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Cultivating Change

Organic NZ interviews Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy has dedicated her life to cultivating change – not just in the soil, but in the way we grow, learn, and connect to the land. From her early days as an artist to becoming an advocate for biology-first regenerative horticulture practices, she has helped reshape how we view the potential of food production in our cities and its capacity to heal the soils we grow in.

Sarah shares her transformational journey, the challenges and triumphs of founding For the Love of Bees (FTLOB), their model farm OMG and the Earthworkers Hort 101 educational pathway.

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ABOVE: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy, establishing interest in the OMG farm in central Auckland, 2017

Tell us a bit about your background, Sarah. You’ve had quite a diverse career journey. 

I’ve had an unconventional path, to say the least. I was an actor for over 20 years, from the ’80s through to the early 2000s. In the early 2000s I moved to Australia and became an artist and in 2005 I got to travel to India and exhibit my art in New Delhi. That experience really changed my perspective on the world. I began to use my art practice to explore the environmental issues we were facing, like deforestation and coal mining in Australia.

By 2010, I realised that my art wasn’t having the kind of impact I wanted. I was highlighting problems but not providing solutions. So, I decided to make a shift. I enrolled in a Permaculture Design Course at the same time I began an Master of Fine Arts and started working with biodynamic practices, committing myself to learning how to regenerate land I had just moved to which we named Maunga Kereru. I wanted to focus on solutions and find ways to share these practices with others.

ABOVE: Sarah in her studio at Maunga Kereru, 2023

You’ve had quite an impact in the regenerative urban farming community. How did For the Love of Bees and Earthworkers come to be?

In 2014, I worked on a collaborative artwork called ‘The Park’, which aimed to bring bees into the city and encourage people to engage with their local food sources. Through this project, I connected with Daniel Schuurman, who introduced me to the idea of using fungi to improve plant health.

I realised that while art could bring attention to environmental issues, it was through practical action that real change could be made. This led to the creation of For the Love of Bees, a project focused on reimagining urban environments as safe spaces for bees. We wanted to build a community that would prioritise biology-first regeneration horticulture. Over the years, that vision grew into Earthworkers, an educational platform designed to equip people with the skills they need to regenerate the land and grow food sustainably.

To date, over 200 people have graduated from Earthworkers, many of whom are now working professionally in the sector, spreading the knowledge they’ve gained through workshops and projects of their own.

ABOVE: Pōwhiri for the Rongoā gardens at Wellesley St, central Auckland, pre OMG (2017)
ABOVE: Sarah (at left, wearing a hat) with Earthworkers participants at OMG (Organic Market Garden) in 2021

What led you to focus on education and mentorship in the agricultural sector?

I’ve always believed in learning from those who are actually doing the work. There’s so much theory out there, but hands-on experience makes the difference. After taking various courses and learning from experts like Graham Sait and Jodi Roebuck, I realised that no one was offering an educational pathway that combined learning with ongoing mentorship.

When you’re starting out in regenerative farming, so many questions arise in the field. Without proper support, it’s easy to fall back on old habits or resort to quick fixes – like pesticides or even organic fertilisers that may not always benefit the ecosystem as a whole. That’s why we integrated post-course mentoring into Earthworkers Hort 101.

The idea is that students don’t just leave with knowledge; they have a community to lean on as they continue to learn and grow. The mentorship component ensures that they implement the practices and make decisions that prioritise soil health—the foundation of any regenerative system.

What makes Earthworkers Hort 101 different from other agricultural courses?

Our course is built around a biology-first approach to regenerative farming. We focus on soil remediation and fostering healthy ecosystems as the foundation for sustainable food production. Biology-first means prioritising the health of the biological engine of the soil, which leads to healthier plants and greater economic resilience for growers.

But it’s not just about theory – it’s about learning through doing. Our five-day intensive course is split between a deep dive into soil science in the classroom, and hands-on fieldwork. We teach everything from the microbial world and mineral cycles to soil testing and plant health monitoring. In the afternoons, we take these concepts into real-world settings – farms, community gardens, or home gardens – where students see regenerative systems in action. We teach on model farms that actively use the principles we promote, because seeing is believing. We teach people to investigate their own site’s condition and only make the amendments it needs, with a less-is-more approach.

Most importantly, after the course ends, we don’t just send students on their way – we provide ongoing mentorship. Our alumni network has become an incredible resource, with experienced graduates mentoring new students and sharing their knowledge. This sense of community is one of the most valuable aspects of the programme.

ABOVE: Sarah (centre in pale grey) and participants in Earthworkers 101 at Kaicycle, Pōneke Wellington, 2021

“True learning happens in the field, side by side, hands in the soil.” – Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Why do you believe that food biology-first regenerative production is key to addressing environmental challenges?

Biology-first regenerative agriculture is one of the most powerful tools we have to combat biodiversity loss and heal farm ecosystems. It restores soil health, which leads to better food production and resilience against climate extremes.

We see the results firsthand – year after year, crops thrive, yields improve, and produce lasts longer due to higher nutrient density. This means healthier food for consumers and fewer pesticide residues, which is a growing concern for many. Farmers want to grow better, but they face barriers: time, money, and the risk of change. That’s why education and support are critical. We’re now seeing larger-scale growers becoming interested in regenerative techniques, and we believe it’s important to offer a locally supported pathway that harnesses the knowledge of their own communities.

What’s next for you and For the Love of Bees?

Separating the farm (OMG) from the Earthworkers educational pathway was a tough decision, but it’s allowed us to focus fully on expanding Earthworkers. We want to develop resources to help people learn how to regenerate their land, no matter where they are, and support our alumni who are expressing a desire to train to be regenerative agronomists like Daniel.

I get excited seeing how our alumni continue to innovate and inspire others. We’ve built a strong community, and by supporting each other, we can keep growing this movement. Ultimately, my goal is to keep learning, keep teaching, and keep building a world where people are more connected to their land and food. If we can do that, we’ll be well on our way to healing both our landscapes and our communities.

ABOVE: Sarah with school children in Auckland at Highwic Historical House. This was a pasture painting project, in collaboration with Auckland Council, Enviroschools, Parnell Rotary, and Newmarket and Parnell primary schools.

Any final thoughts on teaching and learning?

It has always been important to me that teachers practice what they teach. While I am not a commercial grower, I have spent the last 15 years deeply immersed in regenerative growing. Maunga Kereru, my 10-acre property just 45 minutes north of Auckland, has served as both sanctuary and laboratory—a place where mistakes have become lessons, and experiments have shaped my evolving understanding of ecosystems.

One of my greatest teachers has been the land itself—specifically, a 400-square-metre food forest that I regenerated from an engineered, compacted clay driveway. Over 15 years, this hard clay has transformed into the heart of food production at Maunga Kereru, providing evidence that even the most degraded soils can be revived through thoughtful interventions and design.

ABOVE: Photos from Sarah’s land, Maunga Kereru, Mahurangi West. Left to right: establishing compost, working bee, spring blossom amidst lush growth

I began learning how to teach here—first with my WWOOFers, then through workshops with the biodynamic community, and later with the FTLOB and OMG communities. For the past eight years, I concentrated my teaching at the FTLOB OMG farm, but my systems were always tested and refined here at home. More recently, I’ve returned to teaching at Maunga Kereru, where students can see permaculture, biodynamic, syntropic, raised beds, and traditional horticulture integrated side by side.

My knowledge is valuable, but I wouldn’t feel confident teaching Earthworkers Hort 101 without Daniel’s 40-plus years of experience as a grower and agronomist leading us. I am still a student, and each time I participate in an Earthworkers course, I integrate more complex ideas into my knowledge base. As Daniel always says, we are all learning together.

We invite the growers who host Earthworkers Hort 101 on their farms to run modules, and we encourage students to bring their own experiences into the conversation.

After all, true learning happens in the field, side by side, hands in the soil.

ABOVE: Levi Brinsdon-Hall, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy and friend at the first working bee at OMG, 2018. Photo: Aaron McLean

Earthworkers Hort 101

24–28 March 2025, Hamilton

Hosted by:

  • Coral Ramiro and team at Earth Stewards
  • Brit and James Stembridge of Tomtit Farm
  • Chris McIntosh at Ethos Café’s new start-up farm

These three farms will showcase regenerative farming practices in action. Participants in the course will learn from these growers who have experience of managing farms and offer models of what’s possible using biology-first regenerative methods.

Find out more and ENROL HERE by 9 March 2025.


From paddock to plate and back again

As he deepens his knowledge of organic and regenerative horticulture and the links with soil, food and health, Chris McIntosh has found his life journey coming full circle.

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy finds out more in this second article about participants and alumni of the Earthworker Regenerative Horticulture course. 

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Seeds planted in childhood 

Raised on his grandparents’ farm, Chris McIntosh had a childhood steeped in traditional practices. “They cooked everything from scratch, preserved food, and had animals,” he recalls. His grandfather, a market gardener from Holland, unknowingly planted the seeds of horticulture in him. These experiences became his happiest childhood memories and set the foundation for his later passion for growing food.

As a chef, Chris’s approach to food was always health-driven. “Most chefs focus on flavor. My first question is, ‘Is this healthy?’” 

Health challenges forced him to scrutinise ingredients and their sources. “When you start asking where food comes from, it becomes pretty scary.” This curiosity and necessity drove his journey into horticulture.

Starting with Earth Stewards

Chris found the culinary industry to be a toxic environment, so he left, and took a leap of faith. He had no job but had always dreamed of starting a farm. A friend introduced him to Warwick Hutchinson, who offered him land to begin Earth Stewards, a certified organic urban farm project in Hamilton inspired by North American regenerative farming pioneers like Curtis Stone and Jean-Martin Fortier.

“I approached the farm with methods I learned online,” Chris explains. But the labour-intensive practices of broadforking and double digging weren’t sustainable. He pivoted to no-till horticulture, laying heavy compost directly on the soil, which worked well initially. Over the years of growing Chris has realised that one size does not fit all in horticultural practices.

ABOVE: Chris (centre, arms folded) with a group visiting Earth Stewards in 2019. Photo: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Ethos: A new chapter

Chris’s second urban farm project reflects his deeper understanding of horticulture. It’s a café called Ethos, located within the social enterprise of Mahi Mihinare – Anglican Action farm, also in Hamilton. 

“Starting another growing project gives me a chance to apply everything I’ve already learned. But it also makes me realise there is so much more I want to know about regenerative horticulture.” 

From creating his own potting mix to understanding soil chemistry, he emphasises the importance of getting it right from day one. “If you don’t get a good start, you don’t get a good outcome.”

Soil testing has become really essential, something he has learnt from the mistakes he has made which have taught him valuable lessons. “This season for example, one bad input material has affected all our growing beds, and I’ve had to spend months trying to recover from it.” This was bought-in compost that turned out to be very poor quality.

The Ethos project also gives Chris the freedom to explore the connection between food culture and horticulture. “Food culture is born around what we can grow in season locally, not what we can import. I’m trying to find my identity within the food industry and our culture.”

The integration of this new urban farm with the Ethos café means he is focused on using surplus produce to create preserves adding value to their produce. “This way, we make the most of what we grow, while educating customers on seasonal, local food.”

Lessons learned

Key takeaways from Chris’s journey include:

  1. Observation is a horticulturist’s greatest tool: “Nature is always speaking to us. Everything in nature is perfect. Why am I so arrogant to think I know better?”
  2. Holistic thinking: Health, soil, and community are interconnected. “You can’t just focus on one aspect and hope the rest falls into place.”
  3. Importance of systems: “As a chef, I’ve learned the value of good systems. Without them, nothing flows, whether in the kitchen or in the garden.”

Hosting the Earthworker Course

Chris is extending his learning, connection and growth not only by participating in the Earthworker Course, but at the same time by offering to host the course coming up in late March at the Mahi Mihinare conference facilities where Ethos is located.

“I want to be part of the biology-first regenerative horticulture movement and learn from others on this path. I already have a few years of urban farming under my belt, and I recently completed the Nutri Tech Solutions course in Australia with Graeme Sait, but I know Daniel [Schuurman] has more to teach me here on my own site, and I also sense being part of the Earthworker network will be invaluable for growing my confidence and ability as a horticulturist.”

He sees this as an opportunity to refine his skills and contribute to a broader community of regenerative growers. “I hope to support other projects and participate in further education opportunities to become an agronomist like Graeme Sait and Daniel.”

“I’ve spent years practicing, but now I want to understand how the system works beneath the soil. To become a good steward of it.” – Chris McIntosh

ABOVE: Spring garden at Ethos Cafe gardens. Photo: Wade Aukett, Anglican Action

Mentorship: Daniel Schuurman’s support

A key figure in Chris’s journey has been Daniel Schuurman, the lead teacher and mentor for Earthworkers. Daniel has over 45 years of lived experience as a grower, giving him a long-range perspective as an agronomist and consultant. He began supporting Chris during his time at Earth Stewards and has continued to guide him through the challenges of his new project at Ethos. 

“Daniel’s depth of knowledge and ability to connect science with lived experience have been invaluable,” Chris says. “His mentorship has helped me navigate complex challenges and saved my arse a few times. Slowly his support is helping me build necessary foundational knowledge. ”

A transformative opportunity

The Earthworker course will be a transformative opportunity to deepen his understanding and connect him with like-minded growers. “I have a million questions a week, and being part of the Earthworker Alumni network will allow me to tap into a growing community of regenerative practitioners who prioritise ecosystem and community restoration.” For more information about the Earthworker Alumni network, see the first article in this series here

Chris is excited to learn specific practical skills, including:

  • Making his own biological inoculations for seeds and brewing applications for soil and foliar use.
  • Understanding the nitrogen cycle and how minerals like phosphorus interact with fungi.
  • Improving his composting techniques to prepare for creating his own seed-raising mix, inspired by Earth Stewards manager Coral Ramiro.
  • Developing effective mulching strategies to improve soil health and water retention.
  • How nutrition affects plant health, impacts on a plant’s ability to photosynthesise, be pollinated effectively, and encourage its relationship with soil microbes.

The five-day immersion into the chemistry and biology of thriving horticultural systems is particularly exciting for Chris. “I’ve spent years practicing, but now I want to understand how the system works beneath the soil. To become a good steward of it.”

Chris feels passionate about making biology-first regenerative horticulture his life’s work. He’s especially eager about the prospect of joining a small cohort of Earthworker Alumni in 2025, participating in a research group that will receive expert coaching to achieve a higher level of mastery. “This is an incredible opportunity to deepen my expertise and contribute to the future of regenerative horticulture.”

The bigger picture

Chris’s vision extends beyond his garden. He dreams of a world where people reconnect with the land and embrace community living. “Everyone has moved away from horticulture because of the materialistic dream of city life. We’ve lost our connection to the very thing that sustains us.”

By hosting the Earthworker course and sharing his journey, Chris hopes to inspire others to return to the land and take responsibility for their food and health. “If we work with nature instead of against it, we can create a sustainable future for ourselves and our communities.” 

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is the founder of For the Love of Bees and OMG (Organic Market Garden in central Auckland), and co-founder of the Earthworkers programme. 

Earthworkers Hort 101

24–28 March 2025, Hamilton

Hosted by:

  • Coral Ramiro and team at Earth Stewards
  • Brit and James Stembridge of Tomtit Farm
  • Chris McIntosh at Ethos Café’s new start-up farm

These three farms will showcase regenerative farming practices in action. Participants in the course will learn from these growers who have experience of managing farms and offer models of what’s possible using biology-first regenerative methods.

Find out more and ENROL HERE by 9 March 2025.


Working with the earth

Coral Ramiro is the manager of Earth Stewards certified organic urban farm in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and an alumna of the Earthworkers Hort 101 programme.

She tells her story to Sarah Smuts-Kennedy.  

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Coral’s journey to organic regenerative growing 

Sarah began by asking Coral how she became a regenerative grower and how the Earthworkers course helped shape her path.

“My journey into regenerative farming began far from the soil and was an unexpected turn,” says Coral. “I actually trained as an interior designer in Spain, but had to move to London in 2008 after the recession made it impossible to find any work there. It was in London while living in a tiny flat with no access to nature, that I started to notice I was developing a longing for a connection to the outdoors.”

So when the opportunity arose to volunteer at one of London’s educational farms, Coral joined the team.

“I have always been a vegan passionate about sustainable food systems, so I quickly gravitated towards the growing team, where I discovered a deep sense of belonging with like-minded individuals who shared a desire to create a food system that nourishes both people and the planet.”

Challenges: catalysts for change

But despite her growing passion, she faced challenges breaking into the sector due to a lack of experience. This was a catalyst for Coral and her partner embarking on their big OE (overseas experience), first going to Australia before ultimately landing in New Zealand.

“I completed my Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) at Whanganui Eco School before I was lucky to secure my first role in the sector at Earth Stewards in 2019, just as the farm was getting off the ground,” says Coral.

During Covid-19 Earth Stewards lost its manager and Coral was encouraged to step up and take the reins. It was a daunting task, but luckily six months later, she was invited to take the Earthworkers Hort 101 course, which proved to be a pivotal moment in her career.

Earthworkers course: valuable learning

“The course really opened doors for me,” says Coral. “It helped me become an informed decision-maker. I needed to understand something before I can truly embrace it. The course gave me the base knowledge of why we do what we do, especially when it comes to growing regeneratively and organically. I came away with answers that gave me clarity and confidence in my role as a market garden manager.”

One of the key takeaways for Coral was understanding the science behind regenerative practices, particularly the relationship between soil microbiology, chemistry, minerals, and nutrients.

“It was overwhelming at first. I had a headache for days trying to absorb all the new information, but by the end of the course, I really understood how everything fits together.”

As a creative person, Coral also loved how polycropping allowed her to apply her design skills to farming.

“I get a lot of joy from the colour patterns that appear across the beds over the growing season. We got really excited at Earth Stewards as a team about planning our polycrops, and it gave us a simple way to contribute and learn together.”

“I needed to understand the why behind what we do—why we grow in ways to protect the soil and the whole ecosystem” – Coral Ramiro

Supportive network of growers

In addition to the valuable knowledge gained, the Earthworkers course provided her with the opportunity to connect with other like-minded growers.

“Through the course, I met Jenny Lux of Lux Organics and Brit from Tomtit Farms, and we’ve formed a lasting, supportive connection. Our farms collaborate by sharing produce, seedlings, and knowledge, and we’ve visited each other’s farms, like Jenny’s in Rotorua. It’s been a reminder that we’re not alone. Being part of a network of like-minded growers makes all the difference, especially in a field where the challenges can feel isolating.”

Coral has found the Earthworkers support network to be crucial for her and the Earth Stewards team, especially when it comes to managing pest and disease pressures.

“Having access to the post-course WhatsApp group has been vital. It’s reassuring to see other growers experiencing the same challenges—it makes you feel better about the difficulties you’re facing.”

Stepping up to share knowledge and innovation

“Brit and I are excited to host the 2025 Earthworkers Hort 101 course at Earth Stewards and Tomtit Farms. The Earthworkers course was a game-changer for us, and being able to see these practices in action at the FTLOB (For the Love of Bees) model farm OMG in Auckland really made it feel real and achievable. Now, as we step into hosting the course on our own farms, we hope to inspire local growers in Waikato to embrace biology-first regenerative growing systems.”

Coral’s enthusiasm for soil science as a result of the Earthworkers course led her to undertake more study with Dr Elaine Ingham via the Soil Food Web. Participants in the next Earthworkers course in March 2025 will be able to see some of the research project she did.

Earth Stewards is certified organic with OrganicFarmNZ. It has come a long way since its early days, and Coral and the team will share some of the farm’s innovations with course participants in March.

Enhancing soils with compost and cover crops

“One of the things we’re really proud of is our ability to grow all the inputs we need to produce high-quality compost. We’re now self-sufficient in compost production, which we use for our seed-raising mix. Knowing that we control the quality of our seedlings has made a huge difference.”

“We’ve also had our first successful season managing our cover crops, allowing us to have in-situ mulch on most of our beds. This has drastically improved our moisture management and weed control, while also providing nutrition to the plants as they grow.” “This season while we were planting out our seedlings we experienced the soil being bouncy underfoot for the first time, and found preparing for planting carrots much easier. Over time we are seeing a change in the physical conditions of the farm as a result of the practices we are using.”

Finding the best sales model

At Earth Stewards they have also made real progress with their sales system, which they discovered is just as important as the growing.

“We started out doing farmers’ markets and had just started implementing the CSA (community supported agriculture) model as Covid started,” Coral recalls. “In a few weeks we went from doing a few CSA boxes to over 100, which put us under untenable pressure. It took us a while to find the right balance, and model, for selling our produce, but now we have a thriving shop on site which is open one day a week with talk of opening another day.”

“On sunny days there is a queue to buy produce which comes from a few local growers we are collaborating with. This gives us a very practical way to contribute to local growers who are also needing to sell their produce.”

The importance of a sense of community in organic regenerative farming is huge. Farming can be isolating, especially when you’re committed to healing the ecosystem the community gets even smaller. But for Coral and others the Earthworkers network has helped them feel supported and connected to others who are facing similar challenges.

“Together, we’re learning, growing, and turning our farms into models of biology-first regenerative practice.”

Earthworkers Hort 101

24–28 March 2025, Hamilton

Hosted by:

  • Coral Ramiro and team at Earth Stewards
  • Brit and James Stembridge of Tomtit Farm
  • Chris McIntosh at Ethos Café’s new start-up farm

These three farms will showcase regenerative farming practices in action. Participants in the course will learn from these growers who have experience of managing farms and offer models of what’s possible using biology-first regenerative methods.

Find out more and ENROL HERE by 9 March 2025.

ABOVE: Earthworkers lead agronomist Daniel Schuurman showing soil samples to Earthworkers participants at OMG in central Auckland. Photo: Kate Micaela

Earthworkers alumni – continuing the journey

Since it was launched in 2020 the five-day Earthworkers Hort 101 course has encouraged nearly 200 alumni to turn food production into an ecosystem restoration tool. Continuing this support via post-course mentoring they have established a network of optimistic like-minded growers who help each other in the day-to-day stresses and joys of learning how to work alongside nature to feed their local communities.

As a result, Earthworkers lead agronomist Daniel Schuurman and Earthworkers co-founder Sarah Smuts-Kennedy are developing the Earthworkers Educational Pathway to include opportunities for those wanting to take their learning to the next stage.

In 2024 For the Love of Bees (FTLOB) ran the Communities of Regenerative Learning (CORL) programme) in Tāmaki Makaurau, supporting six urban growing projects engaging alumni to step into mentoring roles. In 2025 this is being rebranded as the Earthworkers Alumni Research Group and will support a small group of alumni who want to deepen their knowledge using their own projects to do this.

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is the founder of For the Love of Bees and OMG (Organic Market Garden in central Auckland), and co-founder of the Earthworkers programme. 

Gorse in flower

Stop, look and listen to the weeds

Paige Murray explores how we can work with weeds as organic gardeners and growers. 

Growing organically, as you well know, is not without its challenges: weeds in abundance, certain insects wreaking havoc out in the fields, not to mention the constant soil remediation and conditioning.

While these obstacles may be at times overwhelming, there are ways to manage them – and let’s be brutally honest here: if you’re taking the leap and growing without synthetic chemicals, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve completely weed- and pest-free crops. 

Monarch butterfly on Scotch thistle

  

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Paige Murray lives near Christchurch and loves any excuse to get outdoors. Passionate about organic and regenerative agriculture, she works for Quorum Sense and Streamside Organics, and spends most of her free time gardening, making cheese and preserves, or climbing up rocks.