Whaiao – Education for Sustainability Otago
FARMING FOR TOMORROW DOCUMENTARIES
WHO THEY ARE
Toko Farms
Whaiao - Education for Sustainability Otago is a New Zealand-based initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable practices across schools, communities, and local industries. Through hands-on learning and practical projects, they support education around environmental stewardship, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable living. The Farming for Tomorrow project highlights innovative farming practices in Otago, showcasing how farms like Toko Farms and Holy Cow are implementing sustainable approaches - from soil health and water management to ethical livestock care. By documenting these practices, Whaiao demonstrates the potential for New Zealand farms to balance productivity with ecological responsibility, inspiring other farmers, educators, and communities to adopt similar methods.
WHAT WE DID
We decided one of the best ways to showcase these ideas to a wider audience was to create short informational documentaries to help people visualise sustainable farming in practice.
Working with Whaiao – Education for Sustainability Otago, we created a series of engaging films that shared the stories of real farmers across Otago and their innovative approaches to sustainability. Our role spanned the full creative process — from concept and storyboarding through to filming, editing, and delivery.
By focusing on personal stories and practical examples, the documentaries translated complex ideas into relatable narratives and showed that sustainable farming is adaptable to different people and landscapes. The final series became an effective educational resource for schools, communities, and the wider public, extending Whaiao’s reach and sparking conversations about environmental change.
Credits:
Simon Davies - Toko Farms
Directed by Leroy Buxton and Callum Curran
Shot by Leroy Buxton and Callum Curran
Edited by Leroy Buxton
Credits:
Merrall MacNeille - Holy Cow
Directed by Leroy Buxton and Callum Curran
Shot by Leroy Buxton and Callum Curran
Edited by Callum Curran