13 kilometres north east of Palmerston North, Ashhurst has a population of almost three thousand.
It also has its very own currency.
"You can spend them at a lot of the market stalls here today. And a lot of people around town will take them for goods and services in general," says Phil Stevens, one of the people behind the project.
The currency, called 'the loaves', comes in a one, five, ten, or 20 dollar note, each with designs significant to the town.
It is run by a group calling itself the LEAP Society - short for Local Economy of Ashhurst and Pohangina.
"Its inception was about 18 months ago, and it was in response to an understanding that there were a huge amount of local businesses in this area, over 200 on the last census, and a lot of them were not getting the exposure that they needed in order to thrive," says Helen King, Chair of LEAP.
Loaves are worth the same as New Zealand dollars, and the LEAP Society has printed hundreds of them.
"What we are trying to do is get people to think more about the connections in the local economy, so it's more than just a by local scheme. It's meant to get people more aware of loops and circles in the way money actually flows in the economy," says Mr Stevens.
There's even a local market set up to promote the use of the loaves.
The LEAP Society is in talks with the council so in the future, you may even be able to pay your rates with the loaves.
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