It's hoped a dairy farm trial in Taranaki can provide some answers for dairy farmers needing to lower their environmental footprint. Country Life visits the Gibson Farm near Hawera to check out some of the results so far.

Waikato has hit peak milk production a couple of weeks early and in the south, heavy snow has fallen in Central Otago

Taranaki sharemilker Kane Brisco has set up an outdoor gym in one of his paddocks to help his mates and neighbours get fit for farming, especially the busy calving season. He says farmers are often too busy and a long way from town gyms to attend regularly so his farm boot camps are helping fill a gap.

A child with food allergies and a dairy intolerance has led a Canterbury couple to start milking sheep. Matt and Tracey Jones were so impressed by the difference sheep milk made for their daughter they embarked on their new venture and have since created a skin care range using the milk. They are about to unveil a range of farm-made cheese and bottled pasteurised milk.

Hemp New Zealand says it has a list of farmers wanting to grow hemp but markets need to be built and infrastructure secured before growing the production base further.

People wanting to be a bit more self-sufficient in uncertain times has led to a lift in demand for chook houses.

Sheep milking at Kirwee, keeping fit for farming, hemp wool carpet is step closer, chook houses are in demand and the Regional Wrap.

Vines are in leaf and vineyard workers are shoot thinning in Hawke's Bay while Tasman dairy herds are heading towards peak production but need more sun.

Eighteen year old Kaitlyn Lamb sometimes works in her family's vegetable garden at night because her days are so crammed full volunteering to improve the environment. She's the only New Zealander selected to attend this year's Bayer International Youth Ag Summit.

The sowing season is in full swing at Andrew Currie's Avonmore farm near Methven in Canterbury. When Country Life turned up the third generation cropping farmer was drilling spring malting barley.