Flavours of Plenty Festival expanded
The Flavours of Plenty Festival has been extended from four days to 10 and will kick off next month. Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan said 40 activities had been confirmed already for the event, which included sausage-making, honey spinning, and a chocolate factory tour.
The festival would showcase and celebrate horticultural provenance and hospitality offerings across the Coastal Bay of Plenty, from Waih¯ı Beach to O¯ hope and Tauranga.
“We’ve been blown away with the level of support this new festival is receiving from local eateries and food and beverage suppliers,” he said.
“We’ve gone from 16 events at last year’s festival to 40 events this year, many of which will be replicated across several days throughout the festival.
“At least seven Coastal Bay of Plenty suppliers are also contributing locally harvested and produced ingredients and beverages which the 22 entrants in our Plates of Plenty Challenge will use to create special dishes during the festival. These will then vie for public votes and the attention of our expert judges.”
Festival director Rae Baker says the programme offers something for everyone.
“Our top eateries have been busy designing one-off experiences that we know will absolutely delight seasoned foodies. There’s also a degustation lunch down Mount Mainstreet, a progressive dinner through Downtown Tauranga, a helicopter and burger safari happening at Waih¯ı Beach, and the ever-popular Local Wild Food Festival in O¯ hope.”
The festival runs from March 24 to April 2, and ticket and programme details are now available at: flavoursofplentyfestival.com.
Farmers’ phone app gets an upgrade
Federated Farmers has updated its phone app and website to include podcasts and radio shows from around the country and the world.
Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said FEDSVOICE would also enable farmers and growers to record their own thoughts on hot topics of the day.
“We can use the best of that audio to share to a wider audience. It’s a sort of agriculture-focused talkback, you could say.”
While Federated Farmers has other communications platforms, including its own monthly newspaper, a weekly e-newsletter and targeted emails, busy farmers and growers were much more often out and about than in front of their computers.
“On the FEDSVOICE app, farmers, family members and staff can line up playlists of reliable and interesting information to listen to while they’re ploughing fields, milking cows or cooking dinner.
“And if they want to react, instead of needing to type, they can just tap and talk to contribute their thoughts and knowledge,” he said.
FEDSVOICE was launched last year, but substantial improvements to the app had just been finalised.
“The aim is to continue building on the range of content, including experts in their field offering their insights and farmers themselves connecting with their peers, sharing information, best practices and supporting one another.
For a guide on updating or downloading the app, and a manual on its advanced features, visit: www. fedsnews.co.nz.
Ma¯ ori Associate Directorship programme
A new Ma¯ ori Associate Directorship
programme has been launched by Te Pu¯ tea Whakatupu Trust to provide a pathway to accelerate Ma¯ ori professionals into governance leadership roles.
He Tukutuku Koiora is a 21⁄2-year Ma¯ ori-specific governance training programme encompassing both online and in-person learning modules, manaaki support and mentoring, and a capstone 18-month associate directorship placement.
Te Pu¯ oho Ka¯ tene, kaihautu¯ of Te Pu¯ tea Whakatupu Trust, said board table challenges are becoming more and more complex.
“Whether commercially focused or targeting social and environmental issues, the need for strong valuesbased decisions has seen tikanga and ma¯ tauranga Ma¯ ori enter boardrooms that historically have not held space for them,” he said.
“We want to equip our next generation of leaders to be both courageous and resilient in these spaces, and for them to pave the way forward with a values-centred approach that’s embedded in tikanga Ma¯ ori.”
Through an encouraging learning environment and dedicated manaaki support, the programme aims to grow the next generation of tikangaled, future-focused Ma¯ ori governors. “He Tuktutuku Koiora will ensure our next wave of Ma¯ ori governance practitioners have the opportunity, guidance, and support to be effective leaders of tomorrow.” Applications close February 28 at 5pm. Apply online at: www. maorigovernance. co.nz/htk.
Fog cannon applications open
Applications are now open for the $4000 fog cannon subsidy for small retail businesses that want one installed. The subsidy was open to all eligible small retailers and dairies in New Zealand who want a fog cannon installed, with the subsidy paid to the provider and retailers to pay the balance.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment business specialist Glen Mccloy said it knew through the expression of interest process that there was demand for this subsidy, with close to 300 retailers interested in receiving it.
“There is no requirement to have been the victim of a ram-raid or aggravated burglary for the fog cannon subsidy, but retailers would need to meet certain criteria to be eligible.
Eligible retailers would need to visit the business.govt.nz website and fill in the application form.