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DIY Soil Testing Kit for Lifestyle Blocks & Small Farms
Soil Building and Fertility
DIY Soil Testing Kit for Lifestyle Blocks & Small Farms
The EcoFarm DIY Soil Testing Kit is designed for owners of lifestyle blocks, small farms and other smaller properties who want to better understand and improve their soil.
The kit is a complete package, including everything from the equipment needed to collect your soil samples through to laboratory testing at Brookside Laboratories, Ohio, interpretation of your results and personalised recommendations.
Using the same testing specifications and interpretation process as our commercial farming clients, we identify the key limiting factors affecting your soil, along with its existing strengths and potential.
Whether your goal is healthier pasture, a productive orchard, thriving gardens or better nutrition for your animals, the DIY Soil Testing Kit provides a practical and affordable first step towards building healthier, more resilient soil.
NZ$450.00 (incl. GST)
Product Details
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Product Overview
Soil Health for Your Lifestyle Block or Small Farm
A well-managed lifestyle block or small farm has the potential to produce high-quality food, support healthy animals, and provide real enjoyment from working with the land.
As more people move toward producing for themselves, their families, and their communities, understanding how the soil functions becomes an important first step in building a productive and sustainable system.
DIY Soil Testing Kit for Lifestyle Blocks and Small Farms
The DIY Soil Sample Kit is a complete package. The purchase price includes everything from the equipment needed to collect your samples through to laboratory testing at Brookside Laboratories, interpretation of your results and personalised recommendations.
The kit contains a soil probe, clear step-by-step instructions and all the materials required to collect and package your samples.
Once we receive your samples, we prepare them and send them to Brookside Laboratories, Ohio for analysis using EcoFarm’s testing specifications – the same testing approach used for our commercial farming clients.
Results are typically available within 14-20 days, depending on shipping times.
Understanding Your Soil Test Results
Once your results are received, they are analysed and used to guide recommendations tailored to your lifestyle block or small farm.
Understanding your soil’s starting point allows us to identify:
- The current nutrient status of your soil and pasture
- Any excesses, deficiencies, or imbalances
- The level of biological activity within the soil
This provides a clear foundation for improving soil function and supporting better long-term performance from your land.
What Happens After Your Soil Test
Once your soil results have been analysed, we’ll talk you through what they are showing and what may be influencing how your block is performing.
From there, we’ll outline practical options to support improvement – whether that’s through a customised mineral blend, changes in management, or a staged approach over time.
For lifestyle blocks and small farms, this is about working with what you have and making steady, meaningful progress, rather than overcomplicating the system.
Working With Your Soil, Not Against It
Our approach focuses on supporting how the soil functions, not just adding inputs.
By addressing the underlying imbalances and limitations identified in your results, you can begin to:
- Improve how nutrients are cycled and made available
- Support stronger, more consistent plant growth
- Build a more resilient and easier-to-manage system over time
Why Soil Testing Matters for Lifestyle Blocks and Small Farms
Understanding your soil gives you a clear starting point.
From there, every decision becomes more targeted, more efficient, and more aligned with building productive and sustainable land.
Directions for use
Supplied in your Soil Sampling Pack
- A 150mm soil probe
- Brookside Laboratories brown paper soil sample bags
- Rubber band
- Plastic Bag for completed Brookside submission form
- The return to Ecofarm Aotearoa office Courier label [supplied]
You will need a clean bucket. Wash with water only.
Keep the original box this all came in – you will need it to return the probe and samples.
Collecting Soil Samples
Collect 2 or 3 x 150mm deep core samples from each paddock, avoiding the areas indicated in the diagram. You will need at least 10 samples over the whole testing area. Place the cores in the bucket as they are collected. Remove any excess vegetation and foreign bodies. Thoroughly mix all cores together and place about 300 grams (¾ full) into the Brookside sample bag. Fold the top over and seal closed, using the rubber band. Fill out the form and place in plastic bag. Seal.
Sending the sample to Ecofarm Aotearoa
- Reusing the original box, wash the probe and place it in the box with the sealed and labelled Brookside Laboratories bag with your samples in it, the completed Soil Analysis Request Form & the instruction card. Seal the box.
- Remove the original address label from the outside of the courier box.
- Place the supplied courier label on the box (for returning to Ecofarm Aotearoa 1 Railway St Paeroa 3600). There must be NO confusion as to where this is being posted to, hence the removal of the original posting label.
- Post from any post shop.
- Email the office (office@efa.nz) advising us of the date that you have sent the samples.
Technical Notes
- If a core of soil gets stuck in the probe use a stick [nothing metal] to poke it out.
- We measure trace elements in Parts Per Million (PPM), so beware of contamination!
- Do not collect samples when soil conditions are extremely wet or extremely dry.
- Avoid urine or manure patches.
Soil test results generally arrive back at the office 14- 20 days after the samples are dispatched from Paeroa to America. Brookside Laboratories are based in New Bremen, Ohio, USA.
We will contact you with the sample results and suggest a way forward so that your land becomes more productive, a home for healthy animals and a source of healthy produce.
Thanks for working with us!
The Team at Ecofarm
Interpreting Results
Understanding Your Soil Test Results
Your soil test results may look different from what you’ve seen before.
They don’t include simple “low, medium, high” graphs or averages – because there is no single “ideal” soil to compare against. Every soil functions differently depending on its structure, mineral balance, and biological activity.
We will talk you through your results so you clearly understand what they are showing, what may be limiting performance, and what opportunities exist within your soil.
What This Means for Your Block
This approach has helped many lifestyle block owners better understand their soil and take practical steps toward improving pasture, plant growth, and overall system performance.
Rather than relying on guesswork, you’re working from a clear understanding of what’s happening in your soil.
Supporting Your System
As you begin improving soil function and biology, some lifestyle block owners choose to support their animals with a broad-spectrum mineral supplement such as Vitus Animal Lick.
As soil and pasture quality improve over time, mineral intake requirements may change as animals adjust to what is available through the system.
Learn More
An Ecofarmer’s Discovery by Ewan Campbell explains the observations and thinking behind the Ecofarm approach, including how soil, minerals, and biology interact within a functioning system.
You may wish to order a copy alongside your Soil Sample Kit to better understand the process.
Get Started
Order your Ecofarm Lifestyle DIY Soil Testing Kit to begin understanding what your soil is doing and how to improve it over time.
Important Notes
- The DIY kit includes one soil test. Additional sample areas can be tested at an additional cost.
- Spare sample bags are included in case additional samples are required or a sample is compromised.
- Please ensure all information returned with your samples is clear and complete.
Herbage Testing (Optional):
Herbage tests can be arranged through your rural supplier (typically via Hills Laboratories). If completing these tests, request analysis for Molybdenum, Cobalt, Selenium, Iodine, and Nickel.
These results can be forwarded to us to further refine your recommendations.
The Science
How the Ecofarm System Works
Improving soil isn’t just about adding nutrients – it’s about supporting how the whole system functions.
At Ecofarm, we look at soil through three connected areas: physical structure, mineral balance, and biological activity. When these are working together, the soil is better able to cycle nutrients, support plant growth, and build long-term resilience.
Physics – Soil Structure and Energy Flow
Probitas soil conditioner is included in Ecofarm blends to support soil structure and the natural energy processes within the soil.
In many soils, past management can reduce the soil’s ability to hold and transfer energy effectively – particularly where silica function has been impacted.
Supporting these physical processes can improve how water, air, and nutrients move through the soil system.
Chemistry – Mineral Balance and Nutrient Availability
Ecofarm blends include key minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, silica, and sulphur, which play important roles in plant growth and photosynthesis.
Trace elements are added where required, based on soil test results.
Rather than focusing only on how much nutrient is present, the emphasis is on balance and availability – ensuring nutrients can be accessed and used by the plant.
Biology – Supporting Living Soil Systems
Our biological inputs may include organisms such as cyanobacteria and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM), which support nutrient cycling, soil structure, and plant-soil interactions.
These organisms assist with the breakdown of organic material and the movement of minerals to the plant, helping to support a more active and functional soil system.
Customised Soil Blends for Your Block
Your recommendations are based on your soil test results, with a focus on identifying the key limiting factors within your soil.
From this, we outline a tailored approach to address imbalances, excesses, and constraints – supporting how your soil is designed to function.
This is where your management and our analysis come together, working with the biological processes and natural energy systems within your soil.
By improving soil function, you can begin to unlock more of the productive potential already within your block – supporting healthier plant growth, more efficient nutrient cycling, and a more resilient system over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I start?
You start with accurate, independent soil measurement.
We take soil cores at 0-150mm and 150-300mm and GPS the sampling points. The samples are sent to Brookside Laboratories - Ohio, US, an independent laboratory.
We use a specialised soil analysis through Brookside Laboratories - Ohio, US, because the level of testing we require is not available locally in New Zealand. The testing measures both Total reserves and Available nutrients, giving us a complete picture of what your soil holds and what may be limiting performance.
That independent data forms the foundation for every recommendation we make.
For smaller non-commercial blocks, a DIY option is often more cost-effective and still provides valuable insight.
How long does the whole process take?
From the time your agent visits and takes the soil samples, we allow about 3-4 weeks to get through to your recommendation.
In simple terms, the process is:
- You request a soil test
- An agent visits and takes the samples (or you can take them yourself using our DIY kit for smaller blocks)
- Samples are sent to Paeroa for processing, then forwarded to Brookside Laboratories - Ohio, US
- Brookside’s analysis typically takes around two weeks
- Your agent contacts you with recommendations and a quote
- You tell us when you want your blend made and supplied
If your timing isn’t right, that’s fine - the information can be held and used when you’re ready. Many farms gather the data first and implement later. Having it up your sleeve makes it easier to move when you decide to push the go button.
Do I need new soil tests every year?
No.
We generally know what the blend will look like for the second year, but for the third application we need new soil tests to make sure the recommendations stay accurate.
I have some soil tests already so do I still need your soil tests?
Yes.
Soil testing is fundamental. We use an independent offshore laboratory, Brookside Laboratories - Ohio, US, because they carry out the specific analysis we need to guide our decisions. In particular, the Totals analysis shows what your soil already holds and what may be limiting it.
Guessing costs more in the long run.
We don’t usually test yearly - we generally work on a two-year cycle.
The soil analysis has no bar graphs and just a lot of numbers. Can you put a bar graph on them?
No.
There are too many interacting factors in the soil to reduce it to averages or simple bar graphs without losing accuracy.
Bar graphs can look helpful, but they often oversimplify what is actually happening and can be misleading. We focus on the real numbers and what they mean for your soil, rather than presenting them in a way that looks tidy but lacks depth.
How do you know what my soil actually needs?
We use soil and herbage testing through Brookside Laboratories - Ohio, US, which provides the level of detail required to make accurate decisions.
These tests measure Totals and Availables, along with key indicators such as mineral balance, trace elements, biological activity, aluminium levels, and plant nitrogen efficiency.
From this, we build a customised blend for your farm - no guesswork, no generic recipes, just accuracy.
Do I need herbage tests?
Yes.
They show the levels of trace elements that are too small to be picked up accurately in the soil test alone, giving an extra layer of precision.
This adds another level of accuracy to the recommendations.
I live in Canterbury - do I need lime?
It depends.
We look at both your available and total calcium levels through our soil testing with Brookside Laboratories - Ohio, US.
Lime is often applied as a standard practice, but without accurate testing it can be unnecessary or even counterproductive. We base that decision on what your soil actually needs.
What do I do if I have just bought a new block?
Start with a comprehensive soil test.
This gives you accurate information from the outset, so you can make the right decisions from day one rather than guessing.
Even if you already have soil tests, you will gain more detailed insights that allow you to move forward with confidence.
What about carbon and organic matter?
Organic matter is roughly 50% carbon, so when you test for organic carbon, organic matter will typically reflect at around double that level.
Carbon builds naturally when soil function improves - as structure develops, roots penetrate deeper, and microbial activity increases.
We focus on function first, carbon follows.
Myth: “Organic or regenerative systems are risky.”
Guessing is risky.
Testing, interpretation, and experience reduce both risk and cost.
We prefer accuracy, so your money and time are spent efficiently - without missing key pieces or overapplying what isn’t needed.
Myth: “This only works on certain soil types.”
No.
Every soil responds when its limiting factors are addressed.
The approach adapts to the soil, not the other way around, and our independent soil testing gives us the accuracy to know what each soil actually needs.
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