First planting at Pekerau Reserve. Photo/Te Awamutu Community Food Forest
First planting at Pekerau Reserve. Photo/Te Awamutu Community Food Forest
Over the next few months, you may notice some changes happening to your local parks as freshly planted fruit trees bloom and grow into The Te Awamutu Community Food Forest.
Planting has begun and soon areas such as Pekerau Reserve, Fawley Place Reserve, Sherwin Park and more will become beautiful communal fruit forests, spaces for the community to share and connect with one another.
"We're wanting to create an extension of people's backyards and connect the community through the thing that connects all of us - food," Megan Priscott from Red Kitchen says.
Megan is the chairperson of the team and has been the idea and driving force behind the project.
"I'm a real foodie, I love food and how it brings people together."
The food forest had already begun to bring the community together before any trees were planted, with other local businesses and community members jumping on board to bring the forest to life.
Brenda McIvor has been a real help getting the project in the ground, with Megan calling her "Team Queen". Brenda helps with the paper logistics and can be seen on the tools as well.
Between being a vet and author, Rachel Numan has donated her time to help find funding while also running a family and farm.
Other local businesses have also donated towards the Food Forest, with Mitre 10 Mega Te Awamutu donating a garden shed, while ZBHomes and Amber Nurseries have donated the first round of plants.
James Bannister from New Concept Landscaping is the planting and design boss, creating gardening plans for the sites and getting the plants in the ground on the day with a team of volunteers. James and his team broke ground at Pekerau Reserve on September 1 and at Fawley Place Reserve a week later.
James Bannister from New Concept Landscaping helping out with the planting at Pekerau Reserve. Photo/Te Awamutu Community Food Forest
Pekapekarau School students are going to be guardians of the orchard behind their school.
Visitors to the orchard will be able to see and hear the children learning about and caring for the environment, with speakers next to the trees providing messages from the kids and their silhouettes being used to create murals along the fences.
As the first three orchards begin to grow, more parks are planned to be included in the food forest connecting all the areas of the town and the community. The next stage will see signage going up, which will lead you from one orchard to the next.
Red Kitchen will be selling trees for $100 each. The trees will be planted in the forest with a plaque and the buyer's name on it. The cost goes towards purchasing the tree, signage, fertilizers, stakes and prunings. The date is to be confirmed, but it will be posted on the group's social media.
Follow progress on Facebook and Instagram, "Te Awamutu Community Food Forest" to meet the team, learn information on the trees and orchards as they grow, and find out how you can take part at participating local businesses.
