A new community growing and composting space is beginning to flourish at Fergusson Domain in Onehunga, bringing fresh food, practical learning and opportunities for connection to the Onehunga community.
Known as Ngā Hua o Oranga, the garden and compost hub is the new home of the community garden previously located on Oranga Avenue and is managed by Tāmaki WRAP (Waste Reduction Action Project).
Connecting Communities
The new garden has had a fantastic turn out to their working bees where volunteers have been helping to get the garden going from the ground up spreading cardboard and mulch to lay the foundations. A wonderful collaborative effort has seen volunteers working with the Onehunga Men’s Shed members to build the new garden beds from reclaimed timber provided by the Onehunga Community Recycling Centre.
More than just a place to grow food
For Sarah Lightbody, a community activator with Tāmaki WRAP, the garden is about much more than planting and harvesting vegetables.
The vision is to help strengthen local food resilience while creating a welcoming place where people can meet, learn and share their knowledge. “It’s half about growing food and half about growing community” Sarah says.
Volunteer sessions form an important part of that approach, with opportunities for people to learn practical gardening and composting skills while contributing to the development of the site. The majority of plants are grown from seed and volunteers are a part of the journey from sowing seed to the eventual harvest.
Locals can also drop their food scraps at the garden and they’re transformed into nutrient rich compost onsite. This compost is used to grow the kai. This embeds the circular nature of growing healthy kai and composting food waste in the community.
Taking root in the community
The garden is being designed to be useful and accessible to the wider community, with some areas planned as “help yourself” spaces. The idea is simple: locals can visit, pick what they need and take fresh produce home for dinner.
Longer growing crops such as kumara and pumpkins will be harvested on dedicated harvest days where the community comes together to share in the excitement and experience of the harvest. There will also be dedicated harvest days as different crops become ready throughout the growing seasons.
Ultimately, Ngā Hua o Oranga is being developed as a place to grow more than food. It is intended to encourage people to spend time together, share knowledge, support local food resilience and build a stronger sense of belonging in Onehunga.