Country Life

Our guest this week is the chief executive of New Zealand Apples and Pears, Alan Pollard. He's in Berlin, Germany at present attending a massive fresh produce trade show called Fruit Logistica. Over sixty thousand people attend the event. It's a very important show because it's the time when exporters set up their programmes into Europe for the coming season. Alan is there with New Zealand apple exporters

The Scent of Lavender, Neville Martin's Musings, Happily Hydroponic, New Zealand India Apple Partnership, Fruit Logistica and the Regional Wrap.

The blacksmith's shop in Teddington opened for business in 1889, and after years lying semi-derelict is now restored to a working forge – one of the few left in the country.

American Miniature Mediterranean donkeys were introduced to New Zealand 17 years ago. The little, very expensive donkeys can all be traced back to the island of Sardinia and range in size from 76cm to 90cm tall.

It has only taken half a hectare of land to make regional Victoria, Australia feel like Africa.

East Coast cropping farmers are flat out. Sweetcorn is coming to an end, the first shipment of squash has left for Japan and brassica crops are maturing quickly. A storm on the West Coast has damaged crops, brought down trees and left a farmer in Hokitika without power in his milking shed.

Farm consultant Gary Massicks says the feed cupboard is bare for many downland Manawatu farmers.

Forging Ahead, Dinky Donkeys, Public garden helps refugees settle, farm consultant Gary Massicks and the Regional Wrap.

More than 90 percent of the pasture on Andrew Davis' Miranda farm has been killed by sea water sitting on his paddocks for days. His farm was inundated by king tides and a storm in earlier this month.

Curious Croppers, Growing Greens, Harvesting Blackcurrants and the Regional Wrap.