New Zealand: Sustenance & sustainability

Community gardens and edible plantings are definitely de rigeur. Sarah Foy talked to two Taranaki groups – one new, one a year old – about getting their hands dirty for the sake of neighbourhood relations.

…An hour south, an Opunake community garden was kickstarted by members of the town’s Sustainability Group. The 20-strong group came together last year after word-of-mouth talk about a farmers’ market and other related projects.

“The interest was out there and no doubt it was fuelled with concern for the planet and peak oil issues,” says member Peter Clement, an Opunake High School teacher.

Their first project was an edible garden on land owned by the high school. Planting began last October and over summer, tons of seasonal veg including artichokes, tomatoes, lettuce, capsicums and beans were harvested. As in the Marfell garden, helpers share the tasty rewards.

Some is also used in high school cooking classes and extra produce has been taken to a local rest home. Lawn clippings and horse manure add to the garden’s organic goodness. The garden workers oversee the high school’s worm farm, which sits near the garden.

Taranaki Daily News