| Any land that's not already preserved as a national park or world heritage area is most likely either a farm, fruit orchard, or vineyard. Kiwis have managed to utilize their rich soils to produce meats, dairy, and produce that have contributed to a strong international economy, and while keeping the environment beautiful and welcoming. Farms New Zealand is sometimes called "the world's biggest farm", with an economy strongly based on agriculture and horticulture. You'll meet many students at your university that have grown up on farms and in small farming communities. It's simply a way of life for thousands of Kiwis.
Over the last decade more than a million hectares of New Zealand's countryside has moved from pastoral farming to alternatives such as grapes, olives, avocados, forestry and lifestyle blocks. Meat, dairy products and wool still remain among New Zealand's major overseas export earners with dairying contributing around 23% of the country's annual export income.
 New Zealand farms mainly produce:
Dairy - milk, butter, cheese
Meat - lamb, beef, venison
Wool - sheep's wool (There are 40 million sheep in New Zealand - and only 4 million people!)
Source: www.aatravel.ac.nz
Fruit Orchards Apples, berries, melons, citrus fruits, and of course, the kiwi fruit all grow in great abundance in New Zealand. Driving around the countryside of New Zealand, you'll see hundreds of fruit orchards lining the sparse highways. Fruit stands are scattered throughout the countryside where you can buy the freshest fruit you may have ever tasted!
In some areas (mainly Northland and the Bay of Plenty), frost-free conditions allow subtropical fruits such as avocados, feijoas, kiwifruit, tamarillos and passionfruit to flourish, while others (Auckland, Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury, Otago and Southland) have the consistent frosts necessary to produce apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries and berryfruits - blackcurrants, boysenberries, raspberries and strawberries.
Citrus is grown commercially mainly in Northland and the Bay of Plenty. Apples and pears for export are grown mainly in the Hawke's Bay and Nelson regions.
Source: www.aatravel.ac.nz
Vineyards and Wineries 
New Zealand has managed to impress wine connoisseurs from around the world with its crisp Sauvignon Blancs and rich Pinot Noirs. The growing reputation is the result of a quickly expanding wine industry in the last 10 years. New Zealand is now home to 530 wineries spread out over 22,626 hectares of vineyards. Touring throughout the country, it's impossible to miss how important wine has become to the nation's economy.
Diverse styles New Zealand is a country of contrasts with dense, native forest, snow-capped mountains and spectacular coastline. With wine growing regions spanning the latitudes of 36 to 45 degrees and covering the length of 1000 miles (1,600km), grapes are grown in a vast range of climates and soil types, producing a diverse array of styles. The northern hemisphere equivalent would run from Bordeaux (between the latitudes of 44 and 46 degrees) down to southern Spain.
Ensuring the future New Zealand's small population, distant location and agricultural economy have earned the country a 'clean, green' image. Visitors often describe it as 'an unspoiled paradise'. New Zealand's winemakers and grape growers are determined to keep it this way. Innovative practices in the vineyard and winery which deliver quality in a sustainable and environmental manner, ensure that New Zealand meets a growing world demand for wines that have been produced in a 'clean and green' fashion.
Source: www.nzwine.com
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