our story

Passionate about soil health and the environment, Dom Ferretti and Jeanette Ida farm organically. Leaving their Wellington jobs back in 2007 (Dom - a Climate Scientist and Jeanette - a Physiotherapist) started Ferretti Growers. Moving to Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula, they started growing organic veg. Dom, is a 3rd generation Italian grower. His Grandparents, from Italy, started market gardening in the Hutt Valley, near Wellington. His Father, a commercial tomato grower. This background photo shows Dom’s Father on the left, Uncle - middle, Grandfather - right, ~1940. A move to Nelson in 2014 saw them farming in Brightwater, selling produce at the Nelson Markets. They started Santosha Farm in 2019. Santosha is a Sanskrit word meaning contentment. Produce was sold through a veg box scheme that operated through the lockdowns and was featured on the TV show Country Calendar.. These days Ferretti Growers grow less variety of organic vegetables but more volume to supply the wholesale market - helping to satisfy the growing demand for organic veg. 2022 saw the beginning of Ferretti Growers Nursery to supply the demands of home and land owners as well as revegatation projects that restore health to the environment and waterways.