If you're on a road trip this summer, you might notice something unusual happening to the nation's hay bales. They're changing colour.
But the reason has nothing to do with the health of the herd - rather, the health of us humans.
Usually, our hay bales are a minty green colour. But lately, pink and blue ones are appearing across our farms.
The brainchild of a farmer's wife, the pink and blue bales are a subtle awareness campaign for breast and prostate cancer.
Money from the sale of the pink ones goes to Sweet Louise, which helps women with terminal breast cancer.
"They get $500-worth of vouchers a year that they can spend on approved suppliers, so they can get gardening, childcare, mastectomy bras, wigs," says Sweet Louise spokesperson Jillian Craig.
The blue bales raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, which says partnering with farmers is vital.
"Rural men have worse outcomes for prostate cancer, and it's often because they're so busy tending to their farms and animals, they tend not to care for themselves," says Prostate Cancer Foundation CEO Graeme Woodside.
The cash is raised when people choose to pay a premium for the bales.
The pink-and-blue coloured bales cost farmers about 10 percent more, but it's a mark-up they're happy to pay.
Around 100,000 have already been sold, and the idea is slowly taking off around New Zealand.
"It works out at about $1 more over the normal plastic we normally buy. It's a good cause," says agriculture contractor Lance Caddy.
The two charities will get about $80,000 from sales in the new year.
So if you're on the road this summer, and wondering what those new splashes of colour are, now you know - and now you know there's a good reason for them.
Newshub.
