A look at a DIY soil tesing kit.

A Tale of Three Shepherds, Cute as Buttons, Allocating Water for Dates, DIY Soil Testing and the Regional Wrap.

There's a lot of chatter about Speckle Park cattle. The Canadian breed is the fastest growing cattle breed on the planet. New Zealand farmers are jumping on board. Beef farmers like Speckle Parks because they grow quickly, yield more beef than most other breeds and produce beautifully marbled meat. Dairy farmers love them too; the calves are easy to rear, easy to identify and are worth more than other dairy-cross calves.

Jackie Law takes in unwanted pacers and trotters once they have finished their harness racing careers. So far she's rehomed more than 600. Most come from horse trainers who like to see them get a second chance.

New Zealand-based international cheese judge Juliet Harbutt would like to see cheese makers here make their own distinct cheeses rather than copy well-known recipes.

In Waikato asparagus production is down significantly because of cooler wetter conditions this spring. Apple orchards in the Nelson/Motueka region are coming to the end of flowering. There has been stop start rain in South Otago so farmers haven't been able to get much groundwork done.

Spectacular Speckles, Rehoming Reject Horses, More Cheese Please and the Regional Wrap.

A community group has been trapping predators on Mt Karioi near Raglan for ten years. Now the rare grey-faced petrel, whose population was in serious decline, is on the gain.

Caroline and Mark Eastmond run Hazelnut Nurseries on the hills near Waiau in North Canterbury. Initial planting began in 1993 and now they have about 1,300 established trees producing nuts for the local market.

Kylie Leonard's cows get to enjoy the scent of her French perfume. After a house fire, the Taupo farmer has vowed to live life to the full and not keep anything for special occasions. Last year Kylie won the Dairy Women's Network's community leadership award. She teaches in Taupo schools, is involved in community organisations and invites anyone who is interested to see what happens on a dairy farm.