#NewZealand - Country Life: Lowering costs and enriching the soil - one farmer's regenerative journey

by Sally Round, 9 August 2025

"Imagine soil like a sponge, crawling with worms, beetles dragging dung down from the surface and a riot of vegetation on top.

"It's not everyone's idea of paradise, but it's like heaven for #Kaukapakapa farmer Stephen Newman.

"Newman, a founder of the Kaipara Regenerative Farming Group and a member of farmer-led network Quorum Sense, told Country Life he used to farm very conventionally, until 'the penny dropped' a few years ago, when he watched a programme about regenerative farming.

"Since then, he has experimented with different regenerative methods on his 10-hectare block north of #Auckland city.

"Trials included sowing #CoverCrops, introducing stock for a short period of time to feed on long cover, rearing dung beetles to help transfer the nutrients in animal faeces further down the layers of soil and #composting.

"He started the #Kaipara Regenerative Farming Group about three years ago to help farmers improve soil health, enrich #biodiversity, increase water retention, and reduce reliance on fertilisers and pesticides.

" 'Everything we do with the regenerative approach is all about soil biology, creating that life in the ground.' "

Read more:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/569465/country-life-lowering-costs-and-enriching-the-soil-one-farmer-s-regenerative-journey

#SolarPunkSunday #RegenerativeFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #FoodSecurity

_The Evening Post_, 24 October 1924:
LOCAL AND GENERAL
…
“… the English Commission, which is inspecting the New Zealand railway system, is travelling everywhere by special train (states the ‘Auckland Star’). This train is faster than even expresses, and we presume it is as comfortable as a New Zealand train can be. We do not wish our visitors any harm, on the contrary, we expect something from them in the way of a valuable report, and we hope they will enjoy their stay. We cannot help thinking, however, that they would get a better insight into railway methods—at least from the point of view of the public— if they spent a few days on ordinary trains—especially those “mixed” affairs that meander along all day—took the rough with the smooth, mixed with the travelling public, and tried to see things with the eye of the intelligent train-user. A trip on the #Kaipara line, for example, might be an education in itself. It is nearly always a drawback that inspections like these are made in conditions that are not normal.”
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19241024.2.30

#OnThisDay #OTD #PapersPast #Railways #Trains #Commissions #Inquiries #NewZealand

Protests as #Kaipara District Council decides to scrap its Māori ward

https://youtu.be/EMFlL25e2tQ?si=N6weTXx3wC7c7enF

Kaipara District Council has voted to disestablish its #Māori ward, becoming the first council to do so under new rules, in a tense council meeting.

#NZ

Yesterday's adventure was a trip to #GibbsFarm sculpture park, near #Kaipara harbour.

The farm only opens for prebooked groups (e.g. educational, charity). We bought tickets via a breast cancer charity fundraiser (Sweet Louise).

What really struck me was the size of these. I've been to sculpture parks before, but nothing with works on this scale. The build and installation must have been such massive jobs.

#NZ #Sculpture