FULL SHOW - 18th May 2026

Full Show Summary Working backwards from 1pm today on CountryWide Connect: At 12:45pm we finish the show with 2026 Pukekohe Young Grower of the Year James Blair, discussing the future of horticulture, attracting young people into the industry, and what the next generation of growers looks like in New Zealand. At 12:33pm Stephen Thomson from Surfing for Farmers joins us for an East Coast update, a look at the upcoming stud bull season, and a wider conversation around farmer pressure and rural wellbeing heading into winter. At 12:18pm we cross to Gabe Ross from The Weekend Mish to discuss the inaugural Aotearoa Stone Skimming Championship — the surprisingly serious competition that’s sending winners through to the world championships in Scotland. At 12:05pm, 2025 Nuffield Scholar Dani Darke joins us for one of the day’s bigger conversations — challenging whether New Zealand beef has become too attached to the “premium grass-fed” story, and why dairy-beef and lean manufacturing beef may actually be the sector’s strongest strategic opportunity. At 12pm we have the Farmlands Rural News update covering local government reform, market movements, winter conditions and wider rural sector developments. At 11:48am, in our Bayleys Real Estate segment, Jamie Taplin joins us to discuss Moonlight Peak — the luxury off-grid eco-lodge high above the Wairarapa that combines tourism business, total seclusion and rural lifestyle into one unique property offering. At 11:33am Simon Butler from Seales Winslow discusses transition feeding from dry-off through to calving, and why nutrition decisions made now can heavily influence next season’s production outcomes. At 11:18am Joseph Watts from PGG Wrightson Agronomy joins us to discuss practical winter feed planning and why matching supplements and crops correctly to stock classes — especially younger stock — is becoming increasingly important. And at 11:05am we open with Jeremy McPhail, Chair of Environment Southland, discussing looming local government reform, the possible abolition of regional councils, and new rules around grazing stock on Southland stop banks during winter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.