OFN Newsletter (Feb/March)
https://mailchi.mp/[xxxxxx]/our-food-network-newsletter-6742772
Our Food Network
Who are we in the food system? Where do you fit? Like a puzzle we all connect together.
Our Local food systems rely on cooperation and coordination between various groups such as farmers, growers, communities and policy makers, when our values and goals align, the system thrives. Just like solving a puzzle, it requires that every piece is placed in the right position. We may need to try several pieces before finding the correct one, and the puzzle can only be completed when all pieces are correctly aligned.
But sometimes, unexpected challenges—like a crop failure, a supply chain disruption, or a sudden change in our environment—can occur. A local food system must be adaptable to solve problems and adjust quickly to keep functioning, again just like a puzzle, if a piece doesn’t fit, you need to backtrack, reassess the pieces you’ve already placed, and sometimes try a new approach to solve the problem. Puzzles teach patience, flexibility, and the importance of revisiting strategies when things don’t fit right away.
Our Food Network, is piecing together the local food system puzzle and asking the questions of Where do we fit? Where do others fit? We are inviting our communities to help answer these questions, we need your voice!
Please join us for yet another thought provoking and inspiring Hui titled:
Growing Stronger Together: Planning A Resilient Food Future
We are excited to invite you to our upcoming hui on Food Resilience focused on navigating positive change by Our Food Network. This gathering will bring together community members, local organisations, local food producers, and experts to collaborate on innovative solutions to strengthen food systems in our area.
Date: 30/03/2025
Time: 1pm -3pm
Location: 45 Maori Rd (Southern Youth Development)
In this hui, we will explore ways to develop actionable plans and initiatives to build a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food system for our community based on ideas generated in 2024, piecing the puzzle together.
Key Highlights:
Expert insights on strategies for food resilience challenges and solutions.
Collaborative discussions on innovative ideas for strengthening local food systems.
Breakout sessions focused on practical actions we can take today.
Opportunities to network with community leaders, local producers, and policymakers.
Whether you are passionate about food sovereignty, local production, or simply ensuring that we have a sustainable food future, your voice and input are crucial. This is a chance to turn our collective ideas into concrete actions that can make a real difference.
Contact us at ourfoodnetwork@gmail.com for more information.
Community Fruit Harvest
Check out this update from the Community Fruit Harvest Team:
27 properties to date
995kgs picked
58 volunteers
It has certainly been an eventful season for fruit picking so far! We are currently around 400kg behind last year's harvest, primarily due to unpredictable weather patterns that have impacted fruit production. Many plum trees did not perform as expected, and unfortunately for some trees, the local birds enjoyed a good feast before we could collect the fruit. No need to worry though—this year, we've added numerous fantastic new properties with trees to our database, each brimming with bountiful fruit ready for picking (and eating!)!
The co-coordinators, Karena and Angus, have had their boots on and put in the mahi. Our harvests have spanned from East Taieri to the Peninsula and up to Warrington, and we've been thrilled to share our fruits with the community. We've donated to sharing sheds and pāta kāi, the Bowling Club, the Dunedin Parents Centre, local maraes, Yours Cafe, and many other places to spread the joy of fresh fruit.
Our wonderful team of volunteers have been instrumental in making this possible, including some enthusiastic young tamariki who always bring extra joy to the picking process with their curiosity and excitement for tasting the fruits.
As we look ahead, we are eagerly anticipating apple season, as these will truly be the highlight of our harvest! Our coordinators are also hard at work preparing for the Harvest Festival on April 27th at The Valley Project/North East Valley Normal School grounds. The festival promises to be a vibrant celebration, featuring a garden-themed car-boot market, information stalls, workshops, live music, kids' entertainment, and the second annual Jam-Off competition (for jams and preserves!). Stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates and details on how to get involved.
We look forward to sharing more of our fruitful journey with you!
Who are the Community Fruit Harvest team?
Karena Garrett
Karena has background in logistics and volunteer management. She found her love for food rescue while working at a food bank and rescue group in Michigan USA. She is passionate about helping others and getting food otherwise wasted to those who need it most.
Introducing: Angus Sinclair-Thompson
"My people are Highland Scots, Danes, and English, who have been tangata tiriti on this whenua since the 1860s, I grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, and I've been in Ōtepoti Dunedin for 8 years. I came here to pursue an intrigue in peoples' relationships to land, which at the time took the form of academic study. I source that interest in the dislocation I experienced growing up in a foreign country. I still experience that dislocation, which prompts me to give close attention to the rhythms of this place, and the stories that have gotten me here. I feel blessed to be amongst a community of people engaging with the stories of this place, and my hope comes from reciprocating in the gifts I've been given. The community fruit harvest has been nourishment to my hopes, of which a highlight has been sharing a cup of tea at the end of a pick with a wise old radical up in the North-East Valley"
Maybe you'd like to get involved? We're always looking for more volunteers to help pick, and fruit trees to pick from! The season has only just started
Get involved! Email us at harvest@ourfoodnetwork.org.nz
Check out this Ripe Guide resource developed by the team.
Did you vote for the Bug of the Year?
The New Zealand velvet worm or ngāokeoke has been crowned bug of the year for 2025!
The ancient gummy-looking worm, covered in velvety blue colouration and orange spots, is estimated to have been around in Aotearoa for 500 million years.
In that time, it's become a lethal predator of the forest floor with a hunting method that involves shooting sticky slime from its head that dissolves prey into soup.
“Invertebrates [‘bugs’] make the world tick, but they’re often left out of the spotlight,” Connal McLean said.
You can read more about the New Zealand Velvet Worm Here!
Food Growing Support Group
On Saturday 1st February 10am -12pm there was an Open Garden at the Musselburgh Heart & Soil Community Garden for anyone interested in sharing knowledge about growing local food, as part of the Dunedin-wide Food Growing Support Group, set up on the back of the Ōtepoti Food Futures Hui last year.
Check out the summary here:
The Food Growing Support Group gathering at Musselburgh ‘Heart & Soil’ community and school garden on 1st February was an intimate, friendly affair, helpful in building knowledge and community connections. Besides local volunteers Helen, Euija, Sue and Brian, Tim from Pine Hill, a parent with children from the school, Andrew from the Dunedin Multi Ethnic Council committee and Michelle Ritchie from Organics Unearthed attended. While Brian and Andrew worked on turning and layering the compost, Michelle suggested pre-soaking the wood chips in a wheelbarrow before using as brown material, so they take in the moisture quicker for the bacteria and fungi to work.
We talked about using tires as strawberry planters - one of the drawbacks observed is that the soil in them seems to dry out quickly, as all raised beds do in general. What is more concerning is the leaching of toxins through the slow degradation of the materials. We now plan to transition away to a bed with wooden edges. We discussed with Tim and Michelle the planned food forest expansion, that we need to build shelter from the wind as a first priority. A combination of Feijoa bushes and tagasaste as hedge seem like a good idea. Tagasaste grow fast in sandy soil and cut out the wind effectively, while the Feijoa bushes grow slower in between and eventually the tagasaste can be cut out. While watering, weeding and over a shared morning tea in the shade, we chatted about the different vegetables, herbs and flowers growing in the garden, our diverse backgrounds and came away with a feeling of community.
The regular schedule of working bees at the garden is as follows:
1st and 3rd Saturday of each month 10am – 12pm
2nd and 4th Sunday of each month 10am – 12pm
Keen to host the Food Growing Support Group at your community garden or want to know more?
Contact suenovell@icloud.com for more information.
Green Island Community Garden 10th Birthday!
It was an honour to attend the Green Island Community Garden 10th birthday party!
The sun was shining and the garden was flourishing, the party goers were in high spirits for a well-deserved celebration. With fresh fruit and veges on the table, chatter and laughter filled the space and what felt like a happy and connected garden!
Ka pai to mahi Green Island Community Garden, keep up the great work!
South Dunedin Street Festival
8th March 10am-3pm
Our Food Network are excited to share we have registered for the South Dunedin Street Festival and look forward to seeing the community at this annual event!
Come along to our interactive stall in the green zone where you will have the opportunity to grow your own lettuce! Check out our exciting and valuable resources about Edible Gardens, Pollination and more information about Our Food Network.
Remember The South Dunedin Street Festival is a zero waste event. If you are coming to join in for the fun of the festival remember to
grab a backpack and tick off these items for your Zero-Waste Checklist:
Water bottle
Reusable food container + cutlery
Reusable cup
Cloth shopping bag or tote
Zero waste is a commitment to a more sustainable future. Let’s create change together!
Garden to Market
Neil Robison and his team at Garden to Market have embarked on an exciting new adventure and welcome you to come along and explore the market garden. Sunday, March 9th, from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Register at: www.openfarms.co.nz
Check out the link about the garden tour here: https://www.openfarms.co.nz/event/garden-to-market/
Garden to Market is also hosting two events this Easter, in collaboration with Wild Dunedin:
Thursday, April 17th – Paddock to Plate with Balmac No.7: Enjoy an afternoon farm tour, followed by dinner at No. 7.
Saturday, April 20th – Introduction to Market Gardening: An on-site workshop perfect for home gardeners and anyone interested in market gardening.
Both events require tickets. More details from Wild Dunedin to come.
Wild Dunedin
11-22 April 2025
Wild Dunedin planning is in full swing, and we’re thrilled to announce that Our Food Network will be there! Join us on April 13th at Forsyth Barr for the community day. We’re also excited to be part of one of the immersive Wild Dining events happening during the festival!
For more details about Wild Dunedin, be sure to visit their webpage.
FEED
Food Equity & Education Dunedin.
Dunedin's Urban Farming and Food Security Project.
The purpose of FEED is to increase the food security and resilience for Dunedin and the wider community. Establishing community gardens and farming environments; providing educational opportunities on the production and use of fresh produce; and to encourage the development of a new generation of farmers.
FEED needs your help!
FEED is looking for anyone that has any excess soil that could be donated to help get this important food security initiative off the ground. Your support would be invaluable in ensuring this project thrives, and as we all know, soil is the foundation of any successful garden.
Contact: secretary@feed.org.nz
or
ourfoodnetwork@gmail.com
Upcoming working bees!
Buzz along to one of many local community garden working bees, help dig out some weeds, plant some vegetables, and watch nature grow!
Check out the calendar here!
If you would like to list an event, please get in touch!
Got a story or announcement to share? We'd love to hear from you!
Send us your updates, and we'll feature them on our social media, website, and in our newsletter.
Email us at: ourfoodnetwork@gmail.com
