Apart from our community garden behind Te Aranga Marae, we also support Gardens in Schools and Gardens in Homes. Gardens in Homes provide compost, seedlings, a hose and support to learn how to grow.
It is a skill, not only to teach the art of growing but to instill the passion of growing.
We recently contracted Nathan Foote to provide gardens in homes.
Nathan, originally from Patea, Taranaki, was brought up in Tologa Bay where his family shifted to when he was a child.
Nathan's interest in gardening started from his learning to carve.
He became interested in who was replacing native trees to replenish carving material. This led to his desire to learn about growing trees, planting and sustainability practices.
He became involved with gardening and growing food. His experience with community gardening spans over five years. He questions the use of herbicides and pesticides.
He eventually laid down his chisels and took up a position with koanga gardens as an apprentice gardener - it was two years of intensive training with Kay Baxter, who a few years ago relocated to Wairoa. Seed saving was a big part of his work learning at this time.
Nathan went to California to learn the principles of biointensive gardening - biodynamic French intensive market gardening.
This practice is based on getting the maximum output with a sustainable focus: How to get all of your nutritional requirements from the foods produced based on ensuring the soil has all necessary nutrients. Put simply, people and soil wellness.
Nathan moved back to Gisborne and tutored at Tairawhiti College, offering regional horticulture community-based classes. He tutored level 2-3 NZQA horticulture for three years. This college is now part of Eastern Institute of Technology.
Nathan says in Tairawhiti there was a strong student desire to feed the whanau.
When Nathan first started with us in Hawke's Bay he initially caught up with the existing gardens in homes recipients. He fed back to us how people were so appreciative of what they had received.
A summary of the existing recipients include:
-Extremely thankful and happy with the gardens;
-Life saver - have been eating from the gardens and giving veges to their whanau and neighbours;
-An 80 year old who loves her garden. Another recipient shares: "This has been a renewed source of life for my partner and has given her something to focus on" and
-"So grateful for the garden and the seedlings".
This week also coincides with a visit from David Posner President/CEO AweSum Organics and Fred Bohanna Director Kroger Co (a large organic supermarket chain) both from the US.
AweSum organics are involved with J Bostocks Fair Trade Organic Produce. We receive funding from the fair for life funding stream. We stand in the garden with David and Fred.
Nathan says when whanau become involved with gardening, it often creates a sense of abundance. It provides an opportunity to provide food for others.
We discuss that it is not just about growing food to eat. Gardening provides an opportunity to also grow people's social wellbeing.
As if on cue one of the recipients of gardens in homes arrives at the Marae on his mobility scooter.
He says that due to his arthritis he would have struggled setting up his garden and how much he loves his gardening.
He now supplies his neighbours with seedlings and vegetables from his garden - even hands through the fence gather vegetables, he laughs.
-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere.
