Country Life

New Zealand born photographer Alice Mabin was in her car when it was hit by a truck. She started thinking about trucks and took out her camera. Alice then spent months rumbling down country roads documenting the role trucks play in the economy.

The North Island had a warm end to the week and farmers are hoping the rising temperatures will nudge grass and crop growth along. Calving continues across the country.

Origin Earth is a small specialty cheese and fresh milk factory on the outskirts of Havelock North and the current campylobacter water contamination crisis is costing the business thousands.

The Lincoln University Dairy Farm is operated by the South Island Dairying Development Centre and is run as a fully-commercial demonstration farm. The focus for the 2015/16 season is to increase productivity without increasing the overall environmental footprint.

Plant and Food Research scientist Dr David Pattemore is investigating the living habits of bumble bees so they can be used to help honey bees pollinate commercial horticultural crops.

NZ's premiere pork competition held its annual awards dinner last month. The 100% NZ Pork awards aim to celebrate top class bacon, ham and pork products .This year there were around 200 entries from over 50 butchers.

Barry Smith is chairperson of the Otatara Landcare Group that's made up of local volunteers who value the natural environment. The Bushy Point Restoration Project is the group's main hands on activity. The aim is to restore a 14 hectare area of pasture located between two remnants of nationally significant native totara forest.

This week three North Island vets talk about work they've been doing lately: from correcting a twisted uterus, to testing the solids content of colostrum, and dealing with a calving when they calf has its head turned back on itself.

Rangiora High School is one of the few schools in New Zealand to have a working farm. It was started in 1910 and after years as a mixed stock and crop unit it was restructured as a teaching unit with an attached horticulture area.

In a day's work, Maureen Conquer can swallow almost 100 teaspoons of honey. She was recently chief judge at the National Honey Show.