ACC urges safety during spring calving
Dairy farmers around the country are into the busy spring calving period.
Organiser of the rural wellbeing programme Farmstrong say it has exceeded expectations in its first year, supporting on average 1000 people each week to live and farm well.
In its recently released ‘Making it Happen’ – an annual report-style document -- Farmstrong refers to its first-year reach, impact and successes, notably its website getting 51,451 unique visitors in the first year – reaching around 1000 people a week.
“We’re rapt with the way Farmstrong is tracking. We knew we’d make an impact for farmers and growers, but we couldn’t have dreamed it would gain this much momentum so quickly,” says spokesman Gerard Vaughan.
Other highlights from the report include:
6205 Facebook followers and 1100 on Twitter
31 Healthy Thinking workshops attended by 1122 farmers, growers and agri-professionals
1003 participants in the Farmstrong Challenge, travelling 633,216km
22 South Island rural comedy shows attended by 3150 people.
“These results show there’s a need for this kind of support in farming and farming communities in New Zealand.
“Before we launched Farmstrong we asked farmers what they wanted from a wellbeing programme, and we’re delivering on their requests with such topics such as sleep, nutrition, exercise and ways to get off the farm more,” says Vaughan.
“We want to congratulate and thank everyone who has got involved and taken something from Farmstrong.
“For us the most important asset on the farm is the farmer, and we’ll continue to deliver farmer-led programmes, initiatives and resources to support farmers with this.
“We’re only just getting started. We have a stack of great initiatives on the horizon and are keen to share these with all Kiwi farmers, to help more people live well and farm well.”
Budou are being picked now in Bridge Pā, the most intense and exciting time of the year for the Greencollar team – and the harvest of the finest eating grapes is weeks earlier than expected.
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has released its latest rural property report, providing a detailed view of New Zealand’s rural real estate market for the 12 months ending December 2025.
Rural retailer Farmlands has released it's latest round of half-year results, labeling it as evidence that its five-year strategy is delivering on financial performance and better value for members.
OPINION: "We are back to where we were a year ago," according to a leading banking analyst in the UK, referring to US president Donald Trump's latest imposition of a global 10% tariff on all exports into the US.
DairyNZ says the Government’s proposed Resource Management Act reform needs further work to ensure it delivers on its intent.
Overseas Trade Minister Todd McClay says he's working constructively with the Labour Party in the hope they will endorse the free trade agreement (FTA) with India when the agreement comes before Parliament for ratification.

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