Field visits 2017

Here’s information about field visits for our 2017 conference

Permakai 

This is a small holding at Waiuku, with these enterprises

  • Market garden.
  • Carbon crops
  • Beef cattle and hens
  • Fruit trees
  • Natives

Jennifer Kerr and Rory Fogarty have been on this property for 18 months and have made some applications of biodynamic preparations, which they intend to continue with preparations they make themselves. They also use compost teas and apply the calendar to farm activities.

They are looking forward to receiving visitors and showing what they have been doing, and hearing from others what they have learned.

Turanga Creek Vineyard and the Organic Seedling Company

Margaret Boswell (Margi) managed the vineyard until 2012 gaining organic and biodynamic certification, and then set up ‘The Organic Seedling Co’ there growing BioGro certified organic microgreens for restaurants along with vegetable seedlings.  Features of the vineyard include

  • Pinot Gris, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot and Malbec vines
  • Waterways and wetland areas planted with natives and riparian grasses.
  • A small, new on-site winey
  • A restaurant supplied by own orchard and gardens
  • Sheep and chickens
  • Biodynamic preparations, liquid manures and compost made on the property

Margi grows vegetable seedlings for the restaurant gardens and works for Turanga Creek in a consulting role along with other vineyards in Matakana, the Bay of Islands and the Far North. She also is a council member on the Biodynamic Association and the representative for Organic Wine Growers NZ for the Auckland region

For the Love of Bees – A City Bee Collaboration

This is an artwork that imagines Auckland as the safest city in the world for bees. It’s a project with a number of sites throughout the region and aims at creating an ecosystem that supports thriving beehive colonies by introducing hives and focusing on the quality and quantity of flowers throughout our city. It also involves people in an number of collaborative and learning opportunities. Our guide is the instigator, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy, and details of the visits to sites will be advised during the conference.

Rudolf Steiner House

Rudolf Steiner House is a short walk through Michaels Avenue Reserve from Michael Park School. Our guide to the gardens at there is Diane de Saint Quentin who will show us the gardens and tell us about food gardening in the area and the challenges of dealing with kikuyu  and pukekos.

 

Avondale Rangimatariki Orchard

This is a community biodynamic orchard run by Avondale Community Gardeners, a registered charitable trust. Our contact person there is Imi Tovia.

The Trust works in conjunction with other neighbourhood groups to promote organic sustainable gardening.  The overall aim is to get local people to work together through gardening, to encourage a strong and proactive community.  ACG is a lively group who offer gardening workshops and discussions and also advocate for local environmental and social issues.

Michael Park School Gardens

We will walk with the school grounds person (Lyndle McIlveen) to see

  • Food for people areas – including terraced plots where autumn/winter/spring crops are grown, and in summer rested or fallow.
  • Fruit tree and bee terraces
  • Treeland – an ongoing restoration of tree land and stream
  • Reflective gardens – ongoing project to create a memorial and peaceful space
  • Trees for survival – NZ wide programme with the council and landowners
  • Propagation – growing plants from seed and cuttings mainly for school use with excess sold for school fund. Emphasis on native small tree and beneficial shrubs beneficial plants.
  • General plantings – planting and caring for perennial gardens school wide

REGISTER HERE

2017 Conference