Aho Aho Update

It's the most exciting time of year at Aho Aho māra kai, with fruit setting in the orchard, greenhouses full of seedlings, garden beds filling up, and an abundance of growth in every direction. Here's some cool stories from us as we head into the summer season:

We have just celebrated the end of our first full-year Regenerative Gardening course, facilitated by Papa Taiao Earthcare. Our students explored systems for growing, storing, cooking and sharing kai. They connected with community organizations and local businesses, tended the soil and plants at Aho Aho, helped to establish a community garden at Haruātai Park, and much more. It was a pleasure to work with such motivated and curious rangatahi, and the garden is looking fantastic for all their input. The course will run again in 2025 for students in years 11-13.

Jack has been busy preparing and planting the market garden for the summer season, and this week we were excited to harvest the first zucchinis! Our weekly veggie boxes will be restarting in mid-November in collaboration with Crooked Vege Ōtaki.  If you are interested in signing up for this pay-what-you-can offering, you can do this at https://www.crookedvege.co.nz/. Our veggies will also be available again soon from Te Pātaka honesty fridge in The Arcade (Mill road). Check out our Facebook page @Ahoaho Adventures for updates on our Te Pātaka harvests.

We are pleased to announce a new project in collaboration with Energise Ōtaki, the installation of a biodigester at Aho Aho. The biodigester cleanly converts food waste into cooking fuel. The project also includes the installation of an aquaponics system and a pump using reclaimed solar panels. Huge thanks to all who have contributed to this kaupapa so far - these alternative technologies are an exciting new direction for students to explore at Aho Aho. We expect the systems to be fully operational at the beginning of 2025, and are so excited to see where this project will lead.

Finally, our Te Puna Aroha students have been busy making new signs for the garden - and they are so beautiful! It's a joy to see art of all forms in the garden, and I hope they bring you joy next time you visit Aho Aho.

Mauri ora,

Rosa  ahoahomarakai@gmail.com