Summer reissue: An urban farm in Auckland has been raising cows for meat for years. This time, they decided to involve the community in the process – but the backlash was so intense, the plan was canned. Alice Neville talks to those involved about what went down, and what we can learn from the saga. … Read more
Covering Climate Now: Earlier this year, the climate change response (zero carbon) bill had its first reading. The public was then invited to submit their takes on it to the government. We assessed a few of the stranger ones. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us … Read more
Covering Climate Now: Currently, more than a third of all of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from sheep and cattle. There’s no easy solution, but a variety of anti-methane methods are being developed to curb this gaseous issue. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us … Read more
An urban farm in Auckland has been raising cows for meat for years. This time, they decided to involve the community in the process – but the backlash was so intense, the plan was canned. Alice Neville talks to those involved about what went down, and what we can learn from the saga. A sprawling, … Read more
Milk is practically white gold, right? Turns out not so much, with Fonterra announcing a huge loss for the year. Business editor Maria Slade explains why our biggest dairy company has lost so much money. Has our largest company really made its first ever loss? Yes. Fonterra Co-operative Group has announced a $196 million loss … Read more
It’s clear New Zealand’s 10.6 million cows aren’t going to stand for our shit anymore. So how should we fight back? The Spinoff TV’s Hayden Donnell reports. The Spinoff TV, 10.45pm Fridays on THREE
Biddy Fraser-Davies of Cwmglyn Farmhouse Cheese passed away on 13 July, aged 76. Her friend, cheesemonger Calum Hodgson, pays tribute. I would call cheesemaker Biddy Fraser-Davies on my commutes home from Auckland CBD to Whangaparāoa. I’d been making these calls to Biddy every other day now for the last three years, discussing everything from Eketahuna’s … Read more
A Kiwi company wants to make fencing and farm dogs redundant, creating a collar equipped with audio and vibrational cues that can be remotely controlled from the farmhouse – and measure fertility. But is it good for the cows? It has a Tesla-esque logo, marketing language swiped straight from Tinder and is backed by Silicon … Read more
The typical Kiwi farmer is swapping their roll of Number 8 wire for a smartphone and robotics. At Fieldays 2018 Angela Cuming discovered the technology and science solving many of the challenges facing the industry. It’s 4am on your average Kiwi dairy farm, a time when most farmers are up and out of bed and … Read more
Good morning, welcome back from the long weekend, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Climate change impacts on meat industry in focus, international student industry likened to pyramid scheme, and South Auckland playgrounds are underfunded. When long weekends come along, there doesn’t tend to be a defining issue to follow in the news. So … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Eradication, not containment chosen for m. bovis outbreak, National eyes up new allies, and welfare working group disappoints activists. The government has decided to press ahead with eradication of cattle disease mycoplasma bovis. Radio NZ reports the eradication plan will cost close to a billion dollars, with the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: PM steps in to cattle disease response, spotlight put on possible worker abuse in strip clubs, and a big win for local game company Grinding Gears. The bill for combatting cattle disease mycoplasma bovis is expected to grow, according to the Prime Minister. One News reports that the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Curbs on cow numbers likely to come, the education minister is pointing to a billion dollar shortfall, and we’ve got an exclusive story about so-called ethical fashion label World. The government might be about to put curbs on further dairy intensification, in order to raise … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, what mycoplasma bovis means for our beef and dairy industry. What’s all this about then? Tens of thousands of cows will be culled, mostly in the South Island, to deal with an outbreak of mycoplasma bovis. The cattle … Read more