Roebuck Farm

Set between the mountains and the coast, Omata’s thriving Roebuck Farm is named after the family of its owners, Jodi Roebuck and Tanya Mercer. The couple believe this familial tie to the land breeds a strong kinship between themselves as food producers and the locals who support them. It’s this commitment to their award-winning small-scale intensive market garden that they manage sustainability and their generous mentorship of other growers which makes them true Sustainability Heroes.

Their interest, knowledge, and passion for sustainability prompted the duo to establish Roebuck Farm. Being able to feed others with fresh, local produce and educating them on how to grow their own food and teaching them about food production was important to Jodi and Tanya. They also wanted to help those who could not grow their own food readily.

Roebuck Farm’s evolution from growing purely heritage seed into restorative grazing and now into capably supplying local markets with their produce means Jodi is in demand to share his knowledge. Jodi has travelled the world honing his craft and now teaches others alongside fellow sustainability pioneers. America, Australia, Canada, and Bali have all benefited from the influence of Jodi’s passion and dedication to sustainable horticulture.

Dozens of workshops are held by Jodi each year. The Roebuck Farm garden becomes the classroom for new market and household gardeners. These workshops are not exclusive to New Zealand, as Jodi also jumps across the pond to teach in Australia and Bali.

Roebuck Farm implements a multitude of innovative techniques to encourage the growth of consistent, quality produce - setting them apart from other producers. They make their own compost and seed raising mix, refuse to use sprays, mitigate moisture loss with netting, and have even designed their own tool, “The Roebuck Fork,” to deeply aerate the soil without any disturbance.

In 2024, Roebuck Farm was awarded a Silver Medal for its Radish Microgreens at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. Their market gardening process actively transforms and regenerates soil. They make all their inputs: compost, seed raising mix, and foliar sprays. The landscape biology is increased through ground cover planting, which boosts photosynthesis and soil biology. Their soil preparation has created high water infiltration in their living soils. They standardize these systems so they are consistent and can meet the commitments for chefs in top local restaurants and retail stores.

Roebuck Farm only supplies within a 10km radius from the farm, serving seven restaurants and five retail stores. They achieve zero waste by tracking crop growth to sell everything they produce, balancing supply across multiple outlets, and combining lines of produce for optionality. Their produce is not grown under lights or hydroponically but in their homemade seed raising mix and real sunlight. This regenerative food production system ensures same-day harvest and delivery to retail and restaurants.

Microgreens are the keystone of their sustainable and profitable market gardener training and consultation. They are a consistent, fast day-to-maturity crop that supports their educational efforts.

Developing a strong business sense and building all-important client relationships has sometimes challenged the pair as most of their time is spent working to keep Roebuck Farm operating at the highest level. However, the love of regenerative agriculture and the people they work with keeps Jodi and Tanya going. They love seeing their workshop students succeed and the number of small-scale food producers on the rise.

When not busy tending to the farm, Jodi and Tanya can often be found enjoying a run down the sand dunes with their dogs at New Plymouth’s Back Beach. Getting out on the waves for a surf or dipping beneath the surface for a swim are also ways the couple enjoy relaxing.

To learn more about Roebuck Farm, book one of their workshops, or even purchase a Roebuck Fork, visit them at Roebuck Farm.