Country Life

In orchards around the country apples are coming off thick and fast. Paddocks are greening up in front of farmers' eyes in the North Island but in the South Island, North Canterbury is worryingly dry.

The 25th Goldfields Cavalcade kicks off on Saturday. Coordinator Terry Davies says nearly 500 participants will trek over Central Otago's high country on horseback, by carriage and on foot, all aiming to meet up a week later in Omakau for a good old country hoedown.

The Te Mania Angus Stud at Conway Flat in North Canterbury has been in the Wilding family for four generations. Their goal is to breed with cutting-edge genetics while farming sustainability.

Landcorp has had quite a change in focus in recent years. Environmental issues and marketing end products are now a big focus. The SOE has set up a marketing brand Pamu, which means "to farm" in Maori.

Des Williams is editor of Shearing magazine, a free publication that promotes the people and sport associated with the industry.

The North Island has had soaking good rain this week. Dairy cow pregnangy rates are generally down this season, between 15 to 20% are empty. In Central Otago high country weaning is in full swing and store lambs are on the move.

ABC rural news editor Brett Worthington fills us in on how farmers in New South Wales are getting on after days of temperatures in the high 30's .. the hottest day up to 47 degrees. Fires have ravaged tens of thousands of hectares and vets are checking sheep which maybe too traumatised to eat, or have  internal injuries, so will need to be put down. As well there are floods in Western Australia and one farmer had to ferry his sheep, 15 at a time, to safety.

This radio documentary from 1950 feature interviews, narration and dramatisation. It focuses on the farming of merino sheep in the Marlborough region. The original recording is held at the Nga Taonga Sound & Vision archives in Christchurch.

Fields around Pukekohe are now striped with rows of onions, gently curing in the sun. They'll soon be heading into the packhouse where they'll be topped and tailed, graded and bagged for export.

Rain's fallen in Northland, East Coast and Hawkes Bay, but follow-up is crucial and the drought's not broken. In the South Island farmers in South Canterbury and central Otago have plenty of supplements stored for winter.