Seed of inspiration
Following the Covid lockdowns, when it became a bit of a struggle to find a good supply of fresh vegetables in the shops, a local community group, Wellsford & District Seed & Produce Swap, was created to help locals come together to form a growing co-operative.
The intention of the group was not only to unite people interested in sustainability and growing their own food, but to also empower one another to become more self-sufficient, diversify what they were currently growing in their gardens, and to share excess produce with neighbours and the community.
The group now meets regularly in Wellsford or at a member’s home, to swap home-saved flower and vegetable seeds, seedlings, plants, cuttings, home-made jams and chutneys, or whatever else they have a surplus of. It’s not only a great way to meet new people and gather help and advice from other members, swapping seeds is also a super economical way to try new things. Group admin and founder, Philippa Hunt says, “Being rural, it was costing us an absolute fortune to have to constantly re-buy seeds and seedlings to replace young plants devoured by snails as soon as they went into
the soil. We all help each other with whatever we have spare, so it’s become a much cheaper way to grow and to try your hand at a wider range of varieties to see what works in your garden. At our place, we have an abundance of fruit at harvest time, so I swap these, and preserves, for whatever seeds and cuttings other members have spare. Some things take in our soil, others don’t, it hasn't cost me anything to try, plus, I've met some lovely people along the way.”
Empowering a community to become more self-sufficient is now more important than ever, as multitudes of food producers in the Hawkes Bay area have years of silt-clearing and replanting to undertake following the devastation caused by cyclone Gabrielle. Due to the damage, a whole cross-section of New Zealand-grown products that are key ingredients for the food industry are expected to be in short supply for the foreseeable future, resulting in manufacturers having to source elsewhere, and thereby affecting costs and shelf prices.
“Seeds sourced from the many Hawkes Bay growers also won’t be available once this season’s stock has gone, so we can expect to see a shortage of fresh vegetables in supermarkets as regional growers fail to meet demand. It’s going to hit everyone in the country hard, so now’s the time to join together and help one another become more self-sufficient in order to feed our families,” says Philippa.
“Most people have a small section of garden they don’t use, so why not put it to good use by turning it over to grow vegetables? If you’re a newbie gardener who’s a little apprehensive about starting, group members are always happy to help with advice, or you can contact the Kōanga Institute, a non-profit organisation who run excellent on-line courses on all aspects of growing food and supporting your journey into regenerative living.”
Wellsford & District Seed & Produce Swap have over a hundred members throughout the district. Visit their Facebook group to see posts from members offering swaps or free plants and cuttings, in between the meet ups. New members are always welcome.
www.facebook.com/Wellsford&DistrictSeed&ProduceSwap
www.Koanga.org.nz