21. OakuraOrganics

Your Host: Sara Matheson

Address: 7a Telford Terrace, Oakura

Property Size: 1300 m2

Purchases Available: Herbs, vegetable seedlings and companion plants

Opening Hours:

• Sat 2 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

• Sun 3 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

• Sat 9 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:

• Property Tours: Informal tours on days open.

Property Description

Sara’s place is a great example of using a small, densely planted area of a property to high food production outcomes, while retaining space for the children to enjoy the backyard. She grows vegetables from organic seed, saved from last years garden wherever possible. Chickens and worm farms are used to recycle kitchen waste and provide nutrient rich compost to build healthy soil.

No food produced from their garden goes to waste, it is either frozen, preserved or shared within the community. bA 12 m2 polytunnel houses OakuraOrganics, supplying organically grown herbs, vegetable seedlings and companion plants to the community. In this Sara uses pots made of biodegradable wood fibres and only uses packaging which can be either re-used or recycled.

Check out the OakuraOrganics Facebook page.

22. Cair Vie

Your Hosts: Alan and Clair Ferguson

Address: 7091 South Road, RD 37, Warea

Property Size: 4000 m2

Purchases Available: Herbs, veges and seedlings

Opening Hours:

• Sun 3 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

• Wed 6 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

• Sun 10 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:

• Property Tours: Informal tours on days open.

Property Description

Alan and Clair took on an existing permaculture property and quickly added their flair. The garden contains numerous fruit trees, raised bed gardens, a hothouse, seed house, chicken tractors and bees.

Retrofitting the home they added additional water storage, solar power, a ventilation system, double glazing, and a wetback to central heating system. In doing so they turned a cold south coast home into a warm haven. They also built an ark design healing room with its own mini arc as a solar powered bathroom, with a bioseptic and grey water system.

Check out the Cair vie Facebook page.

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23. Parihaka Papakāinga

Your Hosts: Te Māra Hapori ki Parihaka

Address: 249 Mid-Parihaka Road, Parihaka

Property Size: 4000 m2 in food production

Opening Hours:

• Sat 2 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

• Sat 9 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm

Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:

• Working Bees: 2 & 9 Nov, 10:30 am – 3:30 pm

• Garden Tours - Te Māra Hapori ki Parihaka: 10 am on days open

• Food Forest Tour - Te Wao Kairau o Rata: 3 pm on days open

Property Description

Sustainability, Te Reo Māori language revitalisation, collectivity, tino rangatiratanga and peaceful resistance all meld into one at Te Māra Hapori ki Parihaka, the Parihaka community gardens. The garden and food forest support the 3 Marae and community as well as providing a peaceful place to work together, fulfilling the legacy of Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai of looking after one another and building positive relationships.

Regular working bees are held during the year, including Puanga, spring planting and autumn harvest.

E rua tau ruru; e rua tau wehe; e rua tau mutu; e rua tau kai. Two seasons of storms; two seasons of scarcity; two seasons of crop failure; two seasons of plenty – a proverb about perseverance.

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