A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country.

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Country Life heads to an arboretum where dozens of different types of trees are grown, including a few for Christmas. We travel up the Whanganui River on the rural mail run, delivering a few early Christmas presents and go behind the scenes of a family-run berry orchard in King Country to see what it takes to bring summer berries from the orchard to the Christmas dinner table.

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The Roy family all pitch in getting berries from orchard to Christmas plate over the festive season. They have been growing berries in Piopio for more than three decades, and nearly all are sold from the farmgate. We go behind the scenes of the Christmas berry rush.

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

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Rural postie Tracy Marshall takes visitors along her mail delivery route which winds along the Whanganui River.

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

With thanks to:

• Tracy Marshall, Original Mail Tour

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"You can come here and see nearly every type of forestry system that can be applied," Blair Jamieson says of Tāmata Hauhā's demonstration farm near Palmerston North.

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

With thanks to:

• Blair Jamieson, Tāmata Hauhā

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

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Country Life this week visits Cornwall Park Farm, the farm within New Zealand's largest city, and heads to the Bay of Plenty to meet animal trainer Bex Tasker who helps teens train animals which in turn provide them valuable skills for life.

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

In this episode:

• 0:39 - Rural News Wrap
• 6:009- Cornwall Park: The farm within the heart of a city
• 28:07 - The trainer turning animal tricks into teen confidence

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Chickens play football and sheep wave their hooves at Bex Tasker's place. She used to be a dog handler with customs and now uses her expertise in animal training and positive reinforcement methods to help kids learn new skills.

You can find photos and read more about this story on our webpage, here.

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Cornwall Park farm is something of a hidden gem in the heart of Auckland City. But being a farm in the city comes with specific challenges.

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

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A wrap of the week's news from the primary sector

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