Federated Farmers Podcast
Episodes
When farming wasn’t the problem – a Farmstrong story | EP 66
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marc Gascoigne, a Cambridge dairy farmer and Farmstrong Champion, joins us to share his wellbeing journey, including what it was like to suffer in sil...
Fix or float the farm loan? | EP 65
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Interest rates have been shifting fast, and many farmers are wondering if now is the time to fix or float their loans. To help cut through the noise,...
UK farmers under pressure – with Tom Bradshaw | EP 64
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British farmers are facing many of the same pressures as Kiwi farmers – rising costs, land use change, tougher environmental rules, and greater publ...
The dos and don'ts of farm equity partnerships | EP 63
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about entering a farm equity partnership, or just curious about how they work? In this episode, rural accountant Joe Morgan breaks it all dow...
Jim Ward and Simon Cameron — bringing grazing back to crown land | EP 62
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, grazing kept New Zealand’s Crown land in check, supporting healthy landscapes and holding back pests and weeds. But when livestock were...
How do we win the war on pines and pests? | EP 61
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Feral pests like deer pigs are exploding in number across New Zealand, while wilding pines are marching across some of our most iconic landscapes. Far...
How farmers can lead well when the pressure is on | EP 60
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Running a farm means leadership under pressure is part of the job. When the weather turns, the workload spikes or the unexpected hits, there’s no pa...
The KiwiSaver roadblock facing young farmers | EP 59
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been more than two years since the Government promised to let young farmers use their KiwiSaver to buy their first home or farm — but nothing...
Contract milking insights from Colin Glass | EP 58
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Contract milking remains a key stepping stone in New Zealand dairying, but what does it take to succeed in this role today? In this episode, Dairy Ho...
Unpacking the Alliance–Dawn Meats proposal with Professor Keith Woodford | EP 57
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alliance Group farmer-shareholders are facing one of the biggest decisions in New Zealand’s red meat sector in decades: whether to approve a propose...
Fonterra and the future | EP 56
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fonterra is at a crossroads, with its proposed sale of Mainland Group raising big questions for its farmer suppliers, the wider dairy sector, and ever...
‘How are you really doing?’ — Bex Green’s mental health story | EP 55
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and North Canterbury dairy farmer Bex Green is opening up about one of the toughest periods of her life. Between...
When farming meets red tape: David Clark and Colin Hurst on the consent crisis | EP 54
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers across New Zealand are voicing growing frustration with regional councils, resource consents, and the cost of compliance. Nothing has captured...
Making the most of strong farmgate returns | EP 53
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dairy, beef and sheep farmers are all enjoying strong returns right now – but as every farmer knows, the good times don’t last forever. In this ep...
How farmers can unlock better banking deals | EP 52
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Wishart from agricultural loan broker NZAB joins us to discuss how farmers can take more control of their banking outcomes. Scott shares practi...
Can rural media survive? | EP 51
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers rely on rural media to stay informed – but shrinking print runs, social media, and changing news habits are putting pressure on traditional ...
Will farmers finally get a fair deal on banking? | EP 50
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers have long been saying they’re getting a raw deal from the banks – higher interest rates, tougher lending rules, fewer options, and growing...
Carbon forestry crisis – the view from Southland | EP 49
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carbon forestry is spreading fast, and the impacts are becoming impossible to ignore for farmers in regions like Southland. In this episode, we’re j...
Mental health on the land – what’s the plan? | EP 48
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dig into the mental health challenges facing farmers and rural communities, and ask: is the support on offer actually working?Matt...
Hugh Jackson on farming, balance and backing himself | EP 47
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A month since he won the prestigious NZ Young Farmer of the Year Award, we catch up with Hugh Jackson to find out how he’s feeling about the win and...
Blocked and banned: why farmers are fed up with the EPA | EP 46
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re digging into a hot topic in the primary sector – regulation of agrichemicals and the role of the Environmental Protection Au...
Red meat pressure points and potential solutions | EP 45
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a hard look at where things are at for the red meat and wool sectors right now, including what’s driving the strong red mea...
Avoiding legal trouble on farm: what every farmer should know | EP 44
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Legal issues on the farm can be stressful — and often dealt with only when things go wrong. In this episode, you'll hear from lawyer Simon Midd...
Putting the success back into succession with Peter Templeton | EP 43
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re continuing the theme of farm succession by chatting with Peter Templeton, a fifth-generation Southland dairy farmer, who spent five months tra...
Protecting the most important asset on your farm | EP 42
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about assets on farm, we often think of land, livestock, and machinery. But there’s one asset that’s even more important — and that...
Bridging the farm ownership gap with Sarah How | EP 41
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Farm ownership is becoming harder for young Kiwis, and traditional succession is no longer working for many farming families. In this episode, we hea...
Are we ready for foot-and-mouth disease? | EP 40
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most serious animal diseases globally, and while New Zealand has never had an outbreak, the risk is very real. If...
What’s next for agri-tech in New Zealand? | EP 39
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gallagher’s Sarah Adams returns to explore the latest in agri-tech, from virtual fencing to smart ear tags and integrated data systems. She shares i...
Farm succession planning with Joe Morgan | EP 38
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Farm succession—it’s one of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand’s rural families. How do you pass the farm on to the next generation in a ...
SOS: Save Our Sheep | EP 37
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand’s sheep population has plummeted from over 70 million in the 1980s to just 25 million today—and the decline is accelerating. In this ...
Contract Milking Survey – discussing the results with Brendan Attrill and Louise Gibson | EP 36
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A recent contract milking survey has sparked debate across the dairy industry. In this episode, we speak with survey creator Louise Gibson, and Brenda...
Nailing Moving Day: tips to start the season well | EP 35
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest days in the dairy farming calendar, Moving Day, is fast approaching.  It’s a day full of change and challenge as thousands of fa...
Turning the tide on the anti-farming agenda with Claire Taylor | EP 34
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Global scrutiny of farming is rising — but how can farmers respond? Journalist and Nuffield Scholar Claire Taylor has travelled the world exploring ...
Protecting farmland for future generations – a deep dive into QEII Trust | EP 33
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the best ways for farmers to protect special areas of their land is covenanting with the QEII National Trust. But what does that actually mean ...
Growing & protecting wealth: what farmers need to know in 2025 | EP 32
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Financial adviser Michael Raynes returns to share fresh insights on building and protecting wealth in 2025. We cover savings, investments, debt, succe...
Protecting your farm: tackling rural crime | EP 31
30 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is rural crime getting worse? When do most thefts happen? And what can farmers do to make their property a harder target for criminals? Abby France f...
Drought decisions: navigating tough times in sharemilking & contract milking | EP 30
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drought conditions are forcing sharemilkers, contract milkers and farm owners to make tough decisions, like drying off early, which can strain relatio...
More than tax: the benefits of a good rural accountant | EP 29
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest on this episode is Joe Morgan an accountant in Te Awamutu, Waikato, who does a lot of work with farmers. Joe is a director at GFA but previ...
Different battles, same pressures: an army veteran’s advice for farmers | EP 28
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A military veteran of 16 years, Tony Groves’ military and security career saw him deployed to Timor-Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan, where he honed his ...
Signing smart: a step-by-step guide to sharefarming due diligence | EP 27
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've seen an ad for a contract milking or sharemilking position that could tick the boxes, what comes next? What are the critical steps to t...
Drench resistance in cattle – new data shows need for urgent action | EP 26
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ginny Dodunski, Wormwise programme manager, joins us to share the concerning results of new research into the state of drench-resistant worms in cattl...
Wayne Langford on wins, challenges and the year ahead | Ep 25
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a break over summer, Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford reflects on the big wins for farmers last year, the challenges, and what his maj...
Managing risk in sharefarming | Ep 24
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are the biggest risks involved in going contract milking, sharemilking or being a share farm owner? And how do you manage or mitigate those risks...
Where to with wool and red meat? | Ep 23
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gisborne farmer and Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams joins us to discuss what’s going on for Kiwi sheep and beef farmers right no...
What a second Trump presidency could mean for Kiwi farmers | EP 22
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How could Donald Trump’s second term in the White House affect Kiwi farmers? What should we expect to see with international trade and market access...
The science of pest management | EP 21
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Feral animals are costing Kiwi farmers a fortune, so how are we going to control them? Landcare Research scientist Bruce Warburton and Federated Farme...
Ben Purua – a redemption story | EP 20
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Purua is an award-winning dairy farm manager, but 15 years ago his life was heading in a very different direction. Hear Ben’s story of how he fo...
Planting tips from Adam Thompson | EP 19
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re thinking of planting trees on your farm, or you’ve done so recently, don’t miss this expert advice from Adam Thompson, owner of Restor...
Jason Herrick’s mental health story | EP 18
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was a wet, muddy day in Southland in December 2018 that local dairy farmer Jason Herrick decided to take his life. Months of heavy rain, the pressu...
Electrifying our farms to save money, make money and reduce emissions | EP 17
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Mike Casey, CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, who’s here to talk about the huge opportunities out there for farmers to save money and red...
Todd McClay on cutting red tape, interest rates, KiwiSaver, and trade opportunities | EP 16
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With farm confidence at rock-bottom, what’s the Government been doing to get things back on track? Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay joins ...
When are emissions tools coming? | EP 15
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wayne McNee, chief executive of AgriZeroNZ, joins us to discuss tools and technologies being developed to help farmers reduce their methane emissions....
How do we fix ag policy? | EP 14
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all know something's broken in the way agricultural policy has been made in New Zealand, but what's the solution? How do we get farming r...
Farm estate and succession planning | EP 13
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is a trust, why might a farmer want to set one up, and what are some common mistakes to avoid? David Boyce from Perpetual Guardian joins us in th...
Rural banking inquiry update | EP 12
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Where are things at with an independent inquiry into rural banking since the Government gave the go-ahead last month? Richard McIntyre, Federated Farm...
Bird flu – what do I need to know? | EP 11
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
 With a highly contagious strain of bird flu now in Antarctica, the risk of it entering NZ has increased. What could its arrival mean for our agricul...
Virtual fencing and precision farming | EP 10
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest for this episode is Sarah Adams, Gallagher’s GM of Global Strategy & New Ventures, who explains how virtual fencing works, what benefi...
Live animal exports | EP 09
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s happening with live cattle exports? If allowed again in NZ, what measures would be in place to ensure animals are safe and comfortable on the...
Building wealth to buy a farm, preserving wealth when exiting | EP 08
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re working towards farm ownership, what are some ways to build equity for a deposit outside of traditional strategies like going sharemilking...
Milking it: a guide to sharemilking success | EP 07
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get solid advice on how to succeed in sharemilking from Federated Farmers national dairy chair Richard McIntyre and experienced Waikato dairy farmer T...
Advice for new contract milkers | EP 06
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Want some practical advice on how to hit the ground running as a contract milker? Our guests Danielle Hovmand, Federated Farmers Waikato dairy vice ch...
How to get a cheaper interest rate | EP 05
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What steps can farmers take right now, and over the next few years, to get a lower interest rate from the banks? ASB’s Rural GM Aidan Gent joins us ...
Is farm confidence on the up? | EP 04
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Farm confidence has bounced back from last year’s record lows, but is this the start of a genuine lift in confidence or a 'dead cat bounce&apos...
Rural banking inquiry: 'Let's get it underway' | EP 03
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are farmers feeling under pressure from the banks, who's to blame, and what needs to happen to fix the issue? In this episode, our guests are...
Cyclone Gabrielle: one year on | EP 02
11 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the one-year anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle, Gisborne farmer Sam Hain and Federated Farmers national board member Sandra Faulkner join us to...
Wayne Langford: 'Farming groups need to play as a team' | EP 01
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off the new Federated Farmers Podcast, we hear from national president Wayne Langford, who discusses his journey from Golden Bay dairy farmer ...