Tastes in tension: form, function, and meaning in New Zealand’s farmed landscapes

Landscapes are representations of a range of possible ways of life and people may interpret them in a variety of often conflicting ways. One expression of such tension occurs with respect to landscape tastes is illustrated in the paradox of New Zealand’s organic farming landscapes. While organic practices are environmentally friendly, they do not have landscapes which are tidy and cultivated, and reflect New Zealand’s legacy of a hardworking settler mentality. The landscapes on organic farms are, therefore, interpreted by some as being indicative of laziness and neglect and by others as responsible and environmentally healthy. In order to reveal the motives and values which engender this range of landscape tastes, an ethnographic approach was taken. Through in-depth interviews, this study explores the links between conventional and organic farmers’ landscape tastes and associated values. This investigation is of particular relevance to landscape architecture, in the context of ongoing discussions of the “ecological aesthetic”, a discussion which addresses a perceived dichotomy between aesthetics and ecology. The ways in which people relate to the form of ecologically sound farming practices, thus sheds light on the way form, function and meaning are constructed. This type of study constitutes a foundation for culturally sustainable landscape design.