Kem Ormond is a features writer for 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.

Dog food with a difference in New Plymouth
My Raw Pet will offer nutritionist-designed pet food and weigh-ins for dogs.

'The wisdom of planting timber' in 1924
One farmer made £55 off a giant pine felled on a Pākōwhai farm in 1924.

Winter is the perfect time to grow your gardening knowledge
Opinion: Time to curl up by the fire with a good pile of gardening books by your side.

Compost, chooks and a lavender still: Inside an Enviroschool
Brunswick School shows how learning, growing, and caring for the environment can be fun.

Citrus trees: A fruitful addition to your garden
Opinion: I have always had this saying, “A house is not a home without a lemon tree".

How Justine Daw has helped farmers to fence 900km
KMR is NZ's largest harbour restoration initiative and second-largest catchment group.

Thistles a 'menace to conservation' in 1948
“If this goes on, in 10 years there will be 100,000 acres devoted to thistle."

'Artificially coloured': Faking show sheep in 1911
If a sheep was not shown in its natural colour "it was not worthy of being shown at all".

'Every day is a privilege': Mark Leslie on leading NZ's largest farm
"Agriculture is far from being a sunset industry".

Vege tips: Preserving your garden's bounty for winter
Opinion: Kem Ormond is stripping her garden of produce before winter arrives.

A unique slice of Paradise in the middle of nowhere
Kem Ormond's three days at Blue Duck Station were truly something special.

Vege tips: Rhubarb, a very confusing vegetable
Opinion: Usually used in desserts, I can’t imagine serving rhubarb up with my peas.

'I know everyone on my road': Hugh Jackson on farming and rural life
Waikato BOP Young Farmer grand finalist takes on The Country's Fast Five.

'Lucky escape': The perils of wool transport in 1948
"The truck, travelling at a slow speed, failed to balance and completely capsized."

Woodville celebrates sheep farming history with 'Woolville' weekend
Wool has played a significant role in Woodville's local economy and town life.

Lifelike displays bring history to life at Tawhiti Museum
Nigel Ogle has transformed an old cheese factory into Tawhiti Museum in Hāwera.

Vege tips: Winter is coming
OPINION: If your garden isn’t under snow, you can continue to plant and sow all winter.

Moa remains found in farm swamp in 1934
"The remains of at least a dozen moas were unearthed by a farmer recently."

11-year-old Jack’s Hereford dream
Jack Courtman wants to own his own herd of Herefords one day.

‘Bad conditions’: Shearers’ quarters back in the day
Some farmers ran foul of the Shearers Accommodation Bill of 1919.

Vege tips: Why carrots are worth their weight in gold
Opinion: Well-organised gardeners can be rewarded with carrots almost all year round.

The beauty of rural Ongaonga: Farmers decide to show their 2500 hectare paradise to the world
'We wanted to offer an experience where people could enjoy the beauty of rural NZ.'

Central Otago farmer Emma Crutchley on National Lamb Day
Maniototo sheep and beef farmer keen on others to have a "celebratory chop" on Saturday.

Vege tips: Time to think about autumn
Opinion: It's time to start thinking about autumn - and even winter.

'Wine with soul': Celebrating a father-and-daughter chenin blanc journey
Three Fates recently released its 2024 chenin blanc, a familial collaboration.

Vege tips: Weeding out summer gardening problems
Opinion: Kem Ormond battles oxalis, convolvulus and veldt grass.

The farming family with pet eels in 1946
"People seldom tame eels for pets, but a Buller family has done just that."

'Superfood powerhouse': Kiwi's innovative take on beef offal
Emile Siers-Jamieson launched REGEN+ to create supplements from beef cattle by-products.

The organisation using surplus food for social good
Nourished for Nil runs seven services a week, serving up to 450 people daily.

Egg-citing growth: Meet the innovative Bennik family
The Bennik family farms 216,000 layers across various sites in New Zealand.

Vege tips: A bountiful summer harvest
Opinion: Wow, this summer is shaping up to be a wonderful growing season.

Moleskins fit for a king in 1903
"The King ... wearing a waistcoat of that glossy fur, has caused a boom in moleskins."

Is mohair the next big thing for Kiwi farmers?
Michael and Susie Woodward run 250 Angora goats alongside dairy cows at Cowgora Hills.

Vege tips: Horseradish packs a punch on your plate
Opinion: This hardy perennial plant is easy to grow and is cold and drought-tolerant.

'No reason for panic': The plague rats of 1900
"Discovery should impel people throughout New Zealand to persist in sanitary precautions."

'Reduced to ashes': The perils of haystacks in 1930
"Cases of spontaneous combustion are not uncommon after haymaking."

The New Year's races in the 1800s
"A day of real pleasure, the races being held on New Year’s Day each year."

Vege tips: Welcoming bees and insects to your garden
Opinion: Bees and other pollinators are vital to every garden.

'What a feast we had': A 1930s farming Christmas
"After tea, we had a concert and all declared that it was the merriest we had ever seen."

Vege tips: It's going to be a hot one – lettuce not fry
OPINION: Kem's mulching and watering to keep her vegetable garden cool.

Boozy Christmas farm theft leads to comedy of errors in 1923
"On arriving at the courthouse, they actually tried to sell the pig to its real owner."

Vege tips: What to do with too much produce
OPINION: There’s almost no easier way to preserve food than dehydrating.

Vintage treasures await at Geraldine's car and machinery museum
There's something for everyone at the Geraldine Vintage Car & Machinery Club Museum.

Meet the 13-year-old aiming to build a major NZ sheep stud
'In the future, I would like to have one of the biggest studs in New Zealand.'

Chilled journey: Novel 1930s method for transporting bees
Bee care was generating quite the buzz back in the day.

Vege tips: Salad recipes for your Christmas table
OPINION: Kem's potato salad and lamb rump salad are ideal for Christmas.

‘I give you girls a year’: The subscription wine company proving the naysayers wrong
'We’re set for extraordinary, like we’re on a trampoline and about to get double-bounced.'

Vege tips: Creative ways to enjoy courgettes
Opinion: With the right care, courgettes can provide a bountiful harvest.

Pastures Past: A new buzzword in fencing
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

Mother-daughter duo not horsing around with barrel racing
'Doing something both you and your daughter love is something really special.'

Girls who Grow supporting young women in ag
'Now is the time to grow the next generation of female change-makers.'

Rise of new farming sector in the 1930s
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

Vege tips: The kūmara secret
Kūmara is a superfood of the garden and divine when roasted and used in a salad.

Rylee Ward returns to his old stomping ground
Rylee has an impressive list of credentials for a 20yo rodeo rider.

Vege tips: Why you should give parsnips a chance
Opinion: Poor parsnips; they get such a bad rap.

What caused 'objectionable flavour in milk' in 1925?
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

Secrets of berry farm’s success
Berry season is up and running with fruit arriving at supermarkets and greengrocers.

Livestock agent Lars Hardy has gift of the gavel
The PGG Wrightson livestock agent is passionate about stock and auctioneering.

Happy hooves, happy herd
Hardy Froneman of Hoof Trim, Hawke’s Bay, specialises in the Dutch five-step method.

Opinion: Why finger limes are worth the splurge
OPINION: These are the most gorgeous fruits I have tried in a long while.

Pastures Past: 'A terrible thing' - 1935 foot-and-mouth warning
"We should not take any risks with it,” said Mr. T. L. Lancaster.

Vege tips: Grow spring onions, make potato salad
OPINION: Spring onions are versatile but this dish is my favourite use for them.

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.

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.

Vege tips: Eating thistles? Don't knock it 'til you've tried it
OPINION: These thistles are a staple in the French diet.

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.