Country Life: Lessons in permaculture at Kahikatea Farm

“So they attract pollinating insects, they’re nitrogen-fixing, medicinal herbs, they’re edible leaves, they’re perennial vegetables. Yeah, they’ve got to have a use. We don’t grow what we call roundabout plants.”

Jo and her husband Aaron established Kahikatea Farm almost 20 years ago, taking its name from the kahikatea forest that would have stood at the site long ago, before it was converted to grazing farmland.

The Duff family had a vision of working with nature.

The little earthen cottage is a particularly cool place to spend the hot Hawke’s Bay summers. Photo / Gianina Schwanecke, Country Life

They created swales – water-harvesting ditches that follow the contour of the rolling hills – to plant the first fruit trees, which now form the upper canopy of their established food forest.

Near the start of summer when the surrounding farmland is already golden brown, this part of the farm was a green oasis, layered with fruit-bearing plants.

They established their own permaculture garden to feed themselves and the many helpers on the farm, including volunteers and those keen to learn from Jo about permaculture principles – earth care, fair share, and people care.

“The vegetable garden supports our family and anybody else who’s staying here at the time,” Jo told Country Life.

The food forest kitchen bar offers a place to enjoy the progress of the surrounding trees and plantings. Photo / Gianina Schwanecke, Country Life

The organic nursery was their main business. She said the certification process was relatively straightforward, as they grew everything in a potting medium that was bought-in and pre-certified.

“The potting mix has got fertiliser to last it a good wee while. That’s based mostly on seaweed, compost, and then a trichoderma, which is a friendly micro-organism, which aids with root development and just the basic health of the plant.

Some plants vulnerable to the feathered helpers are stored off the ground. Photo / Gianina Schwanecke, Country Life

“Most things are out the door before really we need to give them an extra feed, and if we do, that’s a seaweed fertiliser.”

Where the organic nursery really shone, though, was in its feathered friends, who helped with pest management, targeting larger snails and slugs that threatened the plants.

They had three different groups of chooks – Rhode Island Reds, Black Orpingtons, and bantams – and two different types of ducks – Indian Runner ducks and Cayugas – performing different functions in different parts of the farm.

Since they introduced the birds, Jo said it had “completely changed” the nursery.

When Country Life paid a visit late last spring, the gardens were filled with the sounds of new life. Photo / Gianina Schwanecke, Country Life

“Everyone who works here really loves having them around. It makes you slow down, because you just stop and watch what they’re doing or have a laugh at some antics, and every spring comes around and you go ‘oh my God, those ducklings are so cute’ and the novelty never wears off.

“We’re so busy in spring, it’s so nice to have that lovely distraction and yeah, it does make you slow down.”