In 2001, a joint initiative between the Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Iwi of South Taranaki and Te Puni Kokiri under the Local Level Solutions development program was the precursor to establishing Kii Tahi Ltd, a wholly owned Iwi company trading as Kii Tahi Nursery & Land Care.

The idea of getting involved in the nursery business occurred by accident as the Iwi wanted to somehow use small uneconomic land blocks around its marae, create work for its people with a view that the work would attract people back to the marae.

With the closure of the Patea Freezing Works in 1982, Wai-o-Turi marae, on the southern banks of the Patea River, under the Rangitaawhi Trust established a vegetable co-operative with 13 other marae from Te Takere in Ngati Ruanui to Tauranga Ika in Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi.

In about 1985, a carnation-growing greenhouse was moved onto Wai-o-Turi marae to begin hydroponics, however this proved to be unsuccessful. The greenhouse use was changed to grow musk melons in the summer and zucchini in the winter. However by 1987 the Rangitaawhi Trust and the vegetable co-operative closed. 

Between 2000 and 2001 the Iwi commissioned consultants to develop the business case on land utilisation around marae. Technical advice was sourced from Massey University to re-commission the Wai-o-Turi greenhouse and provide base greenhouse training by growing tomatoes and capsicum.

By 2002 additional buildings were added to Kii Tahi Nursery site at Wai-o-Turi and by 2003, began growing and selling small lots of native plants.

In 2004 Kii Tahi Nursery noted that the Taranaki Regional Council Plan had a strong emphasis on riparian planting of its 3,000 kilometres of waterways. At the same time Kii Tahi Nursery made contact with the biggest Maori Land holders in Taranaki, Paraninihi ki Waitotara Incorporation. Kii Tahi Nursery sold 14,000 plants to the Taranaki Regional Council and 2,000 to Paraninihi ki Waitotara Incorporation which were delivered in May 2005. Also in 2004 Kiitahi Nursery undertook planting out and plant aftercare for the Wanganui City Council

In 2005, 42,000 were sold to the Taranaki Regional Council and another 2,000 to the Paraninihi ki Waitotara Incorporation which were delivered in May 2006.

Also in 2005 the trading name was amended to Kii Tahi Nursery and Landcare in recognition of the additional services that Kii Tahi Nursery began offering where clients could buy our plants and Kii Tahi Nursery and Landcare would prepare the ground and plant the plants to the clients specification.

In 2006, 37,800 were sold to the Taranaki Regional Council and another 3,000 to the Paraninihi ki Waitotara Incorporation which were delivered in May 2007.  Also in 2006, Kii Tahi Nursery and Landcare supplied 2,000 plants to Horizons MW for planting at Wiritoa Lake, Whanganui