News & Community Stories
Read these inspiring local stories about going above and beyond to ensure a sustainable future in Taranaki.
Support Crop Swap Aotearoa with a Fundraiser Tea Towel!
Looking for a unique way to support sustainable food sharing? Get your hands on our beautiful tea towel!
Local Taranaki Markets in 2024
Find out where and when are all the local markets in Taranaki! Full list and map in the article.
10 Tips for starting your Vegetable Garden
You can easily grow your own veggies in Taranaki! Here are 10 tips from our expert!
This non-profit regenerative market garden in Ōtaki needs YOU
Crooked Vege Ōtaki is launching a market garden with a simple but radical kaupapa. Their mission is to improve access to locally grown, sustainable kai using regenerative growing techniques.
Bring It! - Kracken Good (for the planet) Coffee
When someone has a kraken as their logo, you look a little closer, wanting to know a little bit more!
On The House
On The House is a New Plymouth based food surplus rescue charity. Since early this year, they have a new base at the Community Hall next to the Holy Trinity Church in Henui Street in Strandon, and this is where they welcome community members that have difficulties accessing kai.
Supporting Change in Hospitality
Barbara Olsen-Henderson's flair for plant-based kai introduced Taranaki locals to veganism but it was the staff who inspired Barbara to start recycling…
KAItiaki Composting - A Social Enterprise
Community gardens are spaces for education, collaboration, building relationships, and healing. Not to mention, they offer a source of fresh produce and seasonally grown veggies that are locally harvested…
The Wāhine Behind Wild Pear Kitchen
While Chere believes in a small town you have to cater to everyone, what she won't budge on are her values that are the heart of her New Plymouth vegan café…
How to Convert a Grass Patch
There is a belief that gardens with their fragrant florals and delicious vegetables and fruits require great maintenance and can be a burden, but they do not have to be! Beginners can ease into converting their grass patch at their own pace by breaking it down into seven steps.
Hamāda's plant-based journey
Hamāda’s journey started 15 years ago when he first attempted to become vegetarian, but the turning point was in March of 2020 during lockdown when he slowly cut out milk and realised that he no longer felt lethargy and discomfort…
Growing your own kai - pilot results
Our community’s interest in learning more about home-grown food was already there, but the Covid-19 lockdown definitely boosted everyone’s motivation to get their hands dirty: we all saw seeds and gardening supplies being in high demand, and how everyone decided that one of the best ways to spend the weeks at home was to get their vege garden set up.
Food Resilience Talks - event recap
How can we come together to address food security?
This was the main question that guided our actions in organising and promoting our Food Resilience Talks event on Thursday, 3rd of December. Given the importance of this topic and its growing relevance in the post-Covid context across Taranaki and Aotearoa, Sustainable Taranaki is now involved in the facilitation process to co-create a food secure communities plan for our region.
Food Resilience - Let's Talk about it
What is food resilience and how can we address the challenges that it implies? The conversation around food resilience in Taranaki is getting more relevant every time, as more and more actors, those who wish to enact positive change, start to engage in ways to secure our access to healthy, nutritious and affordable kai.
Ground Breaking Mushrooms - Living up to its Name
Ground Breaking Mushrooms hit the New Plymouth food scene with a spring debut at the Taranaki Farmers Market just a couple of weeks ago.
Waitoriki & Inglewood Crop Swap 7 Years Strong
Waitoriki & Inglewood Crop Swap continues to put a smile on everyone’s faces, as a strong wave of community aroha is felt by regulars and visitors alike who attend to swap their backyard produce, seedlings and excess household products. One of the first Crops Swaps to be established in Zealand, it is still as popular as when it began.
Borrow A Cup! Escape Coffee Takes on Exciting Initiative to Minimise Waste
There are 178 other coffee retailers in New Zealand that have also implemented “Borrow A Cup” which are stainless steel, reusable cups that come in two sizes (eventually pint size for the keen festival goer…hint hint WOMAD), and cost $3.
Land Based Training - Opportunity to gain knowledge in Horticulture
During this period of uncertainty, people are starting to wonder where their food comes from, along with how to support their whānau. A very high percentage of the fresh fruit and vegetables available in the supermarkets come from overseas and can be at risk of undersupply. So how can we as a community remain resilient in these challenging and unpredictable times?
Love in the time of Climate Change
In April this year local inspiration and founder of Crop Swap Aotearoa, Franziska von Hünerbein, travelled to Scotland to participate in the Climate Change and Consciousness 2019 conference. We asked her if she would share some reflections on her experience so that the community can benefit from her journey. Here's what she said.