Shearing
Wool, sweat and shears - Golden Shears underway in Masterton
The Golden Shears is underway in Masterton, and from early Thursday the War Memorial Stadium has been buzzing to the sound of shears, woolhandlers' brooms and the cranking of wool presses. Video, Audio
'It's the most sustainable fibre in the world'
Sheep farming and wool innovation took centre stage at the New Zealand Agricultural Show. The new Wool Zone section showcased the versatility of sheep and educated visitors on the myriad uses for… Audio
Agricademy - reinventing agricultural training in NZ
Agricademy doesn't have classrooms or a campus, instead students can dip in and out of on-line videos, filmed with experts in the dairy or wool shed. Audio
Mongolian sheep shearers 'excited' about what new skills could offer back home
A three-month stint with New Zealand shearing gangs has brought life changing skills to four Mongolian herders. Audio
Evalyn McGregor on snipping for a living
Evalyn McGregor is New Zealand's only full-time female blade shearer. With a pair of special scissors, the 23-year-old currently shears 100 sheep a day and aims to double that number in the future. Video, Audio
New shearing record set by 19 year old
It's a big week for the sport of lamb shearing. On Tuesday 19 year old Reuben Alabaster, raised in Taihape, beat a decade-long world record of 744 lambs in eight hours by Irish shearer Ivan Scott at… Audio
Amy Silcock setting her sights on another shearing world record
Trying to break sheep shearing records has been likened to running an ultra-marathon. That sounds hard enough, but actually organising a World Record attempt has its own challenges. Audio
Professional Sheep Shearer and Entertainer Billy Black Woolman
How do you know where you're going, if you don't know where you've come from? It's a question that plagues Professional Sheep Shearer and entertainer Billy Black Woolman. Audio
Pre-panel with Lavina Good and Sam Johnson
Today on the pre-panel Wallace and panellists Lavina Good and Sam Johnson talk to shearing legend John Kirkpatrick who was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queens Birthday… Audio
Goat farmer sets the baa high for mohair
Dozens of curly haired kids browse under the watchful eyes of their nannies at Joseph Burstons' Angora goat farm in North Canterbury. Video, Audio
Sharing tips for shearers
A new training programme is being rolled out for shearers, pressers and wool handlers. Audio
Getting to the bottom of it
Scotty Newman and his team clean out woolsheds - not inside - but underneath. They dig out decades worth of compacted sheep manure. Video, Audio
Fine wool fills the shearing shed
Fresh off the hills the merino wethers are being shorn at Lake Heron Station in Canterbury. The low micron wool is contracted to the Icebreker brand. The mountainous 19,600 hectare property is also… Video, Audio
Bank opts for woollen carpet
Rabobank is relocating its HQ to Waikato and its CEO insisted the new premises be fitted out with woollen carpet - even if it meant using a crane to lift the rolls onto the fourth floor. Audio
Farming at Marble Point a dream come true for hard-working couple
Matt Black says it felt like winning lotto when he and his wife Sarah were selected to became equity partners at Marble Point Station, a scenic 2400 hectare sheep and beef property between Culverdon… Audio
Supporting Shearers
Serena Lyders grew up in shearing sheds - she is now an advocate for support and mental health services to be made available to people working in shearing gangs. Audio
Life through the seasons on a high country Kiwi station
A High Country Life is a memoir of life through the different seasons on Otematata Station, a high country sheep and beef station in North Otago. The author Philippa Cameron joins the show to discuss… Audio
Irish shearer Enda Bradley
Country Life's guest this week is Irish shearer Enda Bradley, one of the foreign agricultural workers who've been allowed into New Zealand during the pandemic to plug gaps in the labour market during… Audio
Phil Keoghan redefines toughness with new television series
Phil Keoghan grew up in awe of the strength and discipline of his own family members - a lineage that included farmers, gold miners, builders and coal minders. His new series, Tough as Nails is in… Video, Audio
Industry facing shearing shortages
The Shearing Contractors Association says it may have to recruit newcomers to the industry if shearers and shed workers form the northern hemisphere are unable to come in to New Zealand this year. Audio