Farming

Pollution and emissions up, species down: environment report

The intensification of the dairy industry is a major driver of NZ’s environmental decline.

NZ has so many cows. Why do we import millions of tonnes of dairy?

Re: journalist Baz Macdonald got sucked down the dairy rabbit hole trying to find the answer.

Two thirds of dairy farmers report mental health issues. They tell us why

Mental health is a big issue in the dairy industry.

Dairy can’t manage its crap, but innovative farmers are trying to fix that

If I take a shit in a field, it's not a huge deal. But what if 20,000 people take a shit in a field?

Our dairy industry kills 2 million calves a year, but they don’t have to

These calves are killed within days or weeks of being born.

Calves, cows, and shit on the face: My week as a dairy farmer

I knew that if I really wanted to understand the dairy industry, I would need to get my hands dirty.

Why we made Milk and Money, our documentary series about dairy

Milk and Money is a six-part documentary series by Re: investigating New Zealand’s dairy industry.

How Aotearoa built its dairy empire on billions of dollars of debt | Milk and Money | Episode 1

Milk and Money, our series investigating the dairy industry is here.

Why our dairy cows produce more emissions than our cars | Milk and Money | Episode 4

“The right thing to do is for all us dairy farmers to try to pull our weight."

NZ doubled our dairy cows in 30 years, but it took 600% more fertiliser | Milk and Money | Episode 3

“We don’t exactly know how many cows we could sustain, but it’s a hell of a lot less than we have."

Why we may not need cows to make milk | Milk and Money | Episode 6

Half of calves in New Zealand are killed within days or weeks of being born.

Can a thriving dairy industry and healthy waters coexist?

The quality of half of our waterways is diminishing, according to a recent study by Land, Air, Water Aotearoa. Contributing to this has been the growth…

Farming for the next generation: Sustainable berry farming in Northland

This hydroponic berry farm west of Whangārei is leading the way for sustainable farming practices in New Zealand. And not only are these practices better for…

The sustainability potential of hemp

There's a cloud of confusion and misinformation around the farming of hemp. Immediately viewed as a gateway for suspicious activity, this plant has extreme potential when…

Only gay in the village

Scott and Daegan live in rural Southland and look after Scott's family farm - they are literally the only gays in the village. They share what…

Urban city gardens are feeding bees

In the depths of Auckland's concrete jungle is a green space farming organic produce not just for humans, but for bees.

It's all in the name of…

Not a Blanket Approach: Hamish's Story

After reaching his limits with depression, Hamish learnt it's okay to ask for help. Now he's advocating for rural communities to open up, and get rid…

Are we a nation of sheep shaggers?

To be honest, we're sick of the name calling. We investigate the (seemingly) life-long accusation of being sheep shaggers

What happened to the western world's dirtiest river?

The Manawatu is home to one of the western world's dirtiest rivers ?what's being done to turn this brown awa back to a blue one?

Since posting,…

A raw milk vending machine.

So it turns out raw milk is not "just for hippies"... Meet the Southland couple serving up a bit of nostalgia with their fresh raw milk,…

Why is it so hard to buy milk in glass bottles?

Meet Julian from Oaklands, he's championing sustainability by running a company sellingl miraka in glass bottles. So why aren't bigger dairy companies doing the same?

Greenpeace activist fighting against dairy farm

Mackenzie Country is known for its beautiful lakes, mountains and... industrial dairy farms? Meet Gen, an activist fighting council consent against the new project.

Young drone pilot rescuing newborn lambs from the winter chill

11-year-old Alex proves technology and farming can go hand-in-hand ❄️?

These magic Paulownia trees clean up this dairy farm

Graham has won an award for his innovation in farm forestry. He uses Paulownia trees to stop nitrates leaching into the stream ???

Is lab-grown meat going to destroy NZ farming?

As lab-grown meat enters the market in New Zealand, what will it mean for our farming industry?