Common Property: Te Horo organic farm seeks successors after 50 years

Common Property is currently being farmed under licence by a number of organic growers, some of whom are looking to retire in 2026.

By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ

One of the country’s oldest organically certified farms is looking for the next generation to lead its operations.

Jim Kebbell and Marion Wood, who co-founded Commonsense Organics, bought the Te Horo farm, known as Common Property, with a group of friends in the 1970s.

“It was established by a group of families — the reason it’s called Common Property — and we bought the land together,” Wood said.

As the others have moved on over the years, the couple found themselves the last owners and are now looking for new people to come on board.

They are now seeking expressions of interest to buy, lease or license the 9.5-hectare property near Ōtaki, which has been BioGro certified continuously for nearly 50 years.

“We are looking for new blood and new life for the farm,” Wood said.

The property is currently being farmed under licence by several organic growers, and the property is used to grow vegetables, strawberries and seedlings commercially.

“Jim came up with this idea of small businesses running their own business on Common Property under licence,” Wood said.

“So it’s still Common Property but in quite a different way.”

Some of these growers are now looking to retire next year.

Wood said they’ve had some interest already, and their preference would be for the property to continue to be farmed organically.

50 years of organics

Jim Kebbell and Marion Wood, who co-founded Commonsense Organics, bought the Te Horo farm, known as Common Property in the 1970s.

Wood credits her mother with the property, having been an early adopter of organics.

She admitted Kebbell, who came from a farming family, was sceptical at first but quickly came around.

“My parents helped us buy the farm, and [my mother] insisted we grow organically right from the start,” Wood said.

They were one of the first growers to become BioGro certified when the standards were introduced in 1983.

“Legend has it the first BioGro standards were drafted at our kitchen table,” Wood said.

Wood said the biggest change in 50 years of organics has been the rise of regenerative agriculture practices, which was very compatible with organics.

The development of the National Māori Organics Authority of Aotearoa’s Hua Parakore, an indigenous organic verification and validation system, was also “exciting”.

Proposals close on May 31, and more information is on the Commonsense Organics website.

- RNZ