Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Mountain pawpaw and babaco
Grow tropical-style fruit in cooler New Zealand climates with mountain pawpaw and babaco. Learn about growing conditions, care, and how to use the fruit. ...more
Backyard Orchard
August 05, 2025•14 min read
Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Finger Limes
Discover how to grow and care for Australian finger limes in New Zealand gardens. Learn about climate suitability, planting tips, and fruit uses. ...more
Backyard Orchard
July 29, 2025•10 min read
Farming Diary for August
After a wet winter, managing pasture, lambing, and calf rearing presents real challenges. This month’s diary covers practical strategies for feed planning, stock health, and soil recovery—plus essenti... ...more
Farming diary
July 29, 2025•16 min read
What Your Animal's Poo Is Telling You
Learn how to interpret changes in your animal's faeces. From colour and texture to parasites and digestive disorders, these signs can help identify health issues early. ...more
The Basics ,Sheep Cattle Goats Pigs &Alpaca
July 22, 2025•4 min read
June in the garden
June is a time to stay off the soil, care for tools and compost, plant fruit trees, and experiment with herbs and sprouts indoors. Prepare your garden and your plans for the seasons ahead. ...more
Down to the Ground
July 17, 2025•2 min read
Keep cow magnesium levels up
Low magnesium levels in cows can cause grass staggers, reduced milk production, and sudden death. Learn how to test and manage magnesium before calving to avoid costly losses. ...more
Cattle
July 17, 2025•2 min read
Sheep yard design
A tried and true design for sheep yards built by Bruce Binnie. ...more
Sheep
July 14, 2025•0 min read
Ride on mowers
One piece of equipment that can help make the task of managing grass a pleasure is the ride-on mower or lawn tractor. ...more
Equipment & Machinery ,LSB Smart Buyers' Guide to...
July 14, 2025•5 min read
Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Macadamias
Touted to be one of the tastiest edible nuts, with an impressive 60-80% oil content, the long-lived evergreen trees also make fantastic ornamental specimens. ...more
Backyard Orchard
June 23, 2025•18 min read
Plants that poison goats
Protect your goats from plant poisoning with this guide to toxic plants, symptoms, emergency treatment, and prevention. Includes updated advice for lifestyle farmers. ...more
Goats
June 18, 2025•3 min read
Tethering Horses – Why It’s Best Avoided
Tethering horses is risky and often unnecessary. Learn why it should be avoided, what the law requires in New Zealand, and how to care for tethered horses safely if you must. ...more
Horses & other Equines
June 14, 2025•3 min read
Mycoplasma bovis in 2025: What Lifestyle Farmers Need to Know
Concerned about Mycoplasma bovis? Learn how this cattle disease spreads, what symptoms to look for, and how lifestyle farmers can reduce risk through biosecurity and good practice. ...more
The Basics
June 13, 2025•4 min read
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