about
Inspired by the ever-growing, invigorating farming festivals taking place around the world, UNDERGROUND has been created to connect farmers and growers around the common grounds of soil, food and farming… with some music thrown in for good measure!
On 19 & 20 February 2025, 300 people attended the inaugural UNDERGROUND Festival at Greystone Vineyard in North Canterbury.
Our mission was to connect people around soil, food and farming; to celebrate food from the whenua; and to put farmers at the centre of conversations about kai.
Bringing diverse stories, ideas, people and practices together at the source of where our food comes from (on the land/whenua) is part of what makes UNDERGROUND unique.
THE LOCATION
UNDERGROUND is hosted at Greystone Wines, 50 minutes drive north of Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Greystone is one of Aotearoa’s most innovative regenerative and organic vineyards set on an old sheep farm in Waipara’s Omihi Hills, North Canterbury.
Their vision and values are deeply rooted in a commitment to living in harmony with the land and their community. It’s Greystone’s strong roots in both the regenerative farming and food communities that makes it the perfect location for our audience of farmers, growers and foodies to connect.
The line-up will feature more than 30 speakers with a strong emphasis on local
30+ speakers from Aotearoa and around the world covering a diverse array topics from regenerative food systems, agroforestry, pasture and grazing management, landscape design, to soil health & soil microbiology, human health and community health + much more.
Incredible food/kai sourced locally from organic, regenerative and/or Hua Parakore producers wherever possible. Greystone Wines and Brew Moon beer.
Sessions in the field demonstrating diverse pastures, compost & biochar techniques, and soil observations.
Safaris (aka field walks) on viticulture, beneficial insects and pollinators, and reconnecting with the whenua.
Stalls from all kinds of brilliant businesses passionate about nurturing life underground and above the ground.
Onsite camping and glamping from Tuesday 17 February to Thursday 19 February. More info here.
A new programme is in the works for 2026, and will be announced late 2025. Keep an eye out on our speaker page to see who’s coming.
What to Expect
The line-up will feature more than 30 speakers with a strong emphasis on local
If you are passionate about growing and eating food, then this is for you!
The programme is designed to appeal to a broad range of farmers, growers, food producers, home gardeners and cooks, and soil enthusiasts.
From large scale dairy and sheep & beef farming, to wine, horticulture and market gardening, soil is a common ground for all us.
The festival also welcomes people curious about where their food comes from and keen to connect with those who produce it.
We welcome chefs, foodies, nutritionists, scientists, makers, home gardeners, lifestyle blockers, researchers, and anyone influencing how we produce and access highly nutritious food, while taking care of the land for future generations.
Who is UNDERGROUND FOR?
Fran Bailey
Underground is Fran’s baby. She’s an events & comms specialist who worked the UK’s biggest regen ag festival, Groundswell, for three years. She lives on a dairy farm in the Waikato and loves connecting people around soil, food, farming, and nature. Fran also founded Soil Sisters Aotearoa NZ.
The EVENT team
Chanelle O’Sullivan
Chanelle is our creative genius and event co-pilot, alongside Fran. Living off-grid in Central Otago, Chanelle holds a group of 19,000 rural women, has her own business, Harvested Media, and is a passionate advocate, working in many diverse areas of the farming and regenerative industry.
Nick Gill
Nick is co-owner of The Food Farm in North Canterbury, a 16 acre small farm embracing permaculture principles. For 20 years he guided the transformation of Greystone Wines into one of the country’s leading regenerative organic vineyards. He’s now added regenerative business coach to his bow.
Sam lang
Sam has a diverse skill set that encompasses farming, applied research and developing farmer learning and support networks. He has been deeply involved in the NZ regenerative agriculture movement since 2018, playing a key role in the growth of Quorum Sense. Sam is helping with our site planning and workshops.
The Advisory team
These are the familiar faces from Aotearoa’s regenerative food and farming movement that provide support and guide us - ensuring we provide an event that is powerful, unique, fun and unmissable!
Top left clockwise:
Angela Clifford, Dan Eb, Simon Osborne, Amber Rose, Jules Matthews, Mark Anderson.