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.
‘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.
I was told you could eat good silage
Opinion: Was her uncle having her on when he said you could eat good silage?
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.