Happy hens, cows and sheep are living their best lives on Arnstead Farm at Ikawai, on the plains of the Waitaki River.

They’re part of a system set up to look after the soil first, and the life within it, including fungi and microbes.

Farm owners Maurice and Neroli Hellewell have developed the system through a process of discovery - and it’s working. With no artificial inputs, stock and plants are thriving on this certified organic farm.

We chatted to the Hellewells at the Big Organic Day Out held on their farm in April, to find out about their journey, and how working with nature - while risky - has opened up new markets and paid off.

Neroli, Maurice and some happy hens.

The move to organic

The farm was originally part of the Waikakahi Estate, which the Government split into smaller farms and handed out by ballot. One part was later divided again for soldier settlement, and Maurice’s uncle took on Arnstead Farm. Maurice’s father bought it later - Hellewell’s have farmed it for 75 years.

Fortunately, he only used lime and rock-based fertiliser, which made the eventual transition to organic farming much easier.

“It’s a godsend that it’s never had superphosphate fertiliser which had DDT added to it during the 1950’s and 1960’s. It has a 25 and a half year life and would have prohibited organic certification.” Maurice says.

When Maurice and Neroli took over the farm, they had to think about how to make a smaller property profitable. Organic farming was something they were both keen to explore.

“We felt that organics fitted our values, and we wanted organic produce for our family. It was a risk, but it ended up opening up a world of markets.”

Arnstead’s been certified organic since 2005. Their approach is grounded in ethics, animal welfare and environmental care, with a strong focus on soil health.

“The number one rule is - look after the soil.”

Maurice talks custom pasture while standing amongst it at the Big Organic Day Out.

Building farm resilience

Without the use of drenches or synthetic fertilisers, the goal has been to build resilience into the system.

At the centre of that is diversity - in stock and in pasture.

Cattle, sheep and poultry all play a role, alongside a wide mix of plant species.

Standing in a paddock, Maurice asks us to look at what’s growing. It’s not standard pasture, but a mix of plants - different leaves and heights.

They use a custom designed seed mix for the three soil different soil types , This can include lucerne, red and white clover, chicory, plantain, annual rye grass, vetch, rape, fodder radish and daikon.

“We love these - they have deep roots.”

Deep-rooting plants draw water and nutrients from further down the soil profile.

Another focus is keeping the soil covered, with a living root in the ground at all times.

Roots release sugars that feed fungi and microbes in the soil, which in turn help plants access nutrients.

“Roots are how they talk to each other,” Maurice says.

They don’t use coated seed.

“There’s already enough diversity below ground, with fungi and microbes doing their job.”

Internal parasites are managed through grazing, rather than drenches.

Worms are species-specific - sheep worms don’t affect hens, for example.

“Cattle mop up after sheep, sheep mop up after cattle, and both mop up after the hens.”

None of their animals have ever been drenched.

Cattle and their big biological bombs are an important part of the system.

Farming without synthetic nitrogen

Grain crops can pull a lot of nutrients out of the soil, but in an organic system there’s no option to add synthetic nitrogen back in. Instead, the system relies on cycling what’s already there - and poo plays a big role.

“Nature’s free gift is poo, or as I describe it, big biological bombs”

Cattle are fed straw, then return it to the soil as those big biological bombs, along with important microbes.

“They’re basically composting the system for us. The hens spread 30 to 40 tonnes of manure when they are shifted around the farm just need to add GPS for compliance,” Maurice says.

They’ve used soil testing to fix any gaps with small amounts of fertiliser, then let the farm do the rest - recycling nutrients through plants and animals.

It does mean managing balance carefully, and they test regularly.

“On an organic farm we can be short of nitrogen on the shoulders of the season, however at times we do have plenty,” Maurice says.

Plantain is used to help pull any excess back out of the system.

Happy hens, free to roam from their cosy lodgings, making the most of the bugs and organic goodness.

Happy hens

All of that work in the soil flows through to the hens, who eat a 100% organic diet.

Flock sizes are small, with fewer than 40 hens per hectare - a long way from the 3,000 to 4,000 per hectare common on many commercial farms.

The hens roam widely, foraging on diverse organic pastures, plants and insects. Their homes are portable sheds, moved around the farm on trailers.

“This is true pasture-raised,” Neroli says. “It’s what people imagine when they buy free range eggs, but unfortunately that’s not the case in most instances.”

What goes into their diet shows up in the eggs - firm whites, rich yellow yolks, and a product shaped by the system behind it.

Look out for Green Henz eggs at selected supermarkets, Four Squares and organic stores.

Nutrient dense eggs

Sold under the Green Henz brand, the nutrient rich eggs are available in organic and whole food stores, as well as some New World and Four Square supermarkets, often at a similar price to other eggs. You can also pick them up from the road side stall on Ikawai-Middle road, on your way to the lakes.

The restaurants and chefs using the eggs reads like a who’s who of the culinary world.

Neroli laughs when the conversation turns to yolk colour.

“People think orange is better, but a lot of that comes down to feed. At one conference they had a colour fan out - you could choose what shade you wanted your yolks to be by adding a colourant into the feed ration.

“That’s not us. What you see is the natural colour. If you wouldn’t feed your kids soft drinks with that artificial colour, then why eggs?”

Neroli rehomes the hens after around 18 months of laying. They’ve built up quite a following of regulars who offer free range homes where they can continue to live their best lives.

Organic meat

Their Arnstead Family Farm Regeneratively Grown meat products are sold through Chopped Butchery and selected organic shops.

Most organic meat is exported, although local demand is growing. Beckenham Butchery began selling it, and a chance meeting with Adam from Chopped Butchery led to an ongoing relationship.

“We’re so lucky to have them in this area. The quality is so high. Look after local, buy local.”

You’ll often find Chopped Butchery at the Waimate Community Market on Saturday mornings.

Buying local means buying the best

The couple are keen to share what they’ve learned, and to see more people thinking about where their food comes from.

In a world of mass-produced food, Arnstead is doing things differently - focusing on soil, stock and a nutrient-dense product.

Buying local was a consistent theme at the Big Organic Day Out, and one Maurice returned to often.

For people that live in the districts of South Canterbury and Waitaki - buying local often means buying the best.

An organic system that’s delivering results