In 1993, Di and Ian Haggerty bought a small farm in the wheatbelt where Di had grown up. A farm advisor told them their farm was too small to succeed. Yet they pressed on, pioneering regenerative farming methods that achieved consistently outstanding results by replacing synthetic chemicals with zero-tillage, biological composts and livestock integration.

Hear how the Haggertys went beyond the traditional notions of agriculture to embrace Natural Intelligence Farming, reconnecting with the land and the intricate workings of nature. Di and Ian were named WA Australians of the Year in 2025.

The high-quality merino wool the Haggertys produce features in the Imagine: Material Stories exhibition as one of Lisa Piller’s regenerative design stories – Lisa and fashion designer Megan Salmon will join Di to discuss their collaboration.

Concession tickets available
Students and concession card holders can use the code FDWCONCESSION for 20% off tickets. For mob, use the code MOBTIX for a 50% discount.

Pictured: Di Haggerty and Lisa Piller during the research stage of Lisa’s project / Image SoCo Studios

Diane and Ian Haggerty are the grateful stewards of over 27,000 hectares of farmland across Western Australia’s wheatbelt, with a love of farming that traces back to childhoods spent on family properties. After marrying and moving north to run a BP franchise in Derby, time spent in the Kimberley connecting with local Indigenous elders shaped their understanding of the land – knowledge they carried back to the wheatbelt in 1993, when they bought a modest 660-hectare property and started again from scratch, sheep, borrowed machinery and all.

In 2001, alongside co-founder Jane Slattery, Ian and Di developed Natural Intelligence Farming – a regenerative approach built on biological fertilisers, zero tillage and healthy ground cover, along with their own Merino stud bred for the land they farm. Over almost three decades and 33 different properties, they’ve proven their methods work across soil types, climates and rainfall patterns, turning marginal soils into thriving, fertile ground and building a farming philosophy rooted in working with nature rather than against it.