies apple, pear and plum trees as well as compost, boxing and on-going support to schools at no cost.

What makes the tiny coastal community of Mokau tick? We're calling in to places with fewer than 500 permanent residents and Mokau certainly qualifies; 75 people live there. It's famous for its museum, its friendly butcher and for whitebait fritters.

South Canterbury isn't known as one of New Zealand's premium apple growing areas. However there is one unfamiliar variety that loves Timaru's cool climate and thrives there. The honeycrisp apple is grown exclusively for export on 80 hectares of orchards near Timaru and the entire crop is exported to the United States.

Each year dairy goat farmer Robyn Averill has to come up with hundreds of names for newborn kids. It's no easy task.