Seven Sharp Feature
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We’ve had our fair share of cameras on the orchard over the past few years, but there was something pretty special about hosting Rachel Parkin and the Seven Sharp team earlier this year. Their visit to Forest Lodge Orchard turned into a great piece on what electric farming looks like in action—right here in beautiful Central Otago.
The segment aired on February 13, 2025, and if you caught it, you’ll know it wasn’t your typical cherry orchard story. From our solar-powered battery system to the fully electric machinery, the episode explored how we’re growing export-grade fruit without burning a single drop of diesel. But as Mike shared in the interview, the fruit is just the beginning and electricity is the other crop we’re growing.
Mike isn't just your typical cherry grower, he’s also the CE of Rewiring Aotearoa, a New Zealand charity working to electrify millions of fossil fuel machines across the motu. From heat pumps and cars to tractors and irrigation pumps, the mission is simple: replace expensive, polluting machines with cheaper, cleaner electric alternatives. What we’ve done here on the farm is a living, working model of that vision. The Seven Sharp story touched on this bigger picture, and how local power generation and energy storage could help reshape New Zealand’s entire energy future. If more farms follow suit, we can reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and build a smarter, more resilient energy system for Aotearoa. As always, a huge thanks to the Seven Sharp team for telling our story with heart and clarity.
Watch the full feature here: Watch now on Seven Sharp
To learn more about Mike’s work with Rewiring Aotearoa, visit rewiring.nz