Meet the team who bring you NZ Lifestyle Block magazine each month.
Editor: Nadene Hall
Lives: Mangatawhiri, in the north Waikato, New Zealand
Land: 3.2ha (8 acres)
Livestock: goats, chickens, horses and associated feline employers (working under the assumption that cats have staff)
About my block: originally the front paddock of a large farm, my block is sloping to flat and didn't have a thing on it except grass and one fence line cutting it in half when I bought it. Since 2002 I have planted trees, put in fences and built a house (ably assisted by my wonderful Dad) but there are still a million things to do, and of course, it all has to be done on a very tight budget.
Advertising: Marlisa de Winter
Lives: Auckland, New Zealand
Land: very small but includes vege garden and fruit trees
Livestock: Milly (Cavalier King Charles), Dasha (blue-point Birman) and Lexie (lilac-point Birman)
Dream: to own her own block and have a huge garden
Poultry expert: Sue Clarke
Lives: New Zealand
Land: 30ha
Livestock: herd of 70 Murray Grey cattle, but no poultry for biosecurity reasons because husband Trevor work in the commercial poultry industry
Background: born in Yorkshire, UK. First owned poultry at 12 years of age (bantams, Ancona, Silkies and Sebrights), then went 'commerical' at 14 and bought 50 Rhode Island Red x Light Sussex pullet chicks to rear for eggs and 12 cockerels to fatten for Christmas. Spent three years doing a National Diploma in Poultry Husbandry then got a job working as a poultry farm manager for a breeding company in NZ. Soon became the technical officer for a group of 9 farms. Got married to Trevor, had two children, started a hobby breeding cattle. Spent 34 years in total in the commercial poultry industry for Tegel supplying 10 million meat hatching and 3 million layer hatching eggs per year. Retired in 2002 but is still a registered assessor for NZQA and runs short courses for poultry farmers and staff studying Poultry Level 2 qualifications.
Editor: Nadene Hall
Lives: Mangatawhiri, in the north Waikato, New Zealand
Land: 3.2ha (8 acres)
Livestock: goats, chickens, horses and associated feline employers (working under the assumption that cats have staff)
About my block: originally the front paddock of a large farm, my block is sloping to flat and didn't have a thing on it except grass and one fence line cutting it in half when I bought it. Since 2002 I have planted trees, put in fences and built a house (ably assisted by my wonderful Dad) but there are still a million things to do, and of course, it all has to be done on a very tight budget.
Advertising: Marlisa de Winter
Lives: Auckland, New Zealand
Land: very small but includes vege garden and fruit trees
Livestock: Milly (Cavalier King Charles), Dasha (blue-point Birman) and Lexie (lilac-point Birman)
Dream: to own her own block and have a huge garden
Poultry expert: Sue Clarke
Lives: New Zealand
Land: 30ha
Livestock: herd of 70 Murray Grey cattle, but no poultry for biosecurity reasons because husband Trevor work in the commercial poultry industry
Background: born in Yorkshire, UK. First owned poultry at 12 years of age (bantams, Ancona, Silkies and Sebrights), then went 'commerical' at 14 and bought 50 Rhode Island Red x Light Sussex pullet chicks to rear for eggs and 12 cockerels to fatten for Christmas. Spent three years doing a National Diploma in Poultry Husbandry then got a job working as a poultry farm manager for a breeding company in NZ. Soon became the technical officer for a group of 9 farms. Got married to Trevor, had two children, started a hobby breeding cattle. Spent 34 years in total in the commercial poultry industry for Tegel supplying 10 million meat hatching and 3 million layer hatching eggs per year. Retired in 2002 but is still a registered assessor for NZQA and runs short courses for poultry farmers and staff studying Poultry Level 2 qualifications.
Find our columnists online
Ruth Renner, Down on the Farm: www.diggersvalley.co.nz
Murray Grimwood, The Good Life: http://powerdownkiwi.wordpress.com/
Jean Mansfield, From the Farmhouse Kitchen: www.makecheese.co.nz
Ben Gaia, In the Orchard: Gaia Trees
Weedbusters: www.weedbusters.co.nz
