To celebrate International Women's Day we're putting the spotlight on muse, Kay Baxter, who is leading the regenerative revolution. A female earth healer, who believes that the health of our planet and the health of our communities are one and the same.
Kay Baxter, regenerative horticulturalist, who founded a globally recognised Kōanga Historic Seed Bank in Wairoa, NZ, who's inspirational endeavour is to ensure healthy seed lines for generation's to come.
Kay noticed that the wild fruit trees growing along the roadsides and around the Kaipara Harbour were healthier and more productive, with far better tasting fruit than anything from the varieties available in the Garden Centres.
Kay realised that these trees had been brought here by early settlers and that they were mostly neglected and dying out. This prompted her to start collecting these heritage fruit trees, and in the process also began to collect and realise the importance of their stories and their whakapapa.
Kay shares on her inspiration below and why Regenerative Farming is so important to our global health.
Where do you think your passion for wellbeing and regenerative farming comes from?
I believe it comes from growing up close to land and noticing very early that vitality is not random.
When you grow food yourself, you see clearly that health begins long before something reaches the plate. It begins in soil - in biology, in diversity, in mineral balance, in microbial life, and in the relationship between everything.
Over time I also watched the steady decline of that vitality as farming became more chemical and more industrial. I saw flavour change. I saw resilience change. I saw people’s health change.
Once you see that pattern, you cannot unsee it.
My passion has always been about restoring vitality - in soil, in seed, and therefore in people.
Why do you think organic and regenerative farming are important to our wellbeing?
Because the body cannot build robust health from depleted systems.
Plants are mineral gatherers. They translate soil biology and minerals into nourishment. If soil life is damaged, that translation weakens.
Regenerative gardening and farming restore the biological conversation between soil, plant and human. Organic growing and farming remove the toxic load, and regenerative farming goes further - rebuilding microbial life, diversity and nutrient density.
If we want well bodies, we must first build well soils and ecosystems.
What was the moment that made you realize that the way we farm and the food we eat is the direct path to solving many modern health issues?
It wasn’t one dramatic moment. It was decades of observation.
I watched heritage varieties - bred for flavour, nutrition and resilience - be replaced with uniform commercial varieties bred for storage and appearance.
At the same time, I watched allergies, digestive disorders, autoimmune conditions and behavioural challenges rise.
When we began reintroducing heritage seeds and growing them organically in living soils, I saw something powerful: flavour returned. Digestibility improved. People who struggled with certain foods found they could tolerate older varieties.
That is when it became undeniable for me.
Health is not simply a medical issue. It is an agricultural issue.
What unique perspective do you think women bring to the healing aspect of regenerative farming?
Women have historically, in ancestral and Indigenous cultures, been seed keepers.
Across cultures, it was women who selected seed, saved it, observed subtle changes, and passed knowledge between generations. That work required attentiveness, patience and long-term thinking.
Regeneration is not forceful. It is relational. It requires observation and care over time.
Women often carry a systems awareness - understanding that what we do today affects children, soil, water and community tomorrow.
This is not about excluding men. It is about recognising that women have always played a central role in preserving life through food and seed.
Reclaiming that role is deeply healing.
When you look at the work that Kōanga Institute does today, what kind of world do you visualise for the generations of women to come who are passionate about regenerative farming?
I see women who are confident in their knowledge of seed, soil and food systems.
I see communities that are not dependent on fragile global supply chains for their sustenance.
I see young women understanding how to grow nutrient-dense food, how to save seed, how to build soil - not as hobbies, but as essential life skills.
I see food sovereignty restored at a household and regional level.
And I see farming once again respected as a profession of intelligence and stewardship, not extraction.
That is the world I hold in mind.
Why is the empowerment of women a vital seed for a regenerative future?
Because empowered women invest in the long term.
When women are educated, resourced and supported, they prioritise food security, soil care and community stability.
Regeneration requires continuity - generational thinking rather than quarterly thinking.
Women naturally carry generational awareness.
When that awareness is valued rather than marginalised, regenerative systems become possible at scale.
What do you think are the biggest threats to regenerative and sustainable farming practices?
Loss of seed sovereignty is one of the greatest threats.
When seed becomes owned, patented and controlled by corporations, growers, farmers and home gardeners lose autonomy. Diversity shrinks. Resilience weakens.
Another threat is the continued belief that technology can replace biological intelligence. Chemicals and synthetic inputs may produce short-term yield, but they erode long-term vitality.
And finally, disconnection is a threat - when people no longer understand where their food comes from or how it is grown.
The antidote to all three is education, community and local seed stewardship.
That is why we do what we do at Kōanga.
Discover our International Women's Day Muses; Mother & Daughter duo Kay Baxter & Amber Rose's favourite WE-AR pieces.