Hort 101 A - Hutt Valley / Te Awa Kairangi

Hort 101 A is a two-day, hands-on introduction to regenerative organic growing, designed for people who want to improve the health and productivity of their gardens and growing systems through practical skills they can put to use immediately. Whether you're growing food at home, supporting a māra kai or community garden, or managing a small to mid-scale growing operation, this course provides practical tools to build healthy soils, strengthen plant resilience and reduce reliance on external inputs. The emphasis is on learning by doing, with accessible explanations of the living systems that support productive growing. Hort 101 A is a complete standalone course, making regenerative organic education accessible to those who may not need, or have the time and resources for, the full five-day programme.

Hort 101 A - Hutt Valley / Te Awa Kairangi
Start Date & Time
1 May 2027 at 8:30 am
End Date & Time
2 May 2027 at 5:30 pm
Registration Deadline
9 April 2027 at 5:00 pm
Location
98 Whitemans Valley Road, Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Capacity
25
Price
NZ$550
Course(s)
Hort 101 A
Status
Active
Learning at Live 2 Give Farm Te Papaioea / Palmerston North 2026

Event Details

Location

This 2 day intensive will be run at Mangaroa Farms in the Upper Hutt 45 mins from Wellington /Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Course content

Over two days, you will learn practical skills and techniques that can be applied directly to your growing system, including:

  • Understanding the role of microbes in healthy, living soils
  • Compost production, function and application
  • Practical principles of soil fertility and nutrient balance
  • Seed inoculation and seedling health
  • Learning to observe and read plant health
  • Maximising photosynthesis and biological activity
  • Practical techniques for building resilient, productive growing systems
  • Reducing external inputs by supporting natural biological processes

The course supports organic, biodynamic and permaculture approaches, while offering an accessible starting point for anyone transitioning from conventional growing methods.

Complex concepts are introduced through practical learning, making the course suitable for beginners while offering valuable insights for more experienced growers.

Where to next?

Hort 101 A can be taken independently or followed immediately by Hort 101 B, our three-day introduction to the technical principles of regenerative organic horticulture.

Together, Hort 101 A and B form Earthworkers' complete five-day foundation programme.

Course options

  • Hort 101 A — 2 days: $550
  • Hort 101 B — 3 weekdays: $825
  • Complete Hort 101 A + B — 5 consecutive days: $1,200 (save $175)

Ongoing mentoring and access to Earthworkers' alumni learning network are available to participants who complete Hort 101 B.

Interested? Get in Touch