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The success of an organic Nelson community garden is a model the Green Party hopes to replicate across the country.
Green Party co-leader James Shaw was in Nelson on Saturday, where he visited the Waimarama Community Garden to discuss his party’s policy for sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
A week ago, the Greens launched their Future of Farming plan, which promised $ 297 million to help farmers and producers transition to more environmentally friendly farming practices.
Along with that was $ 10 million for community food production projects, similar to Waimarama.
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Run by volunteers, the Waimarama Community Garden specializes in organic produce, seeds, and compost, and offers garden spaces and educational workshops for the public.
Shaw said Nelson was at the forefront of efforts to increase food resilience and support community food production.
Virginia Woolf / Stuff
Nelson Community Compost owner Ben Bushell, left, and Green Party co-leader James Shaw deliver compost during Shaw’s visit.
“This will be one of those examples that will be used across the country, for the types of community composting and examples of regenerative agriculture that we want to see more of.
“The idea is to expand this type of work here in Nelson and across the country so that local communities, households and businesses can participate in processing their own food waste, composting it into high-quality compost, and then converting it into sustainable food grown in the area. “
Shaw said that while the plan was a practical way to reduce food waste and provide sustainable, high-quality food for low-income families, there was also an educational component.
“It means that people who normally don’t have the opportunity to think about where food comes from, plug into that system and become more aware of the waste they produce in their homes and businesses.”
Virginia Woolf / Stuff
Aaron Stallard, Green Party candidate for Nelson, left, Kate Fulton, Nelson City Councilman, James Shaw, Green Party co-leader, and Community Compost’s Ben Bushell at Saturday morning’s event.
Shaw said that while an exact method of delivery of the money had not been established, if it was passed, the $ 10 million would go a long way.
“[Community gardens] run with the smell of an oily rag, that funding should give the entire industry a chance.
“If we can get the funding above the line … it will provide a real boost to initiatives like [Waimarama], who are doing such a good job and are a good example for the rest of the country ”.
Speaking about the party’s broader farm plan, Shaw said the $ 300 million investment would help remove financial barriers for farmers to transition to more environmentally sustainable practices.
Some of these changes would include tightening the limits on nitrogen fertilizers and prohibiting the importation of palm kernels as livestock feed.
“We know that farmers are really proud of the land and have a deep connection to the land,” Shaw said.
“Many farmers are trapped in a hamster wheel. They are heavily in debt, they want to move towards more sustainable models of agriculture and food production, but they are stagnant ”.
