Last growing season, I was fortunate to be involved in a community food sovereignty start-up. This story is a summary of that journey.

Through Whāingaroa Environment Centre’s (WEC) Food Sovereignty initiative the idea was seeded to explore matching gardeners with landowners in Raglan township, given the limited space available for food production for those renting or with small sections. A group of interest coalesced around my neighbour’s property in Te Uku, 14km from the township, and consisted of gardeners from the township, rural properties and immediate neighbours. The rōpū comprised gardeners with a range of experiences, from keen novices wanting to learn to grow food with others to market gardeners and experienced homesteaders happy to share their knowledge, skills and experience. WEC provided a project coordinator to help the group get established. In early spring 2023, a group of eleven gardeners visited the property to identify a suitable site for the garden, which crops to grow, and key planning and actions required to get started. 

We agreed to focus on growing kūmara and butternut squash (typically referred to as butternut pumpkins). Yacon and magenta spreen were suggested for use as a windbreak against the prevailing south-westerly winds. Two hundred square metres of paddock were selected for the cropping beds based on soil, solar access (sun availability), relative proximity to the house (and therefore dog to reduce pūkeko damage), and proximity to available car parking for the gardeners. Key early actions identified were drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to clarify roles, responsibilities and agreements, prepping 150 square metres of the paddock in the identified location for growing kūmara, and solarising [1] another 50 square metres of the paddock for cropping the butternut, growing tīpu kūmara and butternut seedlings, and seeking out additional interested gardeners to join.

We drafted and refined an MoU to clarify the relationship, expectations, and agreements between the landowners and the gardeners’ collective, which were signed by all participants.

One of our key mentors grew tīpu for the group from her own seed kūmara using a tāpapa (traditional Māori tīpu [2] kūmara growing area), and another experienced grower grew the butternut seedlings from his own prized and locally adapted seeds.

Onsite meetings and working bees were held in September and October in preparation for planting in early November. 

We prepared the paddock for growing kūmara by scrapping off the vegetation and digging out as much of the dock as possible. We decided to try two different techniques for growing kūmara to compare and contrast and increase the shared learning opportunities. One involved using traditional (Māori) mounds, and the other involved digging long ridges. 

We used two bales of spoiled silage and a trailer load of non-certified organic horse manure to prepare the kūmara and butternut beds.

A series of working bees were held from early summer to autumn to collectively plant and grow the crops together. By this stage, the group size had increased to nearly 20 people, with several others, including WWOOFers, regularly attending working bees. 

Five different types of kūmara were grown and planted in our plot. They were Reka Mau Roa, Taputini, Owairaka Red, Hawai’ian Blue, and Paukena.

While the working bees were focused on doing the mahi required to grow food together, most of them were led by more experienced gardeners and had a lot of mentoring and educational components. The main activities at the working bees involved prepping the beds, planting them out, weeding, watering and harvesting. Of course, sharing kai was another common occurrence at or after our working bees.

Since we had a hot summer with reasonably regular rainfall, limited crop maintenance was required over the summer. Occasionally, the landowner and I checked on the crops and watered them if needed.

Butternuts were ready and harvested during a late February working bee. Many children were present for this event and so got to enjoy the pleasure of harvesting. 

The butternuts were stacked and then transported and laid out under a sunny dry deck at the landowners to ripen in the sun. 

Leading up to the kūmara harvest, we discussed how we could cure the kūmara. Kūmara needs curing to both bring out the sugars and to increase its durability. We wanted to cure the kūmara on site but didn’t have a secure, warm, insulated and dry space available, so we discussed the possibility of mimicking some of the features of a hot compost.

In early to mid-March, the kūmara was ready to be harvested. It took three working bees over a week long period for our rōpū to harvest all the kūmara.

To cure the kūmara we used one of the trenches created by growing kūmara on a long mound/ridge. We filled the trench with chicken manure and grass to produce heat (mimicking some of the features of a hot compost heap), leveled out the ridges and put palettes down over the trench, and stacked the crop on top of it. The kūmara harvest filled approximately 24 bread crates, stacked 4 crates high. The whole crop was wrapped with a tarp, and we used tie-downs over the top to ensure the wind didn’t blow off the cover. Two thermometers were inserted into the stack to monitor temperatures. The aim was for a steady temperature between 20-25 degrees Celsius for 3-5 days. Rat traps were placed along the perimeter and at each end of the trench to catch scavengers keen to take their share of the crop.

My neighbour and I checked the stack once or twice a day to monitor the temperature and check for signs of rats or mice getting to the crops.

Rats found and started nibbling on the kūmara the first night. Nibbled kūmara were removed from the stack and traps were checked, cleared and re-baited. Over the course of curing the kūmara, four rats and one mouse were caught. After the fourth day, there were no more signs of rat damage.

Once heated up, the temperature in the stack fluctuated between 16-24 degrees Celsius, with the mean temperature dropping over time. However, after the first 2-3 days the temperature range was typically between 17-21 degrees Celsius - lower than our optimal desired regular temperature. Therefore, given we were effectively managing the competition from rats and there were no signs of other types of damage or issues with the crop, we continued to cure the kūmara in the wrapped stack for one week in total.

Once the stack was deemed sufficiently cured, we unwrapped the structure and relocated the trays to the landowner’s garage for storage until the harvest was shared amongst the growers.

In late February, our group gathered again for a hākari [3] to celebrate and divide the harvest. Our total yield was 360kg of butternut pumpkins and 183kg of kūmara. All growers got a share in the harvest, and using the permaculture ethic of Fair Share, the whenua got a share as well. The share of the harvest given to the whenua was sold at the local Raglan Growers’ Market, and the revenue from that was used to purchase green/manure crop seeds to sow as a cover crop over winter to replenish the whenua. Additional shares went to people who provided horse manure. All up, the kūmara and butternuts were divided into eighteen equal shares.

To complete the shared growing season cycle, a wānanga [4] was organised and facilitated in April to focus on our shared learnings and reflections from collectively growing kai. Potluck food for this event showcased the two main ingredients of kūmara and butternut.

The goals and next steps identified at the wānanga included not only growing more local food but also sharing the knowledge for others to learn to grow together and create networks throughout our community. Given the group’s success, we were excited to share our collective growing experience and learning and, if possible, inspire other locals to form their own collective growing groups.

People indicated they really enjoyed many aspects of the process, including the social dynamics and collegial spirit, learning from others and sharing knowledge and skills.

Identified opportunities for development and improvement included setting shared goals from the start, clarifying individual and collective wants, needs and expectations, and collective planning and communication throughout the growing season.

The group as a whole indicated we want to grow crops together in 2024 at the same location so a Matariki planning session was organised. Over the winter season, for a range of reasons, about half of the growers indicated they would not be participating in the following season. Those growers who are still involved are continuing to plan and prepare to start cropping again this spring.