Farming, locally and nationwide, is facing huge challenges.
Here in Northland we face the horrible fact that the big killer of farmers is melanoma. I cannot stress enough the importance of prevention. If you are worried, go and talk with a specialist, and maybe look at making a regular mole map a process you need to take part in.
Farming has had some tough times financially. Crossbred wool continues to tread water, but the Minister for Rural Communities Damien O'Connor, has put his weight behind the national working wool group.
I hope the consortium will come up with ideas farmers can agree to get behind.
There is a hurricane coming in the form of climate change, and the legislation that will be used to adapt for it, as well as the deluge coming in water issues.