Community Food Forest – First meeting 7th June 2pm Paraparaumu Community hall.

Roll over Community Gardens – Here comes TTK Community Food Forest

Premise

After an inspiring night watching the very entertaining and informative Geoff Lawton’s Establishing a Food Forest Documentary and a enthusiastic  discussion afterwards, Andrew come up with a fantastic idea, instead of having a community garden, having a Community Food Forest. His reasoning was that because people on the coast have their own land for vegie gardens etc not many people have the available land for zone 4/5 permaculture ie. a food forest, a large biodiverse and resilient forests of food.

Community Food Forest – First meeting 7^th June 2pm Paraparaumu Community hall.

Introductions (in order of)

Andrew

Sam

Daniel

Bena

Anna

Richard

Anthony

Diana

Willie

Michelle

Pam

David Scott

Tina

Warwick

Brendan

Sam

Louise

Isabella

Mary

Roz

Sharon

Jane

Key Outcomes

The Brainstorming raised even more questions, which I will try to put in here. One of the best things I thought summed up a lot of good ideas. “You can’t do everything in your garden yourself.” Maybe that’s what a food forest is?

1. Structure and function of group, project co-ordination.

There is seen a need for champions and a core group of people who will run and organize this. At the moment, Andrew is spearheading the initial stages along with Sam and Pam. A group of volunteers has volunteered to meet in the immediate future.

Andrew

Sam

Anna

Richard

Sharon

Willie

Dan

Bena

Pam

Isabelle

Brendon

2. Legal considerations & ramifications

Richard is investigating with the public trust in regards to what kind of things we need to know about setting up an organization that can be targeted for funding through grants/donations and an organisation that could hold in perpetuity the lease on a land for permanence.

3. Scale and scope.

• Is it small, is it large, how big an effort in regards to the land size are we going to need?
• It is a large project given the makeup of interested in the group.

4. Key Themes around what Food Forest could be.

• Centrally Located within the community.
• Accessible.
• Of good size.
• A learning centre for Permaculture food forests. Attached to a sustainability/environment centre.
• Teaching tool.
• Living example. Springboard for other community food forests.
• Living Seed bank.
• A gathering place.

5. Knowledge – ideas around what knowledge we need. Key people/organizations need to liaise or involve. Where to get technical know how?

• Tree croppers association
• Soil association.
• Permaculture design teachers – Gary and Emily
• Kath Irvine Green gardener.
• Suggestion of tour of edible gardens that can be identified. David Scott to investigate.
• Local Older knowledge. Consulting elderly resident gardeners etc.

6. Funding

• How much money should be involved in the project. If it’s too expensive it’s not a really good example of what Transition Towns is aiming for, something that anyone can afford to do.
• How to raise funds?
• Can we get funding/donations of resources from government(local or national),      appropriate groups, trusts,  organisations or businesses?

7. Land

• Do we need to buy land or ask for a donation of Land?
• Public/Private
• Retention of land for long term.
• Focus on the future

8. Other points of interest

– Security of food forest, so it doesn’t get vandalized.

– Sourcing material resources – Seeds, seedlings, straw, first mulch,  greenhouse facilities to cultivate seeds and seedlings.

– Propagation of local tree sock

– Seed saving

– Local suppliers of heirloom plants/ trees and local varieties.

– Carbon crediting.

– Food forest Futures.

9. Next Session

To be confirmed.