FULL SHOW: Country Life for 17 July 2026

This week on Country life, the team chat to Irish farmer and author John Connell and heads to East Timor to see how money earnt in New Zealand orchards is benefiting those back home.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:54 - Rural news wrap5:27 - Yarn on a farm: Sheep, beef and trees in South Otago12:32 - John Connell: Life lessons from those who work on the land24:53 - A Ticket to a Better Life: Timor-Leste enters New Zealand's RSE programme45:59 - A word from the late Sam NeillWith thanks to:Nigel WoodheadJohn ConnellLoua Ward, José Ramos-Horta, Cherie Drummond, Marcos Dias and family, Pedro Suarez and Anna ThomasThe late Sir Sam Neill - you can find our preview interview with him hereProducer Anna Thomas travelled to Timor-Leste with assistance from the Asia New Zealand FoundationMake sure you’re following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don’t miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at [email protected] to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details