The Masterchef NZ winner takes us back to the land with a new season of Nadia’s Farm.

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It’s a warm summer’s day in Central Otago, and Nadia Lim is trying to drive a tractor. The old, red machine starts with a deep grunt, before quickly stalling and spluttering into silence. Lim looks around, puzzled. “The handbrake is on,” someone finally explains, and just moments after Nadia successfully putters the tractor into a paddock, it stalls again. It turns out Nadia doesn’t drive a tractor that often, although her husband Carlos reassures her it’s easy. “With the tractor sorted, the question still remains,” the show’s narrator chimes in, “what is going on?”

What’s going on is the return of Nadia’s Farm, the popular series that follows Masterchef NZ winner Nadia Lim and her husband Carlos Bagrie as they farm Royalburn Station, a 1,200-acre property on the Crown Range in Central Otago. It’s been four years since the couple took the farm over with the dream of becoming leaders in regenerative and ethical farming. Since then, seeds have been sown and garlic has been pulled, but there is one war that is yet to be won: Nadia Lim vs that red tractor.

Much like earlier episodes, the latest instalment of Nadia’s Farm is a gentle mix of Country Calendar and a Jamie Oliver-type lifestyle series. It’s December when we return to Royalburn, as Lim plants another crop of potatoes, shows off her sunflower field and teaches us how to bake focaccia. Bagrie waxes lyrical about combine harvesters and explains the importance of regenerative planting. They’re warm and personable, and the show is beautiful to watch, with the simple but stunning photography capturing the richness of the region they now call home.

As Lim picks plums off the tree in her garden and starts to make jam, it feels like we’re an old friend who’s just popped in to visit. But while the sun shines, not everything is going well on the farm. After three years, the market garden is still unprofitable (“it’s a bit of a loser,” Lim declares), while Bagrie tallies up the losses from a lease on neighbouring Motatapu Station. He works out they’re hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket, reminding us that farming success is dependent on challenges neither Lim nor Bagrie can control: the weather, fluctuating global lamb prices, birds eating Lim’s precious sunflower seeds.

It’s also a reminder of the spirit of generosity that runs through Nadia’s Farm. Bagrie and Lim don’t hide their struggles from their cameras, and their willingness to be upfront about their mistakes gives the series a relatable sense of honesty and vulnerability. They’re bringing us along for the (tractor) ride, regardless of whatever fortune they eventually dig up.

I don’t know much about farming, and I wonder what other farmers think of Lim and Bagrie’s efforts. Then again, does it matter what anyone else thinks? It’s not me planting those potatoes and somehow pulling up radishes a few months later, and I can only admire their dedication to experimenting with more sustainable and regenerative methods. I also love that they don’t take themselves too seriously. “It’s a family tradition that when we harvest yellow and white clover, that we stop halfway through and eat focaccia bread,” Lim explains to the camera, tongue firmly in her cheek.

What’s more important about Nadia’s Farm is that it gives viewers an insight into the realities of farming, and how much work goes into getting food to the table. In a world where we demand instant results, there’s something inspiring about watching a show built on patience and resilience, where the focus is on working with nature, rather than trying to control it. Nothing happens quickly on Nadia’s Farm, and it’s a quiet reminder that this is actually how the world is supposed to work.

As I watched Nadia’s Farm, I felt like I could breathe again: there’s light and space and heart here. The passing seasons are the anchor points in time, marking the end of one adventure and the beginning of another, and nothing is achieved without community and teamwork. Among those stubborn potatoes and bright yellow sunflowers, Lim and Bagrie’s optimism is the show’s biggest success story. Whatever happens on Nadia’s Farm, it’s clear they’ll never stop trying to make things better. The seasons may change, but hope always prevails.

Nadia’s Farm screens on Wednesdays on Three at 7pm and streams on ThreeNow.