New Zealand has a proud farming history, and the farmers of the alpine regions of the South Island occupy a special place in New Zealand's heritage. These beautiful alpine lands known as the high country are a unique landscape of expansive grassland plains, river valleys, and mountains. The land is generally prone to climatic extremes of hot, dry summers and winters that bring heavy snowfalls. It takes a special kind of person to live and make this their home, and it's our high country farmers—approximately 150 to 160 families—that protect these regions for all of New Zealand.