Just inland from Kaikōura, nestled in steep, rugged country that stretches from 300 to 1100 metres above sea level, Mark and Laura Koopmans are crafting a farming system rooted in resilience, regeneration, and long-term thinking.

In the rolling plains of Mid Canterbury, something unique is taking root. Align Farms, a collection of dairy farms, run-off blocks and a market garden, is not just producing milk - it’s rethinking the entire system that brings food from soil to stomach.

Nina Parker is transforming a 9.5-hectare farm in Kihikihi, into an off-grid regenerative homestead and market garden. Using biointensive growing methods and natural inputs like forest soil and wood chips, she’s restoring the land’s health.

Catch the Rain: James Pearse and Brittany Talbot farm a 160ha property co-owned with James’ parents in Totara Valley, near Pleasant Point, New Zealand.

Waikato's Tomtit Farm is supplying nutrient-dense produce direct to the local community, and connecting them directly to the land and people that produced it.

Dean Martin’s adaptive grazing management is growing soil organic matter, deeper rooting plants and supporting a sheep-based system built around thriving soil.

With its emphasis on community and sustainable ecosystems, Mangaroa Farms is integrating its beef, lamb and vegetable production with both nature and consumers.

The diverse but brittle Central Otago landscape farmed by the Rutherfords has been transformed through soil health, regenerative management and holistic decision-making.

The Bielski’s have tried, tested and evolved a high performance sheep grazing, cropping and pasture management system that's resilient, low input and profitable.

Five years in, Miah and Jenny Smith reflect on their regenerative dairying journey and the dramatic improvements in animal health, margins and their own quality of life.

Two very different vineyards, one in Marlborough another in Canterbury’s Waipara hills, offer different perspectives on what it means to operate regeneratively.

Improving the relationship between soil and plant health is fundamental to helping cycle nutrients and increasing nutrient availability to the vines.

In viticulture systems, cover crops can help reduce compaction, cut fertiliser use, improve water infiltration and lower pest and disease pressure.

Improving the relationship between soil and plant health is fundamental to helping cycle nutrients and increasing nutrient availability to the vines.

Innovative approaches being taken to explore alternative under-vine management that helps increase soil health and support healthy vines, yield and quality.

There are alternative ways to manage vineyard disease and insect pests that are less costly and don’t negatively impact beneficial microbial and insect life.

Improving livestock integration into cropping systems can bring a wide range of benefits and displace the need for increasingly expensive inputs.

Introducing two Canterbury arable farmers who are increasing the health, resilience and profitability of their farm systems, with a focus on building soil health.

Farm data comparison of the crop management inputs and associated gross margins of biological or regenerative farming systems for three common arable crops.

Retaining crop residues and integrating cover crops are key practices that both protect the soil surface and keep living roots in the ground year-round.