Regenerative vineyard Greystone in North Canterbury will host the new festival. Photo: SUPPLIED/Dean Mackenzie
A new festival will take root in North Canterbury next month to celebrate soil, food and farming.
The inaugural Underground Festival will be held at Greystone Wine's regenerative organic vineyard in Waipara North Canterbury in mid-February.
The event was inspired by the regenerative farming field days Groundswell in the UK which drew 8000 people last year.
Organiser Frances Bailey said the New Zealand event will feature local and international speakers, including agro-ecologists, chefs and regenerative farmers, to discuss food systems and regenerative farming.
"It's all about soil, food and farming. With a little bit of music thrown in for good measure," Bailey said.
"It's on a farm and connects us all to the source of our food, so it's for farmers, growers and anyone interested in where their food comes from."
Bailey, a communications specialist who promoted agricultural and regenerative farming with her own PR firm, said the event will feature around 30 speakers from New Zealand and abroad.
New Zealand-born and Montana-based agro-ecologist Nicole Masters will feature in the event, as well as Australian chef and broadcaster Matthew Evans, Matthew Monaghan of Biome Trust and Hawke's Bay leading regenerative farmer Greg Hart of Mangarara Station.
Bailey said some highlights will include on-field demonstrations on building up soil health, paddock to paint watercolour workshops, making biochar and farmer yoga.
"Underground is a place for the soil-obsessed among us to connect, learn and eat amazing kai, out on the land," Bailey said.
"It's all about celebrating life, by digging deep into the source of it all. Soil."
Two-day event tickets start at $325 with extra options of camping and glamping accommodation onsite for the event on 19-20 February.
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