For more than 20 years, EMNZ has been exploring how biological and fermentation technologies can improve soil health, plant performance and farming productivity. What began with Effective Microorganisms (EM™) has evolved into a broader platform for biological innovation, supported by manufacturing capability, field validation and continual product development.

Mike Daly first became involved with Effective Microorganisms (EM™) technology in the mid-1990s, exploring its potential in agriculture, environmental management and biological farming systems. During this period, EM was still relatively unknown in New Zealand, providing an opportunity to learn directly from international developments and gain practical experience with the technology.

These early years established the foundations of knowledge and understanding that would later form the basis of Naturefarm and EMNZ.

Building on almost a decade of experience with EM technology, Naturefarm was established to make biological solutions more accessible to New Zealand farmers and growers.

The company initially focused on introducing EM-based products and promoting the benefits of beneficial microorganisms for soil health, nutrient cycling and farm productivity.

As awareness of biological farming practices increased, EM technologies began to be adopted across a wider range of agricultural sectors including pastoral farming, cropping, horticulture and environmental management.

Working directly alongside farmers and growers provided valuable insights into how biological products could be adapted and applied within New Zealand farming systems.

As demand grew, Naturefarm invested in local manufacturing and fermentation systems to improve product quality, consistency and supply reliability.

This capability enabled the company to move beyond distribution and begin developing products specifically tailored to New Zealand growing conditions and farming requirements.

Research and development accelerated with the introduction of products designed to improve soil health, nutrient efficiency and crop performance.

This period saw the development of technologies such as EM Balance and Fert Enhance, combining microbial and biological principles with practical agronomic applications.

Investment in fermentation technology enabled the development of advanced biological products including Plant-Stim and fermented plant extract technologies.

The ability to produce biologically active compounds at scale created new opportunities to support crop establishment, growth, resilience and productivity.

EMNZ expanded its commitment to evidence-based agriculture through independent and replicated field trials across pasture, maize, wheat, lucerne, fodder beet, potatoes and other crops.

These programmes continue to provide valuable data on biological performance under real New Zealand farming conditions and help guide future product development.

Today, EMNZ combines more than 30 years of experience with biological farming systems, New Zealand manufacturing capability and a commitment to ongoing innovation.

Through research, fermentation technology and collaboration with growers, distributors and the global EM community, we continue to develop practical biological solutions for the future of agriculture.

New product ideas originate from multiple sources including scientific research, international EM collaborations, customer feedback, distributor insights and challenges faced by farmers and growers.

The objective is always the same: identify opportunities where biological technologies can provide measurable benefits in productivity, soil health or nutrient efficiency.

Potential concepts are evaluated through formulation work and fermentation development.

This stage involves selecting suitable ingredients, refining fermentation processes, assessing stability and determining how biological components interact to produce consistent performance.

Before progressing to commercial trials, new technologies may be assessed under controlled conditions.

These evaluations help identify promising formulations, application rates and crop responses while providing valuable information for future field testing.

Products showing potential are evaluated through field trials conducted under real farming conditions.

These programmes may include replicated research trials, commercial demonstrations and independent evaluations designed to assess crop response, yield, quality and economic return.

Successful products are introduced through selected growers, distributors and farming systems.

This phase provides practical feedback on ease of use, consistency and performance across a wide range of environments and management practices.

Research and development does not stop after launch.

Customer feedback, trial data and ongoing scientific advances are continually reviewed to improve existing products and guide future innovation programmes.