Tim and Camilla Rutherford explore what it takes to bring regenerative practices to high country Merino production, and how it's benefited business, personal and family life. A wonderful conversation, it covers the introduction of mob grazing, the challenges of high country water supply, and the move away from cultivation, monocropping and chemical use.

Camilla also talks about her continuing professional photography career, and the passion she has for telling the story of regenerative agriculture through images and film in a way that's connected beyond the farming community. And Tim – a fourth generation farmer – shares fondly about both the experience of farming alongside his father, and beginning the same journey with their children.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

• Camilla’s ‘Heal the Earth’ project blog can be found at https://www.healtheearthnz.com/

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Market gardener and regenerative land use advocate Jodi Roebuck explains how he generates a $250k turnover on one tenth of a hectare, and the huge value gained from improving soil, fine tuning systems and building relationships. He also talks about the resilience and adaptability built into his approach to farming and business.

Jodi openly shares many of the financial details of his system, including the potential for a 6-day microgreen crop to match the value of a prime lamb! He also tells of his time overseas learning regenerative farming techniques, the key influences he met along the way and the value of learning from others.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

Roebuck Farm workshops (https://www.roebuckfarm.com/store)

Books:

• Jean-Martin Fortier - The Market Gardener
• Curtis Stone - The Urban Farmer
• Elliot Coleman - The Four Season Farm
• Ben Hartman - The Lean Farm

Podcasts:

• No-till growers
• Farm small, farm smart (Diego Footer)
• Farmer to farmer (Chris Blanchard)

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Canterbury pedigree beef and sheep breeders, the McKerchar family discuss multi-generational farming, succession, and not being afraid to shift direction. It’s clear that being open to different perspectives lies at the heart of family relationships, and their evolving relationship with their soils and livestock.

They talk about building business resilience, the growing interest consumers have in how their food is produced and the substantial benefits of introducing regenerative farming practices. Improvements in livestock health, fertility, and well-being have been substantial, whilst reliance on chemical fertilisers and feed supplements has dropped. It's an open and heart-warming conversation from a family committed to supporting a vibrant farming future and each other.

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Join dairy farmer and filmmaker Deane Parker as he deep-dives into his journey from rafting guide to regenerative farming advocate. Deane's connection to the outdoors and water, along with the hurdles he's faced along the way, have profoundly affected how he views the industry he works in and the opportunities available for those willing to change.

The openness with which Deane explores his concerns, hopes and experiences is powerful, as is the working relationship he's forging with partner Melissa. From the value of people, to multi-species winter crops and cutting fertiliser use, Deane is forward looking, curious and always learning.

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Jules Matthews shares her experiences applying regenerative principles to beef and sheep farming, coaching and a startup market garden venture supplying direct to consumer. The observations and learnings she’s gathered within all this complexity are thought-provoking and inspiring.

From questioning what we’ve always accepted to asking where each situation is asking us to grow, it’s a conversation which covers many topics. Key themes include letting go of predictability, embracing uncertainty and choosing what may not be convenient, and relate to the bigger picture of how we’re turning up to farm and live.

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Quorum Sense board member Duncan Humm talks about his fascination with deer, and the part they've played in teaching him the value of observation and diversity. Both are traits that have proven extremely useful as he learns to apply regenerative farming practices to the family farm.

From the early years as a teenager growing up on-farm in South Canterbury, to his more recent experiences with the Quorum Sense community, Duncan shares what he's seen and learned along the way. The impact on the way he now farms, and the inspiration he has to keep pushing forward, are obvious from this great conversation.

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From initial experiments with regenerative practices to rolling out across larger areas

of the farm, the Smiths and Lows share their experiences with building topsoil,

reducing fertiliser use and embracing diverse crops and pastures.

The benefits they discuss are wide-ranging, from improved fertility, animal health and profitability to bringing the joy and balance back into farming, as well as family and community life.

It’s an inspiring conversation about taking back responsibility for the choices made

on-farm, following the desire to find a better alternative, and how

refreshing it is to be able to focus on the positive outcomes they’re seeing on

their farms.

Three arable farmers come together to talk about their experiences with regenerative crop production systems. From changes in tillage regimes to techniques to better support crop establishment, nutrition and health, it's a fascinating conversation between farmers who are 'walking the talk'.

From high level discussion around the benefits of regenerative farming practices, the guests deep-dive into the specifics of their individual approaches. The tools and inputs they use, why they're used and the benefits they're seeing are all covered in this engaging round table conversation.

Enjoy the episode!

Pastoral farmer and grazing coach Siobhan Griffin was initially drawn to regenerative farming practices by a desire to produce better tasting meat and cheese. She has a deep passion for holistic grazing, plant and animal diversity, and increasing the soil carbon sponge.

Siobhan talks about the benefits for both farmers and consumers, and the pivotal role these practices can play in countering climate change. She believes that pastoral farmers are uniquely placed to be the climate heroes of the future. And that what's needed is not just a wholesale shift in farming practices, but also a focus on reconnecting with consumers.

Greystone Wine's Nick Gill and Mike Saunders continue to challenge traditional approaches to viticulture as they bring regenerative systems into their wine growing business. The integration of sheep into the vineyard, adopting natural fermentation processes and minimising machinery passes are just a few examples of the many changes they've introduced.

They talk about the personal challenges of innovating, and the wonderful accidental discoveries that have come from questioning the status quo and breaking away from traditional vineyard management practices. It's fascinating to hear Nick and Mike share their passion for pushing beyond the transition to organic production in order to build greater resilience into their farming system.

Enjoy the episode!