Regenerative CATALYST

Young and articulate, Jono Frew has become the poster boy for regenerative farming in Canterbury. He’s come through the mill of conventional farming and emerged on the other side as a leader with clarity, wisdom, energy and vision.

BORN TO FARM

Jono started farming as a youngster. At 11, he worked every weekend on a dairy farm near his home town of Duntroon, in the Waitaki Valley inland from Oamaru. By 15, he was considered disruptive at school so was allowed to leave to work at the farm full-time. He thrived, and at 22, Jono was managing farms and had worked through the training system of the Ag ITO (Agriculture Industry Training Organisation). He’s had various farm-related jobs, including working in the family spray contracting business.

CHEMICAL FARMING AND STRESS

“For a while I was the manager of a chemical application