Home - Maunga Kereru, Mahurangi West, Tāmaki Makaurau
Earthworkers HOME is a practical introductory course in biology-first regenerative gardening designed for home gardeners, small-scale growers, and community garden leaders. Held at Maunga Kereru — the home and long-term experimental garden of Earthworkers founder Sarah Smuts-Kennedy — the course introduces the foundational relationships between soil biology, soil chemistry, compost, nutrient balance, and plant health. Designed as an accessible entry point into regenerative growing, the course supports organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and systems-thinking approaches while remaining practical and approachable for those transitioning from conventional gardening methods. Participants learn hands-on skills including compost implementation, seed inoculation, understanding microbial systems, and how to support healthy, resilient plant growth through biology-first practices. Earthworkers HOME also serves as a pathway into Hort 101 for participants wanting to deepen their knowledge of regenerative horticulture and soil health systems further.
- Start Date & Time
- 19 September 2026 at 7:30 am
- End Date & Time
- 20 September 2026 at 4:00 pm
- Registration Deadline
- 30 August 2026 at 5:00 am
- Location
- 475 Mahurangi West Road, Mahurangi West
- Capacity
- 15
- Price
- NZ$500
- Status
- Active
Event Details
Course Description
Earthworkers HOME is a two-day practical gardening course introducing the core skills and principles behind biology-first regenerative growing for home gardens and small-scale systems.
Teaching takes place within the gardens and wider landscape of Maunga Kereru, a sixteen-year-old food garden developed using a range of regenerative growing strategies. Participants will learn through direct demonstration, observation, and hands-on practice while seeing how these approaches function in real-world conditions across seasons and over time.
The course is suited to home gardeners, lifestyle block growers, and community food growers wanting practical tools and confidence to begin applying regenerative methods within their own gardens.
Day 1 — Understanding Living Systems
Day one introduces the foundational relationships between soil, microbes, plants, compost, water, air, and minerals, and how these work together as part of a living system.
The day focuses on observation and ecological thinking, helping participants recognise the difference between feeding plants and building living soils. Participants are introduced to concepts around microbial life, nutrient balance, photosynthesis, and the role compost plays in supporting healthy biological function.
Hands-on activities may include compost building, seed inoculation demonstrations, propagation principles, and learning how to interpret signs of plant stress and vitality within the garden.
Day 2 — Applying Regenerative Practices at Home
Day two focuses on practical implementation within home and community growing systems.
Participants explore simple regenerative techniques including low-till gardening, mulching practices, compost application, and methods for supporting healthy biological activity within the soil. The day centres on translating principles into practical systems that are productive, resilient, and easier to manage long term.
Participants leave with practical tools and approaches they can begin applying immediately within their own gardens and growing spaces.