An eye-opening tour of 2 organic farms in New Zealand
Organic food is expensive – so is it really worth the extra?
It seems that we are becoming ever-more concerned about the quality and provenance of our food. I can’t remember ‘farmers’ markets’ existing when I was growing up, but now, it seems that ever town and city has one, showcasing local producers and growers. So it’s a natural next step to learn more about the sources of our food.
New Zealand Organic Week produced just such an opportunity for us, with tickets to tour 2 organic farms within a couple of hours’ drive of our home city, Wellington. The visit was organised by the team behind Commonsense Organics, a small chain of food stores operating in Wellington and Auckland. Having been an occasional shopper at our local store, I was keen to learn more about the business.
So, early one sunny Sunday morning in May, we rose early and left Wellington to drive north along the sparkling Kapiti Coast. It was the perfect day to head out of the city and into the fields, to find out more about organic farming.
‘Common Property’ organic farm
Our first stop was Common Property, a 27-acre farm located at Te Horo. Our group of about 30 was welcomed to the farm by owners Marion Wood and Jim Kebbell, founders of Commonsense Organics, and their daughter Lucy. After brief introductions, Marion and Lucy disappeared to prepare lunch which was to be hosted at their home, leaving Jim to look after us.
Hippie dreamers
Describing himself and Marion as ‘hippie dreamers’, Jim revealed that Marion’s mother Frances had been the driving force behind the business. As I listened to Jim talk about Frances and her strong environmental principles, I couldn’t help but admire this feisty grandmother who was clearly way ahead of her time.
But Jim, also, turned out to be an interesting character. A former Catholic priest, he grew up on a ‘traditional’ farm and was initially very sceptical about organics. He changed his mind after learning about the involvement of dodgy corporates in the food industry – and how influential they were, not necessarily in the best interests of consumers.
Today, Common Property supplies the 5 Commonsense Organics stores throughout New Zealand as well as cafés, restaurants, supermarkets and other organic food outlets. After his brief but fascinating introduction, Jim led us on our tour of the farm and the different ‘certified organic’ businesses that operate there.
Prana Greens
Inside an airy greenhouse, boxes and boxes of tiny shoots of different colours stretched out before us. These were highly-nutritious microgreens – pak choy, rocket cress, red cabbage and many other varieties. Owner Mayatiita, who looked more like a cool rock star than a farmer, explained the intricacies of bio-dynamics. He follows the principles of lunar calendar growing, carefully choosing the right days for sowing according to the moon.
There must be something in this theory, as the microgreens were delicious! – we were invited to dig in and taste them. Apparently they’re packed with phytochemicals, phytonutrients and high levels of vitamin A. Growing these tasty miniatures is a delicate art, however; getting the potting mix absolutely right is important along with temperature and sunlight control.
Mayatiita admitted that microgreens is a tough business to run in terms of cost and viability, but he has a loyal cohort of regular customers.
Peter Robson – fruit grower
Peter is Common Property’s berry expert. He used to grow them conventionally, but over the past 15 years has adapted to organic methods. We were shown around the propagation shed and the greenhouse where the berries are grown. Strawberries are Peter’s main focus, particularly the Albion variety and a new one from California that he is testing. (Apparently California is the dominant player in the organic strawberry world).
Peter explained that covered production is where the industry is heading, as it’s difficult to grow organic berries outdoors. He’s been able to reduce his use of pesticides by 70% and productivity is up by 50%. Insect predation is mostly managed by means of strategic flower-planting.
Kapiti Organics
We visited Alan and Gill Browne’s colourful fields of salad plants, sown in long rows. They grow mizuna, kale, rocket, cress, tat-soi, mustard, parsley, fennel, cucumber, courgette, scallopini, capsicum, chillies and basil.
Every week, Alan and Gill plant 1800 lettuce seeds in trays, plough a new growing bed, and plant out 1800 lettuce seedlings by hand. The plants are grown under compostable plastic from the Netherlands, which keeps the soil warm and wet and controls weeds. Crops are hand-picked three times a week, graded, washed, and packed.
winter greens and seedlings
Common Property’s manager Sean Moffat took our group for a walk around the fields of crops. He looks after the farm’s red savoy cabbage, fennel, leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkins, garlic, silverbeet, potatoes, celery, and cavolo nero. He uses naturally-occurring, soil-borne bacteria to control insect pests.
Sean pointed out some rather nice creamy-white cauliflower that had been planted 128 days earlier. When harvested, their leaves would be cut and left behind. He explained that he rotates the fields between brassica and non-brassica plants.
The farm also cultivates vegetable and herb seedlings, which Sean’s colleague Deb looks after.
Organic lunch
Following our informative and enjoyable tour, we drove to Marion and Jim’s home a few miles away, for lunch in the garden. This consisted of home-made spicy vegetable soup, generous hunks of freshly-baked bread and delicious cheeses, followed by sweet treats, tea and coffee. It was lovely to relax in the sun and chat to other group members.
You can find the soup recipe on the store website along with many other delicious healthy recipes. Kumara, for those who don’t live in New Zealand, is sweet potato.
When we were ready to move on to our next visit, Marion handed each of us a ‘goodie bag’ filled with Commonsense Organics treats – a lovely surprise.
Waikawa Blueberries and Olives
After lunch, we drove north across the regional border into Horowhenua for our next visit: Waikawa farm. We were welcomed by owners Glen and Lisa Wigley. The farm is mostly known as a pick-your-own blueberry farm, but Glen and Lisa have diversified into other fruits: figs, cherries, raspberries, apples, plums, peaches, nectarines and pears in season.
The main event for us, however, was to see their other major crop: olives. Glen took us for a walk through the olive groves, where they have some 550 trees. He explained the challenges of growing organic olives in wet, humid New Zealand, compared with hot, dry Mediterranean countries. The trees are susceptible to fungus and another 20% of the crop is lost to birds!
Over time, the Wigleys have learned which varieties fare best in New Zealand’s climate, such as Koroneiki, Frantoio, and Leccino. Their yield averages 1.2 litres per tree. One of their products, the Waikawa Glen olive oil blend, was Gold medal winner and Best in Class at the NZ Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards in 2023.
Tasting time
After touring the groves, we returned across the little bridge over a stream to the Wigley’s outdoor café. We enjoyed olive oil tastings with crusty bread and finished our visit with a treat: real fruit ice cream of our choice, mixed on the spot by café staff.
Given all that Lisa and Glenn have achieved, turning their bare paddocks into beautiful groves and orchards, I was amazed to learn that they both work full-time and commute regularly to Wellington!
What I learned from the organic farm tours
This was a great day out with a very friendly group and hosts. It was also an eye-opener for me, in terms of learning more about organic produce – which is presumably one of the purposes of NZ Organic Week. Here’s what I discovered:
- growing organic produce is hard work and very labour-intensive, involving a lot of ‘by hand’ processes;
- it’s also very costly in terms of supplies and equipment, being a niche industry with limited possibilities for economies of scale;
- Given the above, getting a decent return for running an organic business can be challenging. Producers get around this by having a ‘day job’ and/or banding together in co-operative ventures;
- there have been plenty of advances in organic pest control and fertiliser science, but these are still major challenges for growers. Despite having nets, the Wigleys lost 80% of their early blueberry crops to starlings!
- organic produce is particularly vulnerable to climate change and weather events;
- microgreens – a new discovery for me – are absolutely delicious, and kids love them;
- Even the most diehard traditional farmer can be persuaded of the benefits of organics, and converted;
- organic advocates are among the most visionary, determined, trailblazing and inspiring people I’ve met, overcoming many setbacks and the scepticism of society that writes them off as hippies or eccentrics.
I ended the day with a new appreciation of organic produce and the hard work and innovation that go into growing it. I’d say it’s definitely worth the extra money if you can afford to buy it.
Just visiting? Where to stay on the Kapiti Coast
If you’re just passing through the Wellington region, why not consider a stopover in the scenic Kapiti Coast region? We recommend Greenmantle, an elegant 5-star country house style hotel.
Greenmantle Estate
Nestled in unspoilt native forest near the town of Paraparaumu, this gorgeous country house has elegant rooms, outdoor swimming pool and spa. Guest suites are located in a separate building behind the main house. The hotel serves breakfast and high teas. Local restaurants are available for evening dining.
Note: the booking link above will take you to our affiliate partners Booking.com. If you book via this link, we will receive a small commission which helps us keep this site going. There is no extra cost to you.
For more posts on New Zealand, visit our Oceania page.
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