Jay Oberoi
University of Otago
Joe Cooper
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Kingseat Organics is a New Zealand business that produces food choices (fresh organic egg, vegetables and fruits) for their customers, through integrating:
This innovation provides organic food for the well-being and good health of the customers (SDG3), while sustaining and improving the quality of soil over the period of time (SDG15).
Malkiat, the founder of the business, believes in continuous learning and imparting of knowledge and skills. He is an agile coach, mechatronics engineer, and is now on an inspiring mission to combat the challenge of providing nutrient dense organic food to local communities through Kingseat Organics.
Kingseat Organics, a sustainable organic farming business started in 2020 during the first lockdown, on their large lifestyle block of land in Pukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand. During that time, Malkiat saved time by not commuting to work, and also had his parents over, along with his wife to start their journey of growing healthy food for themselves and providing a better option for others in the community. According to him, “Organic produce does not only mean growing fruits and vegetables without any harmful sprays, or fertilisers, in fact the essence lies in creating a holistic self-sustaining closed-loop natural system.” Malkiat adds that they have their animals as pets, including water buffaloes, , chickens and guinea fowls, besides the other macro and micro flora and fauna that live in harmony with thriving native trees, fruit trees, and vegetable crops, and of course humans! This farming practice is somewhat similar to “Agrosilvopastorlism” system, an integrated farming, based on the mantra of “let it be and let them be”! The fallen trees are not burnt, rather left to be converted into compost or converted into mulch, hence returned back to nature. The buffaloes manage the overgrown vegetation, leaving out the weeds. This has earned them the privilege to freely move in their designated area, the left-out weeds are then removed easily without much damage to micro-life in the soil. Besides they also grow sorghum as feed for their water buffaloes. According to Malkiat, it is a mechanism to trap the atmospheric carbon dioxide and convert it into organic matter, thus acting as a carbon pool, helping to reduce the greenhouse gas.
The fence of the entire farm is made out of metal and not treated wood posts or plastic, to avoid any transfer of synthetic substances into their farm from treated timber. For the same reason, the buffaloes and chichens are not injected with hormones and are not vaccinated as part of the organic principles.
The innovation is evident in the ways Kingseat Organics creatively solve various hurdles it encounters while staying committed to sustainability.
The main inspiration for the innovation comes from the "lazy engineer and problem solver’s dilemma" which Malkiat talks about in his discussions. Different people came into his life and impacted how he thought about farming but also solving the problem of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in his family’s own food chain. Although he thought about it when he was young, as he says – “My grandparents were farmers, and my mother grew a lot of vegetables on our roof-top garden.” And when he was living in Christchurch, flatting with a few other people who were interested in growing their own food, especially organic food, this also sparked the light for cleaner food options. He says- “Working on the land and growing something of my own (especially homegrown vegetables) connects me back to my childhood memories.”
And when he had his first child and he started growing vegetables in his small backyard garden, this idea came into fruition. He says, “I was impressed with what I could grow in that small plot.” And soon after, when his in-laws (originally farmers) and his fathervisited them from India, the discussions around buying a decent piece of farmland and utilising it to grow the organic vegetables came into picture.
According to Malkiat, "Sustainability is at the centre of their farming methods- using short-cuts through smart Automated systems and not chemical treatments". He explains that the business embraces a holistic approach by combining the ever-evolving Artificial Intelligence systems with the old-fashioned farming principles, ensuring that the produce from the farm is free of harmful chemicals. This commitment to sustainable practices not only benefits the community but also the entire food chain in that ecosystem. The farm operates using direct renewable energy sources and has partnerships with low-carbon electricity providers, a significant step in combating climate change by reducing their carbon footprint, providing organic food choices to the community. (SDG 13)
Their agriculture methodology is based on their research, observation and implementation on the farm to figure out what works best in which part of their land, or which plant accompanies with which to give best results. This involves constant testing and understanding of the soil and water quality helps them understand the nutrient content and replenishment of them. They also use regenerative farming, which incorporates crop rotation and using animals in tandem with crops, thus improving the soil quality. An intriguing cycle of nutrients is happening in action, the waste of one living group is a nutrient rich feed for the other components of the food chain. The dropping of chooks provides manure to the plants as the birds' peck under the trees. The waste from the buffaloes is used to make compost which is rich in organic matter. (SDG 15)
The irrigation system is rain dependent. After being collected in the tanks, the water is distributed through gravitational pull through a portion of the farm. In case of dry periods when it doesn’t rain enough, they have to rely on underground aquifers, which are replenished during the rainy season. They follow “targeted and controlled irrigation method” which implies watering only those sections of the farm that need to be watered. This saves not only water but also crops’ root system that harbours network of micro-organism, according to Malkiat Singh. (SDG 13)
As there is an increased demand for Kingseat Organics’ products in the retail market, they have reached out to new retailers in addition to catering to their existing customers and retailers.
They have a few projects in the pipeline, for example, to create their own automated in-vessel composting system using Malkiat’s mechatronics skills to make sufficient amount of compost to be used on the farm. Previously they bought organic compost as and when required which added to the cost of production. Also, they always found pieces of plastic even in the certified organic compost, which is non-negotiable for the business. One of the values of the business is clean food for the soil.
There are future plans to branch out the business into compost production. To beat the speed of unwanted weeds, they want to experiment grow their vegetables in the thick layer of compost.
The co-owner also showed us the microgreen salad washing system, though not operational at the time of interview, employs rainwater that passes through a series of filters, including UV filters. It utilises micro-bubbles to gently cleanse the delicate leaves of salad greens. The business is committed to making long-term investments, prioritising value and sustainability over short-term solutions.
The BioGro and NZGAP (New Zealand Good Agricultural Practice) certifications are glowing examples of how the farm's soil quality improved as well as organically certified safe and nutrient dense food was produced and marketed well within a short span of four years. With these certifications, Kingseat Organics ensures the premium quality of their produce.
They sell eggs, a variety of vegetables-like radishes, beet root, mustard, chard, bitter guard, etc, some fruits- passionfruit, feijoas, figs, avocados. Never having any experience to sell the vegetables before, they started selling through different farmer markets, word of mouth, social media, online selling platforms, organic wholesalers, family and friend circles. This gave them an insight into the market, as to where their produce had more demand and can benefit the customers at large. They harvest fresh - a day before the market day – to make sure that their customers get the fresh produce straight from the farm to their tables.
Kingseat Organics also hosts free Open Farm Days for the community in collaboration with Open Farms NZ as an awareness exercise. This also helps in branding the business as well as bring the supporters of the Kingseat Organics business out to the farm.
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Malkiat Singh, CEO, Research and Development (Problem Solver)
Kingseat Organics is committed to creating a sustainable farming practice, by integrating traditional wisdom and modern-day techniques. The business was started with the aim to provide healthy food options for the community, demonstrating that sustainable organic food production is not only feasible but also essential for the well-being of both people and the planet.