In 2017 I was asked to take a virtually bare piece of land and turn it into a community food forest. I quickly decided that for a community food forest to be successful you needed to have apart from food, other reasons for people to visit... ie seating, play areas, sheltered areas for people to picnic and open area for maybe an event or two.
We developed a really good team of trustees, that had knowledge that I didnt have... and we have developed an asset for the community
We started by transplanting 17 fully mature trees...using a huge tree spade...wonderful machine... not one tree was lost..
Since we started we have had over 4000 trees and plants donated, each week we have volunteer time and most importantly we have educational days, on how to grow food sustainably, without pesticides or herbicides, propagation, edible weeds, mushroom growing, grafting, kumara (sweet potatoe) growing, pruning, companion planting - just to name a few.
We have a fruit and vege stand where people can share their surplus...again another reason for people to visit.
Prior to the food forest, it was somwhere that people walked past, unvisited, mowed from time to time by council workers...
Now it is thriving... people come and harvest seasonal fruit, berries, herbs, veges and picnic and play...
"Growing Food - Growing Community - Growing for the Future”
If anyone is keen to visit...please drop us a
line...brent@kai.net.nz
Check out our website and Facebook pages...
http://kai.net.nz
https://www.facebook.com/KAIintoKAIAPOI/
https://www.facebook.com/KAIintoKAIAPOI/photos/4031041316959411
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