A Few Words
About Us
After years of gardening and farming using traditional toxic chemicals to kill pests and diseases and using salt-based fertilisers based on my training at Lincoln University in the 1980’s, I was first introduced to a different way of farming holistically by my uncle in The Netherlands who taught biodynamic agriculture in Europe, the U.K. and Africa.
However it was not until around 2015 that I had the time to study agriculture again and found an explosion of understanding had occurred in the intervening years. I knew then that this was the future for me.
The new principles formed under the term ‘Regenerative Agriculture’, aim to regenerate the life in our soils which have been degenerated after decades of tilling, digging, applying chemicals to kill biology and weeds and applying salt-based fertilisers. We focused on nitrogen but forgot about the much more significant carbon. My university training had focused on chemistry but we now understand the need to place much more focus on the biology which is my passion.
The six key principles of Regenerative Agriculture are:
- Minimise tillage or digging
- Keep the soil covered
- Keep living roots in the soil
- Optimise Diversity
- Utilise grazing stock
- Context
Once we understand these key principles and consider them in our own context, our world changes. Instead of focusing on pests and weeds to kill, and inorganic fertilisers to feed plants, we focus on optimising the health of our own ecosystem. As we transition to a healthy soil biology using the key principles, all above ground biology, including humans, become healthier.
Frans completed a degree at Lincoln University in Valuation and Farm Management and spent a decade farming and farm consulting.
In 1995 he established ECOsystems with the tagline ‘Saving Energy and the Environment’. ECOsystems grew to become one of the largest private energy efficiency specialist companies in the commercial sector and received numerous national energy efficiency awards. ECOsystems was sold to Pioneer Energy in 2015.
Frans is a life member of Carbon and Energy Professionals and in 2016 completed the inaugural New Zealand training for ISO50001 Carbon and Energy Management.
In 2016 he also established ecoNEW. He was selected to attend the Al Gore Climate Reality Leaders training in environmental communications in Brisbane in 2019. In 2020 he completed the Kiss the Ground Soil Advocate training; an intensive 7 week programme on Regenerative Farming. In 2022 he completed the Soil Food Web Foundation Course with distinction. This included comprehensive modules in The Soil Food Web, BioCompleteâ„¢ Compost, BioCompleteâ„¢ Liquid Amendments and Microscopy.
In 2018 Frans was instrumental in incorporating the Kata school to bring the practices of continuous improvement that Toyota use to the local market. He is the current Chair and uses the practices to improve soil biology.
Our Vision
The earths soils have been regenerated with a full biologically complete Soil Food Web, our diverse plants are nutrient dense and insects, animals and humans achieve their full potential.
Our Mission
To support the regeneration of soil health to optimise the health and well-being of all above ground life.
Why is the Glassing butterfly part of our branding? Butterflies are one of the insects most susceptible to a change in climate.  The Glassing is dependent on the tropical rainforests of South America and while it looks delicate with its transparent wings, it can travel upto 19 km per day at 13 km/h.  It has a lifespan of 6-12 weeks and can carry 40 times its own weight.  By using plants and photosynthesis to take CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the soil we help preserve their habitat and the biodiversity we are all dependent on.
