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OPINION: The Hound was flabbergasted at the over-the-top censoring actions of the National Fieldays lackeys at this year's event.
Rural ginger group Groundswell - who had paid big money for a stand to exhibit at this year's Fieldays - were stopped by organisers from selling its signature golf balls featuring the faces of the Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, Climate Change Minister, and Environment Minister.
Apparently, Groundswell were narked on by Labour supporters.
The Fieldays organisers then - acting like a bunch of government toadies and stormtroopers - acquiesced to this complaint and forced Groundswell to stop selling the 'offending' golf balls.
However, the censure move backfired on Fieldays organisers and Labour party hacks with various news outlets, social media platforms, and even the 6pm news reporting on the over-the-top reaction.
OPINION: Your old mate reckons townie Brooke van Velden, the Minister of Workplace (or is it Woke Place) Relations is now showing how underemployed she is as a minister by initiating an investigation into whether young children should be banned from collecting eggs on farms and feeding animals.
OPINION: There's an infamous term coined by a US general during the Vietnam war, specifically in reference to the battle of Ben Tre: "We had to burn the village to save it."
OPINION: The sudden departure of Jim Ward, manager of Molesworth Station for 24 years, highlighted some major dysfunction in the way conservation estate is managed in this country - the biggest problem, as the Hound sees it, being idealogues who harp on about "taonga" and use all means possible to block sensible commercial operations on conservation land.
OPINION: While the destruction of NZ's oil and gas industry by Jacinda Ardern's band of merry vandals was virtue signalling on a heroic scale - producing no environmental benefit whatsoever - the politician vowing to make that industry whole again, Shane Jones, is not above a bit of virtue signalling of his own.
OPINION: Your old mate's ear has been chewed off recently by farmers voicing their displeasure with the National Party, particularly relating to how they're treating their farmer base.
Thus far in 2025, the Hawke's Bay rescue helicopter crew have completed over 220 missions, resulting in numerous positive patient outcomes.
The New Zealand Food Network's (NZFN) fifth birthday celebrations have been boosted by a whopping five tonne meat donation from meat processor ANZCO.
Pukekohe vegetable growers farewelled 101-year-old Alan Wilcox in late July, celebrating his many achievements and reflecting the widespread respect in which he was held.
A new nationwide survey shows New Zealanders expect farmers and food producers to play a leading role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but also gave them higher marks than most industries for their current efforts.
North Otago farmer Jane Smith is standing for the Ravensdown South Island director seat.
The Government and horticulture sector have unveiled a new roadmap with an aim to double horticulture farmgate returns by 2035.
