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Peel Forest postie Matt Searles is a very busy man and delivering mail along NZ’s longest single road mail run is only one of his many daily tasks.

The Acland family is renowned for the energy and breadth of enterprises throughout Canterbury and beyond, and newly elected Ruralco director Kate Acland is bringing even more fizz to the family empire.

Amongst the casualties of North Canterbury’s devastating 2016 7.8 earthquake was a landmark woolshed that meant as much to the Waiau community as it did to its owners. The distinctive Highfield woolshed, owned by the Northcote family sits alongside State Highway 70, the Inland Road between Waiau and Kaikoura, just a few kilometres from the Waiau township. It is one of the oldest functioning woolsheds in New Zealand, with a history stretching back to the founding days of not only sheep farmin...

Firmly established as the largest red deer stud in the world, set amongst impressive park-like surroundings dominated by expansive avenues of English oaks, elms, beech and lime trees, Peel Forest Estate is not only testament to owner Yorkshireman Graham Carr’s long term commitment to the deer industry, but his passion for enhancing the environment and planting deciduous trees.

Pause for a moment and wonder what life would be like on a stock farm without working dogs. Day after day they are there, ready and willing to work, not arguing or demanding a pay increase, not being late or absent without leave. Always happy to be told what to do, and because of their genetics, only ever want to please their master. Words by Ian Hodge, GM Tech Services, Veterinary Enterprises Group

The Bethells have been synonymous with North Canterbury farming for almost as long as there have been farms in the region. It is a history that stretches back to the purchase in the 1800s of Pahua Pastures, first farmed by Hugh Bethell’s great-grandfather Marmaduke in 1899. Words by Richard Rennie

Aakland Chemicals have been working with Ruralco for just three years but in this short time they have certainly made a massive impact with Cardholders. Words by Niamh McCarthy

For many years New Zealand’s horticultural sector has played second fiddle to the country’s major pastoral sectors but is now emerging rapidly from those shadows to surge ahead in export earning ability. This is thanks to growing investor confidence in the sector, some super smart operators and an ever widening pool of produce demanded by the rest of the world. By Richard Rennie

A new Lincoln University initiative is looking to come up with new creative, innovative, integrative and adaptive agricultural systems.

There’s no doubt that farmers have a lot of challenges ahead of them – particularly in keeping up with new environmental requirements and developments in technology. And it seems that almost every week some new research emerges which makes us rethink some of our farming practices.