Agritech: Innovating Towards Sustainability

We headed to Central Otago to meet the innovative farmers and growers in the regions as part of our first-ever domestic agritech tour.

Over the two days in Central Otago, you will get to see a range of innovative operations, all with sustainability at their core, alongside a busload of other like-minded agritech companies, growers and ecosystem representatives. 

We stopped at the following locations:

• Lake Hāwea Station

• Forest Lodge Orchard

• Tinwald Farm, and

• Peregrine Estate – Bendigo

And diving in to the following topics:

• Shining the Spotlight on Soil Microbes in Diversified Farming Systems

• The World's First 100% Electric, Zero Fossil Fuel Orchard

• Tackling the Climate Crisis Through Technology-assisted, Regenerative Farming

• Maintaining a Sustainable Viticulture Operation Across Generations

Secure your ticket today before we sell out. This is one event you won't want to miss!

Itinerary

Download the latest version of the itinerary here.

Day 1- Thursday 23rd May 

7:30am - Agritech: Innovating Towards Sustainability Launchpad Breakfast 

Location: Mountain Club Queenstown (85 Beach Street, Queenstown) 

Topics: About Mountain Club | Why Central Otago? | Coffee | Breakfast | Networking 

Mountain Club Queenstown is home to a community of entrepreneurs creating positive impact in Central Otago. They are passionate about developing deeper connections and partnerships with industry leaders. The perfect place to kick-off our 2-day immersion. 

9:30am - Bus Depart 

11:00am - Shining the Spotlight on Soil Microbes in Diversified Farming Systems 

Location: Tinwald Farm 

Topics: About Tinwald Farm | Soil Microbiome | Farming Biodiversity 

Tinwald Farm focuses on the biology of soils and how they interact within the ecosystem. They take great care to protect their biggest asset, the soil. They follow a science-led approach to improve soil ecology and performance with sustainability being a key focus. 

12:45pm - Bus Depart 

1:00pm - Lunch at Forest Lodge Orchard 

2:00pm - The World's First 100% Electric, Zero Fossil Fuel Orchard 

Location: Forest Lodge Orchard 

Topics: About Forest Lodge Orchard | Growing the Best Cherries | Benefits of Electrification 

Forest Lodge Orchard is the cornerstone for NZ's climate-conscious agriculture movement. In an industry known to produce high emissions, they're stepping up to the challenge and driving zero fossil fuel use in agriculture. 

4:00pm - Launch Event: Agritech Activator 

5:30pm - Bus Departs 

6:00pm - Check In at Oakridge Resort, Wanaka

7:00pm - Dinner at Stoaker Room, Wanaka

9:00pm - END

Day 2- Friday 24th May 

7:00am - Breakfast at Oakridge Resort, Wanaka

8:00am - Bus Depart

9:00am - Tackling the Climate Crisis Through Technology-assisted, Regenerative Farming
Location: Lake Hāwea Station

Topics: About Lake Hāwea Station | Carbon Sequestration | Regenerative Agriculture

Lake Hāwea Station is the first climate positive farm in Australasia. Critical to the team are nutrient management, water quality and sustainability. They have set lofty goals to protect and enhance our waterways, conserve and restore biodiversity and introduce regenerative farming practices. 

11:00am - Bus Depart

12:00pm - Lunch at Peregrine Estate - Bendigo

12:30pm - Maintaining a Sustainable Viticulture Operation Across Generations

Location: Peregrine Estate - Bendigo

Topics: About Peregrine Estate - Bendigo | Water Management | Recycling Organic Matter

A family run, Central Otago vineyard aiming for a closed system in which all inputs come off its own land and are recycled back after the wine is made, so the only additional input is water. This estate employs a holistic approach that integrates crop and livestock farming to vineyard management. 

2:00pm - Bus Depart

3:00pm - Bus Arrives at Queenstown Airport

3:30pm - Bus Arrives at Queenstown CBD

END

Cost: 

Your ticket covers:

• Breakfast and Welcome event at Mountain Club Queenstown

• Catered lunches on Thursday and Friday

• Dinner at The Stoaker Room, Wanaka

• Accommodation and breakfast in Wanaka on Thursday night

• Bus transpotation

• A few sneaky surprises thrown in for good measure

• And access to the first-class operators and operations of these farms, orchard and vineyard:

  • Lake Hāwea Station

  • Forest Lodge Orchard

  • Tinwald Farm, and

  • Peregrine Estate – Bendigo

But your ticket price doesn't cover:

• Your transport to Breakfast at Mountain club, from or around Queenstown

• Accommodation for Wednesday night (check the room rate we have organised below)

• The costs of beverages along the way

Accommodation:

For those looking for comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price for the Wednesday night in Queenstown, we have some great room rates for Holiday Inn (Queenstown Frankston Road).

Check the agreed room rates here: put in your selected dates to get the Callaghan Innovation special rate.