Regenerative Agriculture Helping Kaukapakapa Farmer Cut Costs and Restore Soil

Added 2 months ago

Picture soil alive with worms and beetles, organic matter being pulled underground, and a vibrant mix of plants flourishing on the surface.
For Kaukapakapa farmer Stephen Newman, it’s a vision of paradise.

Newman, who co-founded the Kaipara Regenerative Farming Group and is part of the farmer-led network Quorum Sense, says he once farmed in a conventional way—until a few years ago when a documentary on regenerative agriculture changed his outlook.

Since then, he has been trialling regenerative practices on his 10-hectare property north of Auckland, experimenting with cover crops, short bursts of intensive grazing, rearing dung beetles to recycle nutrients deeper into the soil, and composting.

Around three years ago, Newman launched the Kaipara Regenerative Farming Group to encourage farmers to boost soil health, biodiversity, water retention, and reduce dependency on chemical fertilisers and sprays.
“Everything in regenerative farming comes back to soil biology—building life underground,” he explains.

Interest in the movement is spreading, with more local farmer groups now meeting to share ideas on holistic grazing and ways to build resilience against increasingly extreme weather. Newman says the group is even considering hiring a part-time advocate to work alongside conventional farmers, helping them transition.

“The goal is to create sponge-like soils that hold water, prevent flooding and runoff, and keep nutrients where they belong,” Newman says. “And we’re proving it can be done here.”

Listen to the full podcast here