The Quorum Sense Podcast

In this episode of the Quorum Sense podcast, Jono has a fascinating discussion with David Musgrave about pastoral farming and science in New Zealand David is a multi-generational farmer who's family started farming at Waihi Bush Farm in the 1800s, and its where David farmed until recently. As well as farming, he has a vast career in science and research exploring what makes our pastures here productive and profitable. We discuss New Zealand's first urea manufacturing plant and how it shaped our pastoral systems and research, and how our attachment to ryegrass and white clover pastures are limiting us in many ways. David shares his knowledge on what species of pasture work really well and what resilience and susceptibility to common problems like grass grub and nutrient deficiency look like. If your interested in thriving pastoral systems, you are going to want to get your note pad out for this one! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas presented in this content is for information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Any reliance on the content provided is done at your own risk

In this podcast, recorded especially for our Wintering Innovations Series, Deane Parker, Duncan Humm and Jono Frew discuss their wintering journeys. Deane talks about going from relying on unreliable winter crops to a full bale grazing system on his mid Canterbury dairy farm. Duncan shares his journey from heavy pugging on his mid Canterbury deer farm, which included wintering cows from nearby dairy farms. And to lifting stag numbers, introducing diverse species winter crops and silage, and treating his soil totally differently. Jono adds his first season's learnings from managing a large beef and winter dairy grazing farm in the Waitaki, which involves making their own hay and silage and adapting to the conditions. This is a lively early-morning discussion between three passionate practitioners who have evolving views on how to look after their animals and their soil. For find out more about our Wintering Innovations Series and sign up to receive content, click this link to visit the webpage. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter Disclaimer: The information, opinions and...

In this fascinating episode of the Quorum Sense podcast, Jono sits down in the studio with Dylan Graves from Tuatapere for an in depth talk about some of the powerful uses and functions of Biochar. After years of journeying around the world teaching, Dylan felt there was something missing in his life. Then he discovered Permaculture and the wonders of soil which then lead onto discovering the amazing results of using Biochar. Dylan is a great teacher and does a fantastic job of demonstrating not only the benefits and risks of Biochar, but also goes into great detail of some of the ways literally anyone can make Biochar on any scale. https://www.sces.org.nz/biochar https://passionatepermies.wordpress.com/workshops/ 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas presented in this content is for information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Any reliance on the content provided is done at your own risk...

This month, we ride the airwaves to the UK to hear from Claire McKenzie, the producer and filmmaker behind Six Inches of Soil - a grassroots UK documentary which Quorum Sense is bringing to New Zealand next month. Jono has a fascinating conversation with Claire about the film, the young aspiring farmers it follows, and how its captivating non-farming audiences. We also explore how the regenerative agriculture conversation is unfolding in the UK and what the future looks like for family farms. Having caught up with Claire, we couldn’t be more excited to bring Six Inches of Soil to big screens here in NZ and to shine a light on soil and regenerative farming. This is a film for everyone, whether you’re into regenerative farming or not; it’s captivating and full of positive solutions. We encourage you to get along to a screening near you, and enjoy a night out at the flicks. Visit the Quorum Sense website to find a screening near you and book tickets. And click here to visit the Six Inches of Soil website. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense...

Beef farmer and Quorum Sense Team member Nick Tucker has swapped his urban luxuries for an off-grid cabin on 160 acres amid the backroads of Northland. From the family dairy farm as a young boy, to ruminant nutrition research, being the PR bridge between marketers and farmers, and working for intensive ag companies, Nick pivoted to more 'meaningful work' in 2019 – and with that, a complete mindset shift. Nick is vulnerable in sharing that he doesn’t have farming all figured out. Yet inspires us to lean into that experience, and view patience and observation as our best resources to find those windows of opportunity. Enjoy the episode. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas presented in this content is for information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Any reliance on the content provided is done at your own risk (click here to view full disclaimer on the Quorum Sense website). 2023 Quorum

Farming for Good (NB webpage not live yet) is a research collection that explores our sense of connection with farming in Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s about supporting everyday people and leaders across our communities, farming sector and government, to build trust in our food and farming system. In this is podcast, we’ll be talking specifically to a research project led by Peter Edwards (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research) focussing on social license and perceptions of the ‘good farmer’. The researchers asked urban and farming New Zealanders about their perceptions of 21 different farming practices – with some surprising results. Also on the podcast is Daniel Eb, founder of New Zealand’s national open farm day - Open Farms – to share some stories about connection and perception change from the 100+ open farms events / 10,000 visits the project has supported. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas presented in this content is for information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Any reliance on the content provided is done at your own risk (

National food awards, 10t/ha increases of soil carbon and nitrate levels now undetectable. These are results that’ll open your mind to what Coromandel drystock farmer Ewan Campbell has to say about his discoveries. National food awards, 10t/ha increases of soil carbon and nitrate levels now undetectable. These are results that’ll open your mind to what Northland drystock farmer Ewan Campbell has to say about his discoveries. Ewan’s journey started with helping his dad turn a peat swamp into a farm. Right across the railway from top-in-the-country dairy land that he wished he had. Moving to a drystock farm in Waihi with little in his pockets, Ewan started trialing alternatives. This included the un-tapped power of electromagnetism through the soil. This is definitely an episode that will charge your brain cells! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas presented in this content is for information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Any reliance on the content provided is done at your own risk (

Growing up in California, Phyllis Tichinin witnessed the abundance of local fruit orchards and their deep, rich soils begin to be concreted into what is now Silicon Valley. After meeting her Kiwi husband, Phyllis now resides in Hawke’s Bay and is well-known as an eco-nutritionist with a passion for regenerative farming practices that produce nutrient dense food. “If we get agriculture right, we get everything else right”. This is a conversation that you’ll find you can’t draw yourself away from as Phyllis stoutly highlights the links and parallels between human health and the health of our food systems. Enjoy the episode. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

Infatuated by seeds turning into food as a young boy in his Poppa’s veggie garden, Brad Rudd has always had a desire to grow things. Despite growing up in the outskirts of Auckland. At first a senior shepherd on a ‘conventional’ farm in Hawke’s Bay, Brad then threw his hat over the wall and took on the role of manager of Motatapu Station – working for Nadia Lim’s Royalburn Station – in Central Otago. Brad’s experience and unique perspective has him understand and yet question the status quo. Breeding livestock resilience is his thing, and there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing! Enjoy the episode. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

Australian farmer, podcaster and all-round regenerative advocate Charlie Arnott talks landscape healing, nutritionally dense food and the complexity and stresses of farm management. Whilst Charlie is grateful for the reference point his science background provided, it wasn’t helping integrate his personal values into farming. Not just bringing biodiversity and resilience to a sometimes challenging environment, but also engaging with people, having fun and being playful. He sees himself as a ‘grower of food’, is committed to living an authentic life and values stopping doing things as much as doing something different. And it all starts with the ‘paddock between your ears’! Enjoy the episode. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨

Cherryle Prew’s journey progressed from city office worker, to organic horticulture, to BioGro auditing. But her “aha!” moment and passion for soil biology was born at a talk by Elaine Ingham, founder of Soil Food Web worldwide. Boots and all, Cherryle set up NZ’s only Soil Food Web lab 20 years ago. From discussing compost teas, to the need for auditing and regulation being more educational and less ‘stick’, to commentary on past and present ways of growing food, this is a ‘grab a cup of tea, a biscuit, and tell a few stories’ kind of conversation. Enjoy the episode! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

It was an interest in body building, personal training and nutrition that sparked Peter Legg’s journey into farming. You’ll now find him on the family’s 45ha dry land arable, winter sheep grazing and dairy support block in Southbridge, Canterbury. Peter talks about ‘right place, right time’ cultivation and success in raising soil organic matter levels. And he shares his experience with lime and biological nutrient brews, and his observations of the farm’s economic improvements. Like most, Peter has concerns moving forward, but is also clear about the exciting opportunity farmers have with practices like green crops and maintaining soil cover all year round. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

Father and daughter duo Shane Birchall and Meghan Schutt have changed their whole dairy and beef system, just south of Rotorua. Shane’s ‘tried it all’ throughout his lifetime on the farm, with nudges from Meghan in recent years steering them to focus on creating self-sufficient and low waste operations. The two share their experiences implementing herd homes, multi-species crops, combining mobs, high-density grazing management, low inputs, and most recently, halter collars. The benefits to soil and animal health, the team’s well-being and enthusiasm, and the overall flexibility of the farm system are unquestionable. And they’re not stopping here! Enjoy the episode. 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

A year into running a mixed farming operation in Canterbury, Sam Lang is committed to merging the best of science with farmer observation, enquiry, experience and innovation. And within his role at Quorum Sense, he’s always pushing for questions to be asked from a farmer’s perspective. Throughout his travels as a Nuffield Scholar, Sam was inspired by farmers defying what he thought was possible in the world of ‘conventional’ farming. Now farming himself, he's acutely aware of the need to balance idealism versus realism versus risk. The importance of a support network also rings clear in this conversation, for not only himself with his team and family focus, but for all farmers around the world. Enjoy the episode! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨

Jake Herron’s life has completely transformed since we last spoke with him two years ago. And his dream is coming true. Jake and his partner Emma recently shifted from Central Otago to Matakana. From scratch, they’re creating and managing a 300ha ‘gate to plate’ farm. When it comes to taking on farming regeneratively, Jake emphasises the essential balance of managing your expectations whilst holding onto your enthusiasm. He also warns to not attach your ego to the word ‘regenerative’. We’re all just farmers and we need to stop pitching ourselves against each other. Because to heal our people, our society, our soil and our planet, these practices need to become widespread. Enjoy the episode! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense...

Previously a school principle, Adam Rivett shares how he had to look outside the square to make his 64ha sheep and beef farm in Canterbury economic. Among other farming enterprises, a family-run on-farm butchery was opened five months ago. And in 2022 received the New Zealand Sausage Award for Best Traditional Beef Sausage. Adam is someone who’s created a farming schedule to fit his lifestyle and context. He says you don’t need to have the shiny shoes to make something happen and have it work. It’s the realness of your story that people care about! Additional show notes Resources mentioned in the podcast: https://choppedbutchery.co.nz/ 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

South Otago farmer Hamish Bielski sheds light on how and why his marriage sits at the heart of their resilient sheep and beef system. Managing expectations has been key in Hamish’s journey so far. He is unattached to doing the same thing year-on-year, authentically sharing what hasn’t worked, and highlighting the innovation and opportunity that arises from failing. Hamish is adapting all the time, from sheep breeds, to grazing management, to creating openings for positive action within the rules of our national and global systems. Hamish is clear that there’s always more to achieve, so don’t forget to celebrate your wins! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense...

2022 Arable Farmer of the Year David (Dave) Birkett is a pioneer in New Zealand regenerative arable systems. Rising input costs and the power of soil-building cover crops steered Dave’s transition. Through acquiring and understanding knowledge, he’s gained the confidence to try new things, and emphasises that it’s okay to take ‘a step back’ in order to move forward. Dave reckons you can’t beat standing in the crop, observing and monitoring. He discusses his experience in shifting away from calendar-based sprays and instead using them opportunistically. Listen out for what he has to say about timing and techniques for cover crop management too. And Dave is clear that there’s no such thing as cheap food! 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

Young farmer Marran (Maz) Tuckwell shares his passion for food independence, natural health and their connection to farming. He talks about closing the loops in our farming systems, frugality as a core value and land area not being the limitation when growing your own food. Also touched on is the importance of boots on the ground connecting people with nature, and the benefits of community sharing. Brought up in a household dedicated to alternative health practices, Maz has always been doing things as naturally as possible. And is used to going against the grain! A big passion of mine is - how can we be more independent with our food? And move away from the supermarkets, and the big industrialised food systems?“Grow more of your own food. Try and get closer to your own food.”🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense

Australian wine grower Richard Leaske joins Nick Paulin, national viticulturist for Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates. They discuss the shift in customer attention from product to process and the importance of transparent story-telling. Richard and Nick also share about their low-cost easy wins, being clear on your intention, and measuring outcomes. Plus optimizing the free power of photosynthesis, and undies in the ground… Weaved throughout the conversation are their opportunistic mindsets, critical questioning, and having the confidence to learn by doing. It’s about shifting the needle of what we know by letting go of perfection to embrace a bit of chaos! Enjoy the episode! “It’s been more about the product, now it’s more about the process, and the product is the outcome from that. It’s a redesign, so we have to explain it.“And people – when they hear it – go ‘Wow, that’s pretty interesting, that’s a different way of doing it, tell me more about it’. And it opens up a much bigger conversation about how it’s done and what we can do.” 🪴 Quorum Sense website (www.quorumsense.org.nz) 🤙 Quorum Sense Farming Network Facebook Group 👣 The Quorum Sense Podcast 🦋 Quorum Sense Facebook page 🌸 Quorum Sense Instagram ✨ Quorum Sense Newsletter 2023 Quorum Sense