Feeding the future
Te Arai Organics is a small, family-run organic market garden, run by husband and wife, Sascha and Maddy. Te Arai Organics grow a wide range of seasonal produce, in organic soil at Te Arai. They supply their delicious salads, cult-favourite microgreens, juicy carrots, colourful beetroot and other seasonal produce to Kakariki Health & Wellbeing in Mangawhai, and some local restaurants. Sascha, the driving force behind the operation, talks about how it all started and their hopes for the future.
How did you get into market gardening?
I grew up on Great Barrier Island and lived off the land. I guess that just stuck in my DNA because I really didn’t see myself growing vegetables growing up. But over the years, I wanted to be outdoors, and my love for food taught me the value of good-quality produce. That, infused with a bit of overseas travel, is what inspired us to move away from Auckland and give organic market gardening a go up here.
What does ‘organically grown’ mean to you?
For me, it’s about building quality soil and creating a thriving ecosystem. That way we produce the best-quality, nutrient-dense food without using any chemicals.
What are some of the challenges of small-scale organic market
gardening?
The biggest challenge for us is being financially viable, whilst competing against the industrial food model. On the production side, the challenges are seasonal pests and weather events, but I don’t think any of those are true barriers to doing it. I think for the most part being a small-scale local producer gives you flexibility and resilience. We would love to see more people starting farms like ours and improving access to quality local food here in our region and nationwide.
What are the most rewarding things about your work?
Ultimately what is so rewarding is feeding my family, friends and local people. We are really fortunate to have built up a loyal customer base. It’s really enjoyable talking to people that are loving the product and who want to learn more about what goes into growing the food they’re eating.
The cyclical nature of the work is also really satisfying and being able to see something through from start to finish – all the way from sowing a seed, watching the plant grow, harvesting the produce, and receiving feedback from our customers.
What does the future hold for Te Arai Organics?
For the past few years Maddy and I have been balancing starting a new business and starting a family, so it’s been all hands on deck. This year we are hoping to have the time to start offering opportunities for people to come and learn more about growing organically, kicking off with garden tours and workshops. We really want to inspire people to get back in the garden and grow their own food. Te Arai Organic’s range of seasonal produce is available to buy at Kākāriki Health & Wellbeing, 52 Moir Street, Mangawhai.
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