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“Covid-19 was an unprecedented obstacle this year, but as a Ruralco family we managed to overcome it. Through the grit and dedication of our team and our farmers we continued to trade in a way that served our farmers’ needs, while also meeting our financial goals,” said new Ruralco Chair, Jessie Chan at the 57th Ruralco Annual General Meeting last night.

The Longbeach Coastal Challenge committee are excited to extend the Early Bird Entry until the 11th October 2020, meaning participants have more time to save on the entry fees and are still in the draw to win a retreat for two at the fabulous Te Wepu Intrepid Pods.

Establishing a reputable brand in New Zealand’s competitive gardening sector is no easy task, but a Southland family are celebrating their 27th year in business with Biofeed, a product highly regarded by keen gardeners throughout the country.  But behind that brand is also a family with their roots strongly bound in the land, a history of looking after it, and a future firmly set on helping the next generation know where their food is coming from.

The postponement of this year’s AgFest on the West Coast to November’s Canterbury Anniversary Day is likely to provide Ruralco with greater opportunities to meet with rural farmers than ever before.

Covid-19 may have made the usual Ballance Farm Environment Awards ceremonies impossible this year for most regions, but certainly did not diminish the quality and commitment of this year’s award entrants.

To find a successor to the hugely popular and widely regarded kale variety Sovereign is no easy task, however, SovGold kale continues to show its merits in the paddock providing an increase in both production and quality. SovGold has proven when it comes to yield, ME and utilisation against Sovereign, change is an easy decision.

Fertilisers differ in more than just nutrient content. Using fertiliser to apply a single nutrient is fairly straightforward, but what about when two (or more) nutrients are needed?  

Dairy beef makes up the bulk of this country’s beef exports and by using the correct beef genetics, significant value can be added throughout the value chain.

Farm fertiliser spreaders are one of the most valued contractors visiting farms, however ground spreading is also one of the riskier areas of rural contracting, and in recent years the New Zealand Groundspreading Association has pushed hard to lift the standards and expectations around training, risk assessment and attitudes in the sector.

Aching joints, sore back, uneasy sleep and recurring irritability may all seem unrelated, but in fact could be linked to how the body is being fuelled and what it is doing other than being pushed day in day out to keep working on the farm.