PIE IN THE SKY BY & BY ~ Set to happen in New Zealand now!!!

[copperkid3]

Why is it that all the cutting edge technology and just plain neat things seem to be happening 'down under' in Kiwiland?

I want a pizza delivered by drone too.  Extra anchovies please....

www.cnet.com/news/pie-in-the-sky-drones-to-deliver-dominos-pizza-in-new-zealand/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0b&linkId=28054897

[ketoriverfarm]

New Zealand is one country I would like to visit. I think it has something to do with all the green and the sheep.

[ketoriverfarm]

New Zealand is one country I would like to visit. I think it has something to do with all the green and the sheep.

[Deleted]

LOL copperkid3 - I'd like to think that our national "#8 wire" attutide to problem-solving ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_8_wire ) and innovative abilities stretch a bit further than finding a new way to deliver pizza ... but whatever floats your boat, I guess. ( combined with much eye-rolling)

ketoriverfarm , you're probably more likely to see cows now, than sheep. But yes, we have a few nice spots dotted around the place. Something for everyone, pretty much.

[ketoriverfarm]

@kiwifarmgal, well the more cows than sheep is disappointing in New Zealand. Has that been a recent change or more over the years.?

[Deleted]

ketoriverfarm , in a way you're right - the impression of sheep and NZ going together is pretty iconic, but we're known as a predominantly dairy exporter now. Over the past 10-15 years or so there was an explosion of dairy conversions here, 'specially when the prices for dairy goods was on a high and wool and lamb prices dropped. Now, with competition from other countries and a downturn in global dairy prices, dairy farmers are struggling to break even in more than a few cases. For a while there, there were lots of dairy farm sales or amalgamations as farmers who leveraged themselves high to get into the market had to deal with the effect of the downturn. This has, in some cases, caused a right royal stir as farms were brought up by overseas interests. Many people are dismayed at the thought of good productive land being out of our control - particularly since in some cases those overseas interests are building infrastructure to produce products that go straight overseas and compete with our own exports.

I have a perception that China, in particular, created some of the issues we currently have. They bought up large from us, leading to a lot of confidence and resulting in the explosion of dairy conversions. They then stockpiled things like milk powder, then stopped buying it from us and our largest export market declined. Of course we didn't help things by putting all our eggs in one basket and not diversifying. Also it's my belief that we've been a bit free and easy about sharing our technology, innovation and, in some cases, our genetics with other countries, and that's coming back to bite us a bit. The situation now is that even the government is saying we need to widen our markets instead of investing in China so much, and diversify our industries so we're not so reliant on dairy production. Let's hope we're not too late on that. Definitely a case where we need some of that good old #8 wire thinking...

But, of course, tourism is a major player in our economy and there's a lot of work being put into encouraging people over here for the New Zealand experience.

[Deleted]

Well blow me down - after commenting on NZs dairy industry recently, this came over the newsfeed this morning:

www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/83651789/how-a-dairy-factory-at-the-end-of-the-earth-is-trying-to-rule-the-world

[Deleted]

Pie in the Sky - ha! I would settle for basic Pie in a Beat Up Ford Fiesta, if it was driven to my door. In my area we have what we call the Pizza Church. It is a church parking lot about half way between my place and town and is as far as the local pizzeria will deliver. So when we order a pizza for delivery, we tell them to bring it to the Pizza Church and we go meet them there. Some nights there are 3 or 4 cars waiting there.

[Deleted]

@hillfarm , that's like us, too. Not that I've ever actually ordered a delivery pizza, but I did check to see how far down our way the drivers came. Turns out it's the turnoff to the local Boys Brigade camp. Guess that makes it the Pizza Brigade, LOL.