If recent years have taught us anything, it’s the value of living sustainably and self-sufficiently.
But learning how to do that can be a daunting task. Particularly when you feel you don’t have the resources available.
That’s why we prioritised supporting the Oranga Kai Ora Community Gardens and Compost Hub to lead a free workshop, to teach whānau important skills around growing, harvesting, and cooking their homegrown kai.
It’s a two-part workshop, with session one focussing on growing your own veggies and session two, harvesting and cooking your veggies.
The first session, held on Saturday 18 March, was aimed at helping beginners learn everything they need to know about growing a thriving veggie garden.
It was a practical, hands-on session where people learned about soil preparation, planting and caring for their plants.
At the end of the session, attendees were given some compost and a seedling to take home. They could either grow it for their own household, or plant it in the Kai Ora community garden on Oranga Ave.
The Kai Ora Garden is part of the Oranga Development. From the outset the garden has been a partnership between Kāinga Ora, Piritahi and the local community. We wanted to give something back to the neighbourhood and learned from locals that a community garden was high on their wish list!
It’s great to now be able to educate local whānau on developing their own gardens alongside the community one, as well as utilising the kai they’ve grown.
Session 2 will be about harvesting and cooking yummy homegrown kai. It’s happening soon, and you can attend even if you didn’t catch the first session.
Watch this space for more information.
To find out more, get in touch with Sarah Lightbody at 027 484 6167 or orangagardens@gmail.com.
This initiative was led by Tāmaki WRAP (Waste Reduction Action Project), Auckland Council, and Maungakiekie-Tamaki local board as part of their goal to to connect and support communities to reduce waste, and proudly supported by Kāinga Ora and the Oranga Development.
