Country Life

The recent Kaikōura earthquake has resulted in a dramatic downturn in business for Debbie Anderson of Two Rivers Cafe in Cheviot. She talks with Cosmo Kentish-Barnes.

Industry leaders from seven top beef producing nations have been in New Zealand to discuss the trials of farming beef and selling it to the world.

An aerospace company has brought engineers from all over the world to the end of the isolated Mahia Peninsula. For locals, it's meant an injection of young blood and enthusiasm.

Forty Waikato teachers met last week to hear about bringing agri-science alive in the classroom.

Parts of the North Island have had sweltering temperatures this week but Horowhenua has been cool and gloomy.

Large, established honey companies make a lot of money from the manuka-covered hills of the East Coast. While the beehive rental money coming from manuka-based businesses is sizeable, some local Ngati Porou want to take control of the industry themselves. In the past two years they've been getting paid in drums of honey rather than money, and now they're selling that honey through a Japanese connection. The collective aims to have up to 12,000 hives on tribal land, providing at least 30 new jobs.

Fruit growing roots run deep in the Gilchrist family – with Jack joining forces with his grandad John to become a fifth-generation orchardist on the slopes of the mighty Clutha River.

Fonterra's announcement of a lift in the dairy payout has been just the tonic farmers needed as they come out of a tiring, wet spring. Marlborough farmers should be drafting lambs and cattle now but that's on hold due to road damage from the earthquake.

Top of the South Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Ian Blair's priority is to get to isolated families. The main issues arising from the earthquake have been food, sanitation, power and communication.

Winemaker Rudi Bauer's mission is to make wines that capture the essence of Central Otago. In 1996 he established the Quartz Reef biodynamic vineyard on the north-facing lower hills of Bendigo Station near Tarras, an area that sheep farmer John Perriam once called his "rabbit shit country". Thanks to Rudi's vision and a lot of hard work, the stony slopes have proven to be excellent grape growing country for his award-winning pinot noir, pinot gris and methode traditionelle sparkling wines.