The colder months of the year are fast approaching and the physical stiffness that we see with osteoarthritis is exacerbated by the cold, as well as prolonged periods of inactivity. Osteoarthritis is degenerative and is also known as degenerative joint...... Read More

As the driest period since records began grinds on for farmers in our region, it is perhaps timely to return to the vexed issue of freshwater management. A recent review from the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ, Our Freshwater 2020, paints a...... Read More

These weeks of lockdown have been a boon for gardeners – loads of time to get into the garden and attend to all those jobs that have been waiting months or even years for you to get around to. Gardening itself has also been a boon for gardeners...... Read More

She charged at us with rage in her belly and a big brave heart. Why did she not turn and run away? Daniel had the dogs under his control and Te Hiri had a rifle on his back and a knife by his side. I had a racing heart, and no courage under fire. She...... Read More

You’ll forgive me for always talking about the weather, but when you’re a farmer it’s your everything, even in a pandemic. So life in lockdown for many farmers won’t be feeling that different to normal, except perhaps it takes...... Read More

For the most part I am a solitary woman – alone all day on our farm, kids at school, me belting around with my thoughts in my bubble. I have always been a chronic home baker and a keeper of a monolithic veggie garden and business affairs on my PC....... Read More

Well, it’s with some relief that we’ve seen a smidgeon of moisture this past week, and the temperatures have blessedly fallen to a more autumnal feel. Enough to see signs of life in our grey paddocks as a green buzz-cut appears and seeds germinate...... Read More

This week I would like to talk about growth. No, not the sort of growth that one would normally assume I would be talking about, but rather the expansion and intensification of urban growth. It’s an area that I have a deep interest in due to my...... Read More

Since 2006, it has been a legal requirement that all dogs that are registered with the Council must be microchipped. The only exceptions to this are working dogs. Although this isn’t strictly policed by ourselves, as veterinarians we would strongly...... Read More

I’ve been kicking around with dairy farmers for quite some time now, and up until now had managed to avoid the milking. However, this is a story that needs to be told so in order to do so, I mentally cancelled my non-existent Saturday night social...... Read More