Course overview

Earthworkers HOME

Practical Regenerative Gardening for Home and Community Growers

Earthworkers HOME is a new introductory course designed for home gardeners, small-scale growers, and community garden leaders wanting to learn the practical foundations of biology-first growing systems.

Held at Maunga Kereru, the home of Earthworkers founder Sarah Smuts-Kennedy, this course offers an accessible entry point into regenerative horticulture and the core principles that underpin Earthworkers’ wider educational pathway.

Designed specifically for non-commercial growers, Earthworkers HOME introduces participants to the foundational relationships between soil biology, soil chemistry, plants, compost, and nutrient balance. The course supports organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and systems-thinking approaches to growing, while also offering an easy and practical entry point for those transitioning from more conventional gardening methods toward biology-first systems.

Participants are introduced to the idea that healthy soil is a living ecosystem, and that understanding how microbes, minerals, organic matter, and plants work together can transform the health, resilience, and productivity of a garden over time.

Over 2 days we will focus on practical, immediately applicable skills for home and community growing systems, including:

• Understanding the role of microbes in healthy soils
• Foundational soil chemistry concepts for gardeners
• Compost function and implementation within a living system
• Nutrient balance and plant health principles
• Seed inoculation and seedling care
• Observation skills and learning to “read” plant health
• Maximising photosynthesis and biological activity
• Practical regenerative growing techniques for small-scale systems deigned to feed families.

Complex concepts are introduced in an accessible and grounded way, making the course suitable for complete beginners while still offering valuable insight for experienced gardeners wanting to deepen their understanding.

Earthworkers HOME also acts as a pathway into Hort 101, Earthworkers’ five-day immersion in biology-first horticulture for those wanting to continue their learning journey further.

Maunga Kereru itself forms part of the learning experience. Over the past sixteen years, the property has become a living testing ground for many of the regenerative principles and practices taught through Earthworkers — a place where observation, experimentation, and long-term ecological thinking continue to shape the work.