This plenary paper was presented as an introduction to the Canterbury region at the combined 2010 conference for the New Zealand Grassland Association, New Zealand Agronomy Society, Australian Agronomy Society and New Zeland Soil Science Society held at Lincoln University in 2010. Topics covered include: Geology, climate, soils, land use, climate change, water use, water quality, irrigation, production, yields, dry matter production, farming systems and livestock numbers.