Small-scale growers flourish
About 100 food enthusiasts gathered for a day-long lunch event to recognise the steady influence that small-scale growers are having on local tastebuds.
Small-scale backyard food producers in Taranaki are crucial for building a resilient and thriving local economy, a Massey University research project has found.
Project co-leaders Professor Sita Venkateswar and Dr Nitha Palakshappa said the local growers they met aspired more to feed local communities than export their produce.
The pair joined a gathering at Oakura Town Hall on Saturday to celebrate small-scale growers in the region and the results of the research.
The Massey University and Venture Taranaki co-sponsored event – Farming to Flourish Long Lunch – was the result of 18 months of research looking at local food production.
The project was funded by a $100,000 Pivot agricultural innovation research award from Massey University and Bashford Nicholls Trust, managed by the Bishops Action Foundation.
As part of the day’s schedule, five Taranaki chefs prepared meals using locally grown produce.
The meals were followed by several guest speakers.
Farming to Flourish began as a partnership between a network of backyard organic vegetable growers, Farm Next Door, run by Carl Freeman, of New Plymouth, and the university.
The emphasis was on soil health and crop diversity, and creating a supply chain that is sustainable both environmentally and economically.
‘‘It was great to have local chefs preparing dishes using local produce and seeing people enjoy the food,’’ Freeman said.
The project found it was time to confer equal importance to local consumers when it came to production to ensure they had as much access to affordable and nutritious food as consumers in export markets.
‘‘Our research demonstrated the ways mana kai, which nourishes people and environments, enables thriving local communities,’’ Venkateswar said. ‘‘Our vision going forward is to look at what is required in terms of a shift in policy, investment, infrastructure and logistics to put in place ever-expanding circles of local economies across Aotearoa New Zealand,’’ she said.
‘‘Food production is an essential ingredient in Taranaki’s economy and is one of our sectorial strengths,’’ Venture Taranaki chief executive Justine Gilliland said.
The Farming to Flourish project contributed to the richness and depth of food production in Taranaki, she added.