The Black Dog lurks behind the farm gate. How to get tough, stoic Kiwi farmers to ask for help? And when they do, what support is there for them?

In this episode we speak with Michelle Ruddell, Chair of Rural Support Te Tai Tokerau, and also Chair of Rural Support’s National Council.

Farming’s never been an easy gig. Long days, hard physical work and exposure to the elements have always combinedto make sure that farmers slept well once they finally hit the sack. And, for most farmers, the lifestyle upsides made the hard work worthwhile.

But these days the gig has become a lot harder for many - the decisions are more complex, the pressures more intense, and the stakes higher than ever. Farmers are juggling volatile commodity prices, shifting regulations, climate extremes, rising costs, labour shortages, and a constant stream of new technologies they’re expected to master.

What once felt straightforward now demands a whole new level of business savvy, resilience, and adaptability. Today’s farmers aren’t just caretakers of the land - they’re risk managers, data analysts, environmental stewards, and entrepreneurs, all rolled into one.

The good news? There’s help and support out there – and farmers are learning to ask for it.

This is the final episode in this series of our poddy. We’ll be back after the summer break, ready to rock 2026 with a whole lot of fresh content and interesting Northlanders to speak with.

Links to items referred to in the show:

News deserts
https://informedfutures.org/news-deserts

Getting tipsy at work in the course of duty, crushing it in the STEM space, and leading one of Northland’s most innovative companies.

In this week’s episode of the True North podcast we publish the second in our ‘Northern Lights’ series of chats with unexpected Northlanders. We speak with Fiona Bycroft, CEO of Whangarei firm Naut, about the intriguing tale that saw a shy, retiring schoolgirl from down the line become one of Northland’s most colourful and extroverted business leaders.

And her determination to get Northland firms to learn more about each other – what we do, where our expertise lies, and how we can work together to help each other grow.

Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Links to items referred to in the show:

BusinessDesk article about Infrastructure Pipeline update

https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/infrastructure/infrastructure-pipeline-swells-to-275b-but-certainty-stops-at-the-next-election-eaqub-says

Infrastructure Commission's Pipeline update

https://tewaihanga.govt.nz/the-pipeline/pipeline-snapshot

How do we take the ‘yuk’ out of conversations about death? Why should we? How can those facing death face it with courage? And what gifts can grief bestow?

In this episode we speak with Whangārei business owner Katy Mandeno about Go With Grace, a Northland-based initiative she founded that guides and supports New Zealanders through their experiences with death and dying – a topic that she says Kiwis don’t deal with and prepare for anywhere near enough.

Katy talks about the personal tragedies that led to her setting up Go With Grace, the different approaches to talking about death that can create a gulf between those facing it and those who will be left behind, and the challenges facing business and community leaders when it comes to giving people the space they need to deal with grief.

Links to items referred to in the show:

Governance training
https://www.wdc.govt.nz/Events/Whats-On/Governance-Training-20251201