Country Life

Grass is growing in most North Island areas with warmer than normal soil temperatures. Farmers in Marlborough are break feeding stock and calving is in full swing on most South Island dairy farms.

Former RNZ Rural News reporter Alexa Cook is traveling through Europe with her partner. She tells Cosmo about the farming observations she has made in Ireland and Scotland.

A  fruitful mix of businesses based near Kerikeri, an agricultural engineer in Timaru who's invented a beet harvesting bucket for tractors and farming insights from Ireland and Scotland with former RNZ rural reporter Alexa Cook.

Thousands celebrated the town's 150 years this Easter. Locals say the schooling is marvellous and house prices have increased in the past year with new faces on the street.

The North Island is generally quite mild while Marlborough has a flush of lambs arriving.

Off The Beaten Track is a company with out of the way camping spots and cabins on farms. They're looking for 'Off Roadies' to review them. There are over 100 spots to chose from.

Sue Higgins in a Rural Women NZ education spokesperson, Under FiveHundy in Okaihau - a settlement with few than 500 people, Australia's NSW and Queensland farmers are in a prolonged drought, Off the Beaten Track want camping sites reviewed.

Rural Women New Zealand's education spokesperson wants schools to adopt a farmer. Sue Higgins believes it could help encourage students to consider farming as a career. The Wakefield sheep and beef farmer says capturing the curiosity of young children is the key to filling gaps in the agricultural workforce.

Charles Murray's Quirindi farm is parched. He's never seen a drought like it and has been feeding out to his stock for three years.

16-year-old poultry breeder Laura Inglis has been taking her beloved chickens and ducks to local poultry competitions for as long as she can remember. She has menagerie of over 100 feathered friends near Nelson.