New Zealanders like to think we have a “Number 8 Wire Mentality” - a rough and ready enthusiasm for fixing and building stuff with limited resources. From the first Māori arrivals who worked out how to grow tropical plants in our cold, wet climate - to modern scientific breeding and robotics, New Zealand agriculture has always been at the cutting edge. But innovation isn’t always good news for all people, or for the environment - so in this episode we dig into the history of New Zealand agriculture through the lens of innovation. In this episode we discuss: How Māori worked out which native New Zealand plants were edible. How Māori managed to grow tropical plants like kūmara in New Zealand's cold and wet climate. New Zealand innovations in sheep breeding and shearing - including the violent disputes over wide shearing combs in Australia. New Zealand’s embrace of topdressing, and the devastating impacts of phosphate mining in Nauru. A whole lot more! For more on this subject: Making a New Land edited by Eric Pawson & Tom Brooking Three Steel Teeth by Mark Filmer Farming Inventions - Te Ara Encyclopaedia: https://teara.govt.nz/en/inventions-patents-and-trademarks/page-3

Take a voyage through the history of New Zealand with The Aotearoa History Show from RNZ - a part-animated web-series that travels all the way through from 100 million years ago to the modern day, capturing the highlights of our nation’s story. Fourteen short, sharp episodes dissect the what, when, how, and (most importantly) why of our past. Co-presented by RNZ's Maori Issues Correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan and William Ray from the smash hit Black Sheep podcast, it’s an accessible and entertaining tale perfect for history newbies and history buffs alike. [YouTube, 2019] The story of New Zealand and its people from its geological origins to modern day, hosted by William Ray, Māni Dunlop and Leigh-Marama McLachlan, with animation by Chris Maguren. [Radio New Zealand, 2019-2022]