Afternoons for Wednesday 27 August 2025

 

1:15 Is 'On Farm Harvest' the future of ethical meat?

On farm harvest refers to the practice of killing animals on the same land on which they were raised. 

Only a few farms in New Zealand are certified to do this however practitioners say it is in the best interests of both the animals and the consumer. 

Deborah Pead has built a career in public relations but for almost 25 years she has also been developing a family farm business with her husband in Kaipara, just north of Auckland. Named Danbri Farm, after their children, today they run it with their son-in-law James Birch.   

1:25 The New Zealand science students wowing the world

The International Biology Olympiad is one of the most prestigious science competitions for pre-university students in the world. 

This year it was held in July in Quezon City in the Philippines, and four Kiwi students went along to represent New Zealand. 

Astonishingly, all four returned as medallists, including Oren Dabbach who won silver, ranking him 73rd globally. 

Oren joins Jesse.

1:30 Heaven for barbeque lovers: 'Fire on High' food festival is back in Christchurch

This Saturday, High Street in Christchurch will transform into a barbeque lover's idea of heaven. 

The 'Fire on High' food festival brings the city's best chefs together for a day of top-shelf street food, all cooking over fire on custom-build barbeques. 

Rod Thomson and Josh Hunter from Food by Fire are two of the organisers behind it. Rod is the company director and Josh is their executive chef. 

1:35 Why is Taylor Swift's engagement such HUGE news?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know Taylor Swift has got engaged to American football player Travis Kelce.

Now, RNZ might not seem the place for talk of Taytay .. but she is an undeniable cultural force, news of her engagement hit the headlines the world over .. her two-year-long Eras tour was the most lucrative tour in music history, raking in 2 billion dollars.

So what is about her that makes her such a global sensation? Rachel Knight is a Swiftie of some 15 years and chats to Jesse.

1:45 Heading Off: 'So Long South America' 

Pat Barrett shares tales from his South American adventure. In May 1982 three young kiwi travellers set out to
explore South America on their own terms with no other knowledge of this wild and mysterious continent than that gleaned from the travel 'bible' of the day - The South American Handbook.
Unbeknownst to them, their adventure began in a time that has now been lost to the annals of travel history: a
world with no internet and no instant communication.
 

2.12 Music Critic: New music from Keira Wallace and Brandon De La Cruz

Critic Matthew Crawley shares new music from Keira Wallace - winner of the Play It Strange secondary school songwriting competition - 'Your Surface Settles' and Brandon De La Cruz 'How Many Names for Yellow.'

2:20 Easy Eats: Kelly Gibney's kedgeree with lentils and crispy shallots

Kedgeree is an Anglo-Indian classic, though traditionally served for brunch, it makes a brilliant one pan dinner.

Lentils make this version a little different, the addition of lentils makes my kedgeree richer and more texturally satisfying. Crispy fried shallots or onions to top it before serving adds fantastic crunch.

The full recipe is here

2:30 Bookmarks with author Naomi Arnold

It's time for Bookmarks and today award-winning nature and science writer Naomi Arnold joins Jesse.

Naomi is a keen tramper, last year she fulfilled a 20-year dream of walking Te Araroa - the hiking track that runs the length of New Zealand

She's written all about her 9-month adventure in her new book 'Northbound'. She shares a few of her favourite things with Jesse.

3:10 Feature interview : Climate Change Tipping Point

Tipping points aren't all bad. For years, climate change professor Dr. Timothy Lenton warned about tipping points like rising temperatures and melting ice sheets. Now he says the same forces fueling the climate crisis could also help solve it. He argues we should focus on the small shifts in technology, policy, culture, and behavior that can tip the balance toward solutions instead of catastrophe in his new book Positive Tipping Points: How to Fix the Climate Crisis.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World: What powers New Zealand?

Time for Our Changing World, and we're catching up with Claire Concannon, who has been looking into the different energy sources New Zealand, and what this might look like in the future.

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel.