Rural Guardian

02/06/2026

More than 120 women from across New Zealand’s seed and arable sectors gathered in Christchurch for the annual Women in Seed Forum, a day focused on leadership, innovation, wellbeing, business and connection within the industry.

Hosted by Seed and Grain New Zealand on May 28, the event brought together women working across the sector for a programme spanning agritech, artificial intelligence, financial wellbeing, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Claire Inkson has the story.
Seed and Grain New Zealand

More than 120 women from across New Zealand’s seed and arable sectors gathered in Christchurch for the annual Women in Seed Forum, a day focused on leadership, innovation, wellbeing, business and connection within the industry.Hosted by Seed and Grain New Zealand on May 28, the event brought toget...

02/06/2026

The June issue of Rural Guardian is here - packed with the stories, people and conversations shaping rural New Zealand right now.
📸 Cover image from the talented Anna Munro .anna.munro at Lake Heron Station.
From dust, dogs and high country views in the South Island backcountry, to the next generation of young farmers pushing for change, this month’s issue covers leadership, resilience, rural life and the realities facing farming communities heading into election season.

Inside this issue:
• Groundswell’s Jamie McFadden on the growing disconnect between policy and practical farming
• Rural Women New Zealand on fuel, isolation and the pressure on rural families
• Young Farmers CEO Cheyne Gillooly on pathways into farming and why young people still want in
• Inspiring stories from Dairy Woman of the Year Hinehou Timutimu and the Dairy Industry Awards
• A lifestyle feature exploring the rise of homesteading and reconnecting with simpler living

And of course, plenty of rural people doing extraordinary things in ordinary places.

Read the June issue online now at www.ruralguardian.com

From paddock to paper. Every South Island farm. Every screen nationwide.

29/05/2026

Tucked behind the bustle of Wānaka’s lake-side main street, The Next Chapter Bookshop has become as much a destination as the town itself.
Claire Inkson has the story.

Tucked behind the bustle of Wānaka’s lake-side main street, The Next Chapter Bookshop has become as much a destination as the town itself.“One thing we didn’t anticipate was becoming a visitor destination,” says owner Sally Battson. “We get a lot of travellers buying books. I’m constant...

29/05/2026

On a hillside above Clyde, the rows don’t look quite how you might expect.

Instead of big, spreading orchard trees, everything is trained tightly onto wires, more like a vineyard than a traditional fruit block.

It’s deliberate, and it says a lot about the way Tammy and Trent Wilson approach farming.
Claire Inkson has the story.

On a hillside above Clyde, the rows don’t look quite how you might expect.Instead of big, spreading orchard trees, everything is trained tightly onto wires, more like a vineyard than a traditional fruit block.It’s deliberate, and it says a lot about the way Tammy and Trent Wilson approach farmin...

27/05/2026

For Luke and Nicole Kane, entering the Ballance Farm Environment Awards was as much about taking stock of their business as it was about recognition.
Claire Inkson has the story.

For Luke and Nicole Kane, entering the Ballance Farm Environment Awards was as much about taking stock of their business as it was about recognition.“Coming off the back of doing the Rabobank Executive Development Programme, we kind of thought we might have our ducks in a row better than we though...

26/05/2026

And now for something completely different ....🐓🐓

Can a chicken climb stairs? Do a high jump? Achieve total spherical excellence?
Chickenstock 2026 provided an official verdict: yes, they can (mostly.)
Amy Riach went to Chickenstock on Saturday to answer these burning questions.

Can a chicken climb stairs? Do a high jump? Achieve total spherical excellence?Chickenstock 2026 provided an official verdict: yes, they can (mostly.)Not quite Woodstock, and with far too much personality for regular chicken stock, Chickenstock 2026 is Canterbury’s “premier poultry athletics eve...

24/05/2026

An icy start on the shores of Lake Hāwea did little to deter the crowds gathering for the inaugural Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championships.
The event, held on May 16, was presented by Novus Glass supporting Melanoma New Zealand.
Claire Inkson has the story.

An icy start on the shores of Lake Hāwea did little to deter the crowds gathering for the inaugural Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championships.The event, held on May 16, was presented by Novus Glass supporting Melanoma New Zealand.Wrapped in puffer jackets and beanies, spectators lined the lake edge whi...

23/05/2026

Rural education for young urbanites in Canterbury will return for a ninth year this winter, with applications now open for the 2026 Rabobank Farm2Future camp.
Amy Riach has the story.

Rural education for young urbanites in Canterbury will return for a ninth year this winter, with applications now open for the 2026 Rabobank Farm2Future camp.The free three-day, two-night programme gives 25 Year 12 students the opportunity to explore the many career pathways available across New Zea...

22/05/2026

We’ve banned sow crates, yet around 60% of our pork is imported from countries where they’re still standard. We bypass local canned corn for Thai imports produced under questionable environmental controls. We export raw logs, only to re-import processed timber made with cheap labour and waterways polluted somewhere else. We bring in roughly two million tonnes of palm kernel annually to feed dairy cows while our local arable farmers are struggling.
Read what Eva Harris from Enviro Collective has to say in this issue of Rural Guardian.

A wise man (Ben Harper) once said, “there’s good deeds and there’s good intentions, and they’re as far apart as heaven and hell.”The news that Wattie’s and McCain’s are shutting down New Zealand manufacturing due to high energy, labour and environmental costs feels like a case study in...

20/05/2026

On a clear Southland day, with Stewart Island visible off the back of the property, Nathan and Joy Dodd’s Glenham farm does what it has always done - just gets on with it.
Claire Inkson has thee story.

On a clear Southland day, with Stewart Island visible off the back of the property, Nathan and Joy Dodd’s Glenham farm does what it has always done - just gets on with it.There is no big pitch, no grand claims. Just stock that performs, year in, year out.The Dodds run Glenvale Texel Stud with thei...