Learning outcomes

• Ability to deliver professional recommendations.
• Mastery of advanced diagnostics.
• Practical experience mentoring farms.
• Leadership capacity in a distributed network of regenerative agronomists.
• Contribution to sector-wide knowledge through data collection.
• The Future Agronomists programme is the final stage in the Earthworkers pathway. It is designed for alumni who have completed Hort 101 and Hort 201 and are ready to step into leadership as regenerative consultants and mentors. This multi-year, hands-on programme develops participants into trusted agronomists who can provide professional recommendations to growers while mentoring others through the Communities of Regenerative Learning (CORL).
• Future Agronomists begin their journey by deepening their technical knowledge through Hort 201, but their training quickly expands into applied mentoring. Each participant is required to mentor at least one Hort 101 alumni farm while continuing to manage their own farm. This dual responsibility ensures that their recommendations remain practical and grounded in real-world farming experience.
• The training is overseen by the Earthworkers team, with regular peer review to maintain quality and accuracy. Core learning areas include developing professional recommendations for soil and crop management, mastering advanced diagnostics that integrate chemistry, biology, and structure, and building the scientific and mathematical skills required to prepare written recommendations tailored to specific crops and regions. Just as importantly, participants learn how to mentor effectively — guiding other growers with confidence and accuracy, while avoiding the dilution of knowledge that often occurs in informal networks.
• The programme runs over three years, during which each Future Agronomist mentors a nominated farm, collects and analyses soil and productivity data, and contributes to the wider evidence base of regenerative practice in Aotearoa. By the end of the programme, graduates are capable of delivering site-specific, data-driven advice at a professional standard, while also contributing to a distributed network of regenerative mentors across the country.
• The outcome of the Future Agronomists programme is a new generation of leaders: growers who not only run resilient, profitable farms of their own but who also grow others by sharing their expertise. This creates a scalable, peer-supported system for spreading biology-first regenerative knowledge across New Zealand’s horticultural sector.

Course overview

Who it’s for:

• Alumni of Hort 101 and 201 (within 24 months).
• Experienced growers ready to move beyond their own farm.
• Growers already mentoring others informally.
• Future agronomy consultants.
• Those willing to commit to a 3-year mentorship role.
  

Format & Structure:

• Complete Hort 201 as part of the training.
• Mentor at least one Hort 101 alumni farm.
• Continue managing your own farm to ground learning in practice.
• Supported by Earthworkers oversight and peer review.
  

Core learning areas:

• Commercial recommendations for crop and soil.
• Scientific and mathematical analysis for tailored plans.
• Holistic soil system approach – chemistry, microbial health, and structure.
• Mentorship skills for guiding farms through CORL.