Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country.
Kem began her newspaper career in 1991 at the CHB Mail in Waipukurau, Central Hawke’s Bay. This has seen her in various roles from advertising, production, special publications and now feature writing for the NZME stable of communities as well as The Country. She is particularly enthusiastic about the rural sector having lived rurally most of her life. She enjoys writing about the larger-than-life rural characters that she comes across in her travels. Lifestyle, sustainability, vegetable gardening, rural history, and animals, especially The New Zealand War Horses, all interest her. She feels lucky to combine her passion for rural life with her passion for writing and being able to share it with readers. You can contact Kem at kem.ormond@nzme.co.nz.
Happy hooves, happy herd
Hardy Froneman of Hoof Trim, Hawke’s Bay, specialises in the Dutch five-step method.
Pastures Past: 'A terrible thing' - 1935 foot-and-mouth warning
"We should not take any risks with it,” said Mr. T. L. Lancaster.
Opinion: Why finger limes are worth the splurge
OPINION: These are the most gorgeous fruits I have tried in a long while.
Vege tips: Grow spring onions, make potato salad
OPINION: Spring onions are versatile but this dish is my favourite use for them.
The Hawke's Bay pop teen whose TikTok success has captured the eye of Los Angeles
From her honest songwriting and stage presence, Liberty’s songs are resonating.
Opinon: Farmer wins South Island gumboot throwing title
OPINION: Gumboot throwing is a bit of art and harder than you think.
'The more farmers earn, the more they spend': Ross Bowmar takes on The Country Fast Five
Five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Vege tips: Eating thistles? Don't knock it 'til you've tried it
OPINION: These thistles are a staple in the French diet.
The 1912 North Island A and P Show draught horse debacle
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.
Tractors and wagons and coaches, oh my! Take a horse-drawn trip back in time
Kem Ormond discovers the rich history behind The Coach House Museum in Feilding.
Noxious weed? The gorse discourse of the 1940s
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.
Vege tips: Asparagus - to plant, or not to plant
OPINION: 'I buy asparagus from the local radiator shop but here's how you can grow it'.
Remembering Beryl Lee: A trailblazer in harness racing
Beryl Lee left school and started working with horses at the age of 13.
The town where kids bring their tractors to school
Bring a Tractor to School Day is a big event on the Darfield High School calendar.
Vege tips: Kem Ormond's proudest achievement this year
OPINION: Here's a little show-and-tell about how things are progressing in my garden.
'A new menace': The peach-stealing possums of 1939
"His ripening peaches were completely or partially eaten by nocturnal visitors."
'Thought I was invincible': The man who technically died on the rugby field
'If this had happened on the farm I wouldn’t have had a chance.'
Vege tips: Rabbits and aphids and snails, oh my!
Opinion: Remember that having a few pests is a natural part of gardening.
Mr Ritchie and the 130-mile long blackberry bush of 1925
Eradicating blackberry was an "apparently hopeless task" in 1925.
Survey highlights Kiwis' food struggles
Food Hubs can only meet around 60% of their communities’ needs.
The Country Fast Five: Riding the China wave with Marcus Musson
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Sweetcorn secrets: How to grow the perfect crop
OPINION: When I think of summer, I think of sweetcorn.
Cull or protect? The deer debate of 1930
“One could say that the deer are doing more good than harm."
First permaculture garden for Auckland Garden DesignFest
Gardeners keen on interesting design ideas are in for a treat.
The Country Fast Five: 'AI will empower the average farmer'
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Dealing with 'ticky and lousy sheep' in 1921
"Tick-infested sheep will not thrive, and tick-stained wool means low value."
Vege tips: Chop and drop - your soil will thank you
Opinion: With the warmer weather looming, it's time to get your soil well-fed.
The Adkins diet: Sheep and beef couple growing pumpkin seeds
Clare and Grant Adkins grow premium pumpkin seeds on their Whanganui sheep and beef farm.
The Country Fast Five: Why every day is different for Vanessa Dickie
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Vege tips: Why October is sow important
OPINION: Watching the new growth appear is nature at its best.
Potter's paradise: Kim Morgan's idyllic rural lifestyle
Potter Kim Morgan has been honing his craft for 46 years.
The Country Fast Five: What makes Ian Evans proud to be a farmer
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Jury duty: 85-year-old Ian is turning batteries into gold
Ian Jury, 85, recycles batteries, donating over $47,000 to Taranaki Rescue Helicopter.
Soldier, farrier, bullock-wrangler: The untold story of Cecil Gordon Lee
Opinion: Cecil Gordon Lee's war photos resurface, revealing his role with bullocks in WWI.
'Ruthlessly chopped down': A plea for native trees in 1926
Ground cleared, natives removed and replaced with "trees much less beautiful" in 1926.
Broccoli: The ultimate superfood for your garden and plate
Opinion: Broccoli is easy to grow, and growing your own seedlings is simple.
The Country Fast Five: Is this NZ's most important industry?
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
A-maize-ing: Results of 30-year crop rotation study revealed in 1923
The NZ Herald reported findings from the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station.
Vege tips: You will relish this tomato recipe
Opinion: Tomatoes are for growing not throwing. Unless you live in Buñol, Spain.
The Country Fast Five: Meet Karl Davis
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Opinion: Vintage Machinery Museum started by train enthusiasts
Opinion: There's so much to see at the Fiordland Vintage Machinery Museum.
The high school pupil who went whitebaiting and caught a lamprey in 1947
Tales of whitebaiting derring-do from back in the day.
Parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme? How to choose herbs
OPINION: Kem Ormond has some sage advice about herb choices.
The Country Fast Five: Meet Cam Heggie, auctioneer extraordinaire
Cam Heggie is such a legend he answered 15 questions instead of five.
A remarkable rural real estate career shaped by hard work and community
Karl Davis has netted the Reinz Overall Rural Salesperson award for three years in a row.
Top tips for defeating grass grub in the 1930s
"Public grass parks in Napier have suffered badly this season from ravages of grass grub."
Veges tips: The virtues of spinach - when it's not stuck in your teeth
Opinion: Spinach can be shared with friends and neighbours, or even your chooks.
Opinion: Keeping your stock - and yourself - safe in the yards
Opinion: Yards that are fit for purpose are a pleasure to work in.
The Country Fast Five: Meet Jesse Van Kekem
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Vintage tractors as far as the eye can see
One of the largest displays of vintage farm machinery in the Southern Hemisphere.
'Favourable impressions': Praise for land girls in 1942
Different aspects of rural women's lives made the papers back in the day.
Vege tips: Spring, red, brown, shallots - we're talking onions this week
Opinion: Spring, Red, Brown or shallots, we are talking onions this week.
The Country Fast Five: Meet farmer and Restore Native founder Adam Thompson
The Country has five questions to help you get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Why tractor fans should head to Southland – Kem Ormond
OPINION: This vintage tractor museum will put Thornbury on the map.
Charitable trust unlocking the power of fruit
Heritage Food Crops Research Trust looks into medicinal properties of plant-based food.
Vege tips: Fennel - confessions of an aniseed addict
Opinion: Florence fennel is flavoursome but sometimes frowned upon.
The Country Fast Five: Meet Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamoj
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Wool: Government and ram breeders told to butt out in 1934
"It is a mistake to think that only the big stations get the big prices at the sales."
Vege tips: How to grow a bumper crop of beetroot
Opinion: I love seeing friends leaving with their jars of beetroot.
The Country Fast Five: Meet Greg and Dansy Coppell
The Country has five questions to get to know rural New Zealand a little better.
Why Whanganui will be buzzing this weekend
Whanganui is going to be in a bit of a buzz this weekend.
'Dear Mr. Milkman': The unlikely agony aunt of the '30s
Remembering the milkman, his horse and milk cans
Vege tips: Don't pass up the versatile parsnip
Opinion: Do you say "pass" to parsnips or are they a fave?
Beefing up farm aid in the 70s
"To encourage farmers to build storage for winter feed the Government is to provide aid."
Why this Le Quesnoy gem is a must-visit for Kiwis in France
If you're heading to Paris for the Olympics, or post-Olympics, this should be on the list.
NZ wool in Japan a 'sign of the times' in the 70s
New Zealand was looking to Japan as a market in 1970.
Why you should give the humble broad bean a break
Opinion: Don't let your childhood memories of tough grey beans put you off.
Just the ticket: Ollie's train dream comes true
Sitting in the driver’s seat of a train is a dream come true for Ollie.
How to make sweet chilli sauce - from your own chillies, no less
Opinion: Chillies are relatively easy to grow and take very little looking after.
‘I howled with laughter’ - The Bitches' Box reviewed
Review: Kem Ormond checks out The Bitches' Box.
Why this Aussie inspector refused to drink NZ milk in 1937
Pastures Past: Aussie inspector praised Kiwi dairy farmers - except for one thing.
Solar panels at St John station a 'game changer'
St John Wānaka says the whole community will benefit from the solar panels.
This plant looks like a huhu bug but don't let that put you off
Opinion: It's worthwhile checking turmeric out, as there are many benefits.
'His face badly cut': The perils of the horse and gig in 1911
Pastures Past: "A young lady fortunately fell clear of hoofs and wheels."
Why you should plant Luisa plum trees
Opinion: I am relatively new to this variety of plum, but I am now sold on it.
Kem Ormond discovers miner's lettuce so you don't have to
OPINION: Once you know what to look for, you will start seeing it everywhere.
Pastures past: Where have all the lambs and wool gone?
"The lambing percentage and wool clip per head had fallen from 1966-67 onwards."
Growing hops in the 1800s
Pastures Past: "The hop culture industry is about to be established in Wellington."
Kem Ormond's top tips for growing garlic - not rust
Opinion: I want to grow a good crop of garlic, but I seem to grow a good crop of rust!