WorkSafe announced proactive visits across NZ from October to December 2026 to beef and lamb farms. No specific dates mentioned.

If you work on farms in NZ, the focus will be on vehicles (tractors, side-by-sides, and quad bikes), hazardous substances, and remote work. Last year’s visits found the biggest gap was hazardous substances, and 94% of improvement notices were about missing safety data sheets (SDS) or chemical inventories. So get your SDS files and chemical list ready. This safety data sheet template can help you keep a digital record for each chemical on site.

For vehicles, keep them serviced, check brakes and tyres, and make sure seatbelts and helmets are used. Also worth checking that power take-off (PTO) shafts are properly guarded.

Remote work or isolated work is new to the focus list this year, and WorkSafe hasn’t said what inspectors will look for. The rules behind it aren’t new, though. Businesses already have to have a system of work for staying in contact with anyone working remotely or on their own. So worth checking that crews out in remote areas can actually reach someone if something goes wrong.

Now, WorkSafe says the visits are about engaging and educating, but it’ll act if serious risks aren’t being managed.

Hello, all,

I'm installing two big cisterns across the driveway from my house. I'll need to have a pump that can pump water about fifty feet across and about ten feet up, to a pressure tank inside. What kind of pump should I look for? What are some things I need to think about?

It will be an inline pump, in a "well house" kind of thing - that's to say that I'm pretty sure it won't freeze.

I'm fairly new to plumbing, and it's all DIY, so let me know if I've got anything wrong :)

Everyday is focused on planning and problem solving. And I have had sooooo many moments of WTH was I thinking. But I love being where I am. I love working the land. I have much to learn- a long way to go, and I actually hadn’t wanted this. One of my children, when I was looking at homes, was obsessed with the IDEA of homesteading and “having chickens.” We had to have “3 acres.” Well, the idea got old for that child, real quick, but I fell in love with the property. That child is now 21 and wants to live in the city 🤷‍♀️ so here I am learning and as I do, teaching my 13-year-old. This wasn’t MY dream, but it is now. I’m pretty broke at this point because of the property, so most of what I do is without any real equipment. I’m slowly earning calluses on my hands, my muscles are usually sore, and I love it. It’s not going to be an easy winter. And there is a jerk in the area very focused on trying to intimidate me. But I love this life that I didn’t plan. This is my forever place. I’m curious how many other single mothers are working on building a homestead all by themselves, and I am wondering for the others how much that changed the way they see themselves.

Hey all,

We recently bought about 4 acres that the previous owners had let, shall we say, run wild. We walked through it full today and apart from the trees needing trimming / felling, the overgrowth looks fairly unproblematic. The deer have helped to flatten some of the overgrowth 🦌

I'm thinking of buying a brush hog to do most of the rough work, but I was curious if anyone had a better (but equivalent in cost) idea. Thanks!

I recently moved to around 60 acres of mostly forested land. I would like to hunt turkey and deer for meat, but I'm struggling with a few aspects. I'm fortunate to have family and friends to guide me with most stuff, but I'd like to ask the random masses some questions/concerns that I've been grappling with.

- A Complete and Utter Lack of Interest in in Firearms: I just don't really have much of an interest in firearms or weapons. I intend to take all required safety courses needed, but other than that, don't really care about them. To me, they are just tools. For the people around me, not so much. It's all about the guns, which brings me to my next concern,

- Consumerism Galore: for any hunter I've met, it seems like hunting is ALL about what you buy. Gotta have this, gotta have that, new stand, BuckFucker 6000 Doe Scent, etc.... Dude, I just wanna go out in the woods and shoot an animal for dinner. I'm trying to be more self sufficient, which is hard to do if I apparently need to drop thousands of dollars at Cabelas every year! I know there will be some initial start-up costs, but yeesh. Is it like this for everyone, or are my hunting friends all just shopaholics?

Basically, my interest in hunting is really just for food and self-sufficiency. I also want to do this to limit the amount of grocery store meat I buy. I see hunting as a really fun and rewarding trip to the grocery store. And I love wildlife, and being out on my land has been an absolute joy. I love looking on my trailcams and seeing all the different animals I've seen.

My problem is I don't feel like much of a hunter, because I really don't care about the weapons or the gear, and it seems like those are pretty serious aspects of hunting. I feel like a jerk if say this to my hunting people though, hence the shout to the void.

EDIT: Thanks everyone! Hearing all your insights was really gratifying. I think I just needed to vent about the gear-heads, and I hoped that posting here would find folks who feel more similar to myself. I really am excited to harvest and process animals from my land. Rock on, friends!

I am looking at options for electric fencing for a (future) small herd of hair sheep. Theoretically, I would like to be able to set up 2 paddocks so that I could open a gate/take down a wire to move the sheep. I am considering multiple strands of wire vs. netting. 

A few questions I have are:

- If using wire, how many strands would be recommended?

- How reasonable is it to move approximately 2 of the ~160 foot pieces of fence (or similar wire) by yourself? How long would this take on average? I would like to move paddocks once or twice a week. I have a, generally, flat pasture, but part of it has some brush present.

We have moderate coyote pressure, but no larger predators. We also have 2 great pyrenees that will stay with them.

I'm sure I am overlooking plenty.... Open to any advice.

I'm reaching out to back-to-the-land people, homesteaders, and off-grid communities who might be willing to help someone start a new life.

I'm 22M, and I feel like I have nobody in this world. My mother died when I was a baby, and I never knew my father.

I grew up living an isolated, old-fashioned lifestyle, somewhat similar to Amish or off-grid communities in Western countries. But my adoptive family didn't truly follow Jesus's teachings. I experienced mistreatment and was eventually kicked out.

Now, I'm struggling with loneliness, anxiety, and the challenges of surviving on my own. All I want is a peaceful life surrounded by nature and genuine people who care about one another.

If you're part of a back-to-the-land community, a homestead, or an off-grid family and have room in your life to help someone, I'm here. I'm not asking for money. I'm willing to work hard, help with farming, gardening, cleaning, or any honest work in exchange for a safe place to stay and a chance to start over.

I'm 22, and I still hope there's a place in this world where people treat each other with kindness, love, and humanity.

If you can offer guidance, support, or a genuine opportunity to join your community, please reach out to me.

I'm not looking for luxury. I just want a peaceful life, meaningful human connections, and a place where I can finally feel that I belong.

Please, if you can help me find a new beginning, I'd be truly grateful.

I look at all these online stores and all their pretty AI generated slop and I'm wondering can ANYONE tell me of an online kit provider that isn't bullshit and garbage and trying to waste my time and force a credit card charge back at just under 90 days? Yourgreenhouses.com isn't fucking it.

spent the whole summer sitting on those old plastic chairs that sink into the grass. finally decided to upgrade the space before fall hits.

looking at some patio furniture that can actually handle the rain and still look decent. want something low maintenance that doesn’t fall apart after one season.

anyone gone with all weather wicker or the recycled plastic stuff? how’s it holding up after a couple winters?

Is it pigs, chickens, rabbits, cows? Something else? Is hunting better? Very curious to know what you guys think.

Just trying to figure out what I should be purchasing. How do you guys feel about your machines either way. All of my fruit trees have decided to mature and I need to get my shit together for next year. Any help is appreciated! Cheers

I’ve had this idea for a while but wasn’t sure where to ask about it. The r /woodstoves subreddit has banned discussions like this, and when I tried r /massheaters, it didn’t get much attention, so I decided to share it here. The concept is simple: a large mass heater with a rocket stove at its core, designed not only for heating but also for cooking, similar to an AGA stove that uses radiant heat from a single massive heat source. The design would feature a main firebox with enough capacity to burn through the evening so I wouldn’t have to tend it until the next morning—I sleep late. One side would have a big, probably L-shaped couch, and the other side would be the kitchen, with the heater acting as the dividing wall between the kitchen and living room. It would burn continuously, lit at the start of fall and kept going until it too warm in the spring. Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

I just cut back my large leaf Basil and am stepping the seeds from the stems. The smell is wonderful but overwhelming.

What can I do with all the stems? Is there a use for them?

Hey everyone. I live in an old farmhouse and currently have a fuel oil boiler. With the way fuel prices are, I'm looking into an alternate heat source. I live on a farm and have access to cheap corn. I also have 6 acres of woods, so I have plenty of free wood at my disposal. Is it worth the work of making and storing wood every year? Is it really that much more expensive to burn corn/pellets? What do you guys think?

Roughly succeeded in my goal of doubling food output while making significant progress in establishing water and electricity infrastructure (explains the mess pictured). My motivation to work is high every day because I'm taking care of my future self here and potentially that of my family and friends.