Matt & Wade’s Rural Roadie: Farm systems specialists hit the road

Pioneer farm systems specialists and Feed for Thought podcast hosts Matt Dalley (left) and Wade Bell. Photo / Stephen Barker

Matt Dalley and Wade Bell, hosts of the Feed for Thought podcast, are hitting the road next month for a nationwide tour — Matt & Wade’s Rural Roadie.

Farm systems specialists with Pioneer Brand Products, the pair will travel around New Zealand, offering farmers, growers, contractors, consultants, and rural professionals a chance to gain valuable insights into the profitable use of maize silage and the efficiencies in farm feeding systems.

The tour will feature industry experts and special guests, in-depth discussions, and the chance to get off-farm and network with fellow farmers and rural professionals.

While the prospect of spending three weeks close to a workmate isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the pair are looking forward to the experience.

“There are some pretty cool farm systems out there and we wanted to use the Feed for Thought platform to share the learnings from what a great job NZ farmers are doing,” Dalley said.

“Rural podcasting is continuing to grow in New Zealand and we wanted to cut through in a different way.

“As we come into our third season of the podcast and pioneer celebrating 50 years in New Zealand, we thought what better way than hitting the road during harvest and connecting the audience up and down New Zealand?”

One stop along the way will see the pair taken well outside their comfort zone — their Raglan event on March 19 coincides with the local Surfing for Farmers evening.

Despite having friends that surf, Dalley and Bell describe themselves as “very much land-based mammals”.

“Pioneer has been involved with supporting the Surfing for Farmers initiative for several seasons now and one of our colleagues, Matte Kirk, is heavily involved with the Raglan chapter,” Bell said.

“He’s been at us to come get on a board for a while, and finally his wish just might come true.”

As has become custom in any roadie through rural New Zealand, stops will feature free merchandise giveaways, barista-made coffees, and the ever-present BBQ fired up.

Pioneer’s Wade Bell (left) and Matt Dalley. Photo / Stephen Barker

“We’re looking forward to the events but it’s the conversations over coffee, a BBQ or a fizzy at the end of the day that we take great value from,” Dalley said.

“We can’t wait to engage with the great people we have in the rural sector around New Zealand.”

From March 17 to March 27, the duo will be touring the north, before cutting tracks through the south from March 28 to April 4.

The tour schedule and more details on where they’ll be heading next can be found on Pioneer’s website.