Our Team

For The Love of Bees emerged out of a bee focused social sculpture called The Park 2014-15 initiated by artists Sarah Smuts-Kennedy and Taarati Taiaroa and co-created with Aucklanders.

The artwork created pasture paintings across Auckland city in the flight radius of bees.

Inspired by growing flowers that are safe for bees and collectively imagining a city safe for pollinators, we have evolved into a not-for-profit trust now focused on growing radical hope through food.

FTLOB Operations and Farm Team

General Manager - Shona Roberts

Shona Roberts has a background in not-for-profit management, having held senior roles in cultural organisations. At Auckland Arts Festival she was Business & Finance Director where she was instrumental in making the Festival a successful and annual event in Auckland’s calendar. During a stint in Australia she worked at the Sydney Opera House, youth sail training ship Young Endeavour, and consulted to the NSW Ministry for the Arts. Having grown up in a family of keen gardeners, Shona is passionate about the environment and making a positive difference.

 

Projects Lead - Kathryn Tulloch

Kathryn is a visual artist interested in movement, presence and thought within living systems. She works as a core collaborator within For The Love Of Bees contributing to design, development and communications. She has trained as a regenerative practitioner with the Regenesis Institute and has gained experience in this field working alongside Caroline Robinson and her Cabal team. While working as an in-school art specialist she introduced students to FTLOB’s action learning days before joining the team.

She has a Masters in Fine Arts (First Class Honors) and a passion for the vibrant materiality of healthy, diverse wholefoods, the power of regenerative growing and the abundance and wellbeing that local growing and basic cooking skills can offer.

 

Head Farmer - Jake Clarke

Jake Clarke is the head farmer at OMG Organic Market Garden.

Jake has been inspired by the land and what it has to offer from childhood. Growing up in rural North Yorkshire he learnt the value of food sovereignty from a young age, catching rabbits for the local butcher, rearing hens for meat and eggs and foraging for wild plants. 

Before moving to Aotearoa in 2018, Jake trained as an Illustrator (BA Hons) at Kingston University London and worked in conservation of native wetlands, heathland and forests of the Yorkshire Dales. He feels it's an artist's duty to represent the times that they are living, which in his grief for climate catastrophe was inspired by the restorative powers of plants. Jake cares about the power of community and local food production and is passionate about innovating new ways of growing whilst learning from the diverse community of farmers in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Being Head Farmer at OMG has been an incredibly formative experience for Jake, it has been a playground for experimentation and an opportunity to refine his skills in the art of growing, teaching and leadership. 

 
 

Urban Farmer - Maddy Cull

Maddy has a BSc in Ecology and is deeply interested in Agroecology. Maddy previously worked at Kelmarna Community Farm for three years leading a Community Composting enterprise and launching a new CSA Market Garden and Layer Hen operation. Maddy spent 2023 visiting different farms and growing communities across Europe to learn more about regenerative agriculture and other food systems. From this time overseas she has gained a new perspective on issues with our food system and ways we need to improve our relationship with nature and agriculture in Aotearoa. 

Maddy is passionate about food sovereignty and making positive changes to our food system from the ground up. She brings enthusiasm and knowledge to her role and is excited by weaving together networks of connection both in the field, ecologically, and with different communities on a larger scale. 

 
 

Communications - Arlette Barraclough

Arlette comes from a digital communications and gallery background. She believes that engaging communication, education and storytelling can have a transformative impact on our world. Arlette has a reverence for nature and cares deeply about climate change mitigation and transforming our food systems for the better. She brings her copywriting and digital skillset to FTLOB communications.

 

Trustees

Chair - Catherine Henderson

Cath is a former lawyer who gained extensive experience as a trusted adviser on commercial issues, financial services, marketing, and sponsorship prior to transitioning to a career in digital innovation and technology leadership. 

In recent years Cath has addressed her growing concern about the future sustainability of the natural environment by studying and up skilling in this area.  As a Mt Eden local, she initiated some fundraising for For the Love of Bees in 2023 and became an avid supporter of their cause.  Outside of work she has had variable success with growing herbs and vegetables in her garden and enjoys cooking for family and friends

 

Ruth Morse

Ruth has a passion for the health and wellbeing of both the planet and people. Her day job and career spans both corporate and social impact settings where she has experience and skill in strategic communications, partnerships management, stakeholder engagement, marketing and fundraising. She's grateful to have worked for amazing organisations including Helen & Douglas House, a children's hospice in Oxford England and New Zealand's very own Starship Foundation. When not at work Ruth loves to be in her garden, growing things to share with friends and family.

 

Andrew Duncan

Andrew is a grower and entrepreneur based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). His day-to-day work includes being a director at Carbon Critical where he manages the Net Zero Fund. Andrew is also host of the ‘Good You Can Do’ podcast. He brings significant commercial expertise, financial background and communication skills to the trustee role and is deeply passionate about creating resilient, regenerative and connected food systems in Aotearoa. Andrew is a graduate of the Earthworkers Programme and uses that knowledge daily in his home-based Redwood nursery. 

 

Tāne Feary 

Tāne is passionately committed to decolonisation and studying rongoā. He is a graduate of the Earthworkers Programme and is deeply cares about creating resilient urban food systems. Tāne brings extensive community networks to his role as trustee in For the Love of Bees. He has a fondness of food forests, reading and long walks in nature. Tāne calls Tāmaki Makaurau home. 

 

Pania Newton (Ngāpuhi, Waikato, Ngāti Mahuta and Ngāti Maniapoto)

Pania Newton is a New Zealand lawyer and activist for Māori land rights. In 2016, Pania alongside her five cousins, and other supporters, formed the group Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) to protest the development of land at Ihumātao in south Auckland. As a trustee on FTLOB. Pania seeks to support the creation of regenerative approaches to growing food and bee welfare.

 

James Stembridge

James comes from a background in business development finance, and holds a Bachelor of Law and Commerce degree from the University of Otago. James is a graduate of the Earthworkers course and now implements the ecosystem recovery farming systems at Tomtit Farm in Matangi, Waikato, where he works with his partner Brittany to grow vegetables and ‘pick your own’ flowers.

 

Kyle Ranudo

Kyle is a brand strategist who works at the confluence of commercial logic and creative intuition. Through his work, he helps organisations realise the power of purposeful strategy, intentional design, and compelling communication. He is deeply interested in utilising his skills to support important causes like For the Love of Bees, for the benefit of people and planet.

 

Advisory Board & Teaching Team

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy - FTLOB Founder, Earthworkers Facilitator

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is the founder of For the Love of Bees and one of the founders of the OMG urban farm on Symonds Street, Auckland. She is an artist and a biology first regenerative farmer at Maunga Kererū. In 2020 Sarah received a Commendation for her work at For The Love of Bees, The Sustainability Superstar Award at the Sustainable Business Awards.

In 2022, after 8 years of dedicated work growing For The Love of Bees, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy stepped back from her leadership role at FTLOB. She remains a key facilitator in our Earthworkers programme and an essential part of our advisory and education team. Throughout 2024 Sarah is providing regular mentoring to six community-connected farms across Auckland; read more about these Communities of Regenerative Learning here.

 

Daniel Schuurman - Regenerative Agronomist, Earthworkers Facilitator

Daniel is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading regenerative horticulturists and director of Biologix. He helps farmers and growers to eliminate pesticide and fungicide usage by focusing on soil and plant microbiology. He is a Co-Creator and Facilitator of the Earthworkers: Regenerative Horticulture 101 course. Daniel is a mentor on educational platforms Regenerate Now & the Urban Farmers Alliance. He believes education is an important catalyst for the uptake of regenerative practice around the country.

Daniel has studied under Dr Elaine Ingham from the Soil Food Web Institute, Graeme Sait at Nutrition Matters and Nutri Tech Solutions and follows leading researchers in Regenerative Organic Agriculture around the world. He provides mentorship to our Earthworkers Alumni network and model urban farm OMG Organic Market Garden. Throughout 2024 Daniel is providing regular mentoring to six community-connected farms across Auckland; read more about these Communities of Regenerative Learning here.

Daniel is also committed to supporting farmers and growers to transition to regenerative organic inputs through his range of microbial and mineral brews from his four step home garden kit to more detailed large farm supplies which OMG uses as a key step towards soil and plant health.

 

Levi Brinsdon-Hall - OMG Founding Farmer, Earthworkers Facilitator

Levi Brinsdon-Hall is an ambitious leader with a shared vision to radically transform the way that food is grown.

Levi is the founding farmer of the OMG urban farm. He spent 4 years full time growing vegetables, nurturing community, and developing the systems, infrastructure and business framework for the successful Community Supported Agriculture enterprise that OMG models today.

Levi facilitates and mentors highly productive regenerative agricultural spaces across Auckalnd city. In late 2022 he founded Delicious Revolution, a social enterprise that practises the art of agriculture, and urban reforestation in urban areas through growing radical inspiring gardens and sharing the harvest. He continues to mentor OMG farmers and FTLOB community.

 

Sarah Hopkinson - Education Consultant

Sarah is an education consultant highly experienced in curriculum design. Sarah drafted the curriculum framework for Green School New Zealand, wrote Pūtātara: a call to action. Most recently, she has reframed approaches to Education for Sustainability for the Ministry of Education National Office. She has a Masters of Education (Distinction), a Bachelor of Arts (History and Art History) and a Diploma of Teaching (Secondary). Sarah cultivates a regenerative lifestyle for her family which you can follow on Instagram at thegreengardennz.