Country Life

A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector.

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Southland sheep farmer Megan Seator is unravelling new uses for Romney's strong wool in a range of skincare products.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

You can find more about Romene, here.

With thanks to:

• Megan Seator

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This week Country Life bids farewell to long-time producer Cosmo Kentish-Barnes who shares some of the magic moments he's had covering the South Island beat over nearly two decades. The team's also in the calving shed, and meeting a young entrepreneur who stumbled on shoelaces as a way of helping lift the profile of wool.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

In this episode:

• 0:44 - Treading Lightly - shoelaces made from sheep and salad
• 10:02 - Flat out calving but the robots are on the job
• 20:15 - Tracks Well Travelled: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes Leaves His Mark on Country Life

With thanks to guests:

• Jacob Smith
• Dan Schat
• Cosmo Kentish-Barnes

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After 17 years Country Life's South Island producer is signing off from RNZ. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes' farewell feature is a rich tapestry of voices and stories, woven from some of the 600 recordings he's captured, edited and shared with listeners over the years.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With best wishes and huge thanks to:

• Cosmo Kentish-Barnes

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It's all go in the calving shed, but with tech doing the heavy lifting, dairy farmer Dan Schat has time for a yarn about the cold, the costs, and the season so far.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Dan Schat

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Meet Jacob Smith, the 21-year-old turning wool and veggie scraps into fashion-forward biodegradable shoelaces. It started as a university project and has turned into a commercial venture sourcing wool directly from New Zealand farmers and using vegetable-based dyes. With strong wool struggling to find a market, his mission is to add real value to the product.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Jacob Smith

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This week Country Life is on a nighttime nature walk in the Bay of Plenty alongside a young conservationist with a passion for bugs, meets Te Horo's backyard builders on a fledgling trapping project and revisits a North Canterbury farm where native trees are making a comeback, all in celebration of Conservation Week.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

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After a lifetime of working to clear land, Chris Bolderston is rewilding parts of his sheep and beef farm in North Canterbury. This story was first broadcast in September 2024.

You can find photos and read more about this story here.

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Showing off bugs under torchlight is just one of Jack Karetai-Barret's extra curricular activities. The 15-year-old takes Country Life on a night walk through the bush on the trail of wildlife, showing what it's like to be a volunteer on Whakatāne's kiwi conservation project.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

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A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

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