Ngāi Tahu partners with Lincoln University for Canterbury agricultural development

Press release from LU...

"Today Ngāi Tahu Property, Lincoln University and Te Tapuae o Rehua signed a memorandum of understanding, which marks the beginning of Whenua Kura, an initiative focussed on supporting more local Māori into agriculture.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere, Tā Mark Solomon congratulated Ngāi Tahu Property, Te Tapuae o Rehua and Lincoln University for formalising a commitment to get Māori to work on Ngāi Tahu developments.

“It has always been our wish to see our people up-skilled and employed by Ngāi Tahu. Ngāi Tahu Property, Te Tapuae o Rehua and Lincoln University are to be applauded for their vision and commitment to developing a rural Māori workforce.” A mana whenua (local Ngāi Tahu) working group worked with Ngāi Tahu Property to identify ways that they could give effect to cultural values in their rural developments. Creating pathways for Ngāi Tahu to enter the rural workforce and work on Ngāi Tahu farms was identified as one of the key ways to uphold cultural values.

Ngai Tahu Property Chief Executive, Tony Sewell, says this partnership is important to Ngāi Tahu Property’s success in the dairy industry, which will be measured not only by economic outcomes, but also cultural and environmental outcomes.

“This partnership is pivotal to our success, which will be measured on our ability to farm in a way that respects and gives effect to Ngāi Tahu values. Our aspiration for Whenua Kura is to create a workforce who have an intimate understanding of Ngāi Tahu values and have the ability to uphold those values on our proposed dairy farms.

“With the mana whenua group we decided the best way to create this workforce was to combine the teaching of Lincoln University, as New Zealand’s specialist land-based university, with the values of Ngāi Tahu.”

Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Dr Andrew West was pleased to have this opportunity to formalise the partnership with Ngāi Tahu.
“The values around stewardship of the land while undertaking primary production are key to the teaching at Lincoln University. Food production is going to be a major driver globally and the potential impact on our natural resources will only increase. Being able to apply stewardship values to efficient and effective agriculture is essential. These values are important for Ngāi Tahu and are fundamental to Lincoln University’s position as New Zealand’s specialist land-based university.”

This partnership is an expansion of the University’s relationship with Ngāi Tahu Property and represents growth for both the University and the agricultural sector in New Zealand. The role of Tapuae o Rehua is to work with Ngāi Tahu Property and Lincoln University to operationalise the initiative, Whenua Kura."

The Good Life: Cropping broad beans (and a gratuitous pic of Felicity Kendal...)

Harvesting some dwarf broad beans, planted Anzac Day or thereabouts. Not a good cropper, so avoiding in the future. But satisfying enough...

Plenty korero about self-sufficiency in times like these.There's probably a kilo of beans on my bench in the photo (just blanched and being bagged up for the freezer). That's from maybe four square metres of my mara, and like I say, planted about April 26th. Another smaller crop is about ready. But still, hard scrabble to feed a whanau of five. Should include the dog I 'spose, which would make it six.


I need about 2,300 calories a day. Maybe 8,000 calories per day, oh the dog...9,000 plus? Dunno, my head is starting to spin.


Sure, we're getting chickens soon, so eggs for brunch, and broilers every now and then. My point, and I do have one, is that the dream of self-sufficiency (remember 'The Good Life') requires a lot more space than most people currently have, a lot more work than many would realise, and wouldn't give much variety.


One day, you eat the dog.




[Realised the most hits on this blog go to a posting on Paul Henry which is titled 'Fear of a Black Planet'. Hence the gratuitous reference to Felicity Kendal, who played Mrs Good in aforementioned BBC comedy. Hey, one day I might wanna sell Google some advertising space to buy some butter for me beans!]

Tahuri Whenua AGM 2010

We celebrated the 7th AGM for the National Maori Vegetable Growers Collective, a.k.a. Tahuri Whenua, on September 18th at Parewahawaha marae, Bulls. The mother of all storms - as big as Oz they said - was passing overhead, so a formal powhiri was dispensed with and we ran through the whakatau inside the wharekai.

It was great to catch up with old friends, including Rosie from Ruatoria...
Rosie fed back from regional Ngati Porou efforts.


Nick and Hanui talking about the kumara varieties cared for by Del Wihongi. Tahuri Whenua has offered to help Del's daughter with kaitiaki duties.


Aleise Puketapu presenting her research on the 'Lifecycle and epidemiology of the Tomato/Potato psyllid'. This pest, originally from North America, has seriously impacted on several crops including Taewa. Aleise, incorporating research findings from experts from UC (California, not Canterbury) advises monitoring your crops, choose selective chemicals, and plant a border crop where you can hit them first, fast, and hard!


Who dat?!


...Aunty Chrissie!

We've produced an excellent poster celebrating the first seven years of T.W., with photo's of each hui about the motu, including the Peru trip of last year.

Potatoes galore

With the World Potato Congress just passed, held in my town of Christchurch, March 22-25, and autumn nights closing in, thoughts turn to warming, nutritious dishes like ... potatoes. Boiled, mashed, roasted, chipped, there's no denying the culinary versatility. We also know well the botanical diversity, although as this article in The Guardian tells, that diversity went through the bottleneck of European introduction with the resulting varieties still capable of impressing in their range of form, colour and taste.

The local Lincoln Fieldays was its usual riotous collection of farm machinery and farmers. New varieties of potato were on display such as the Purple heart above, and below in close up...

Tahuri Whenua hui-a-rohe: Ruatoki, 6th-8th March, 2009

Te whanau Tahuri Whenua enjoyed a fantastic three days at Tauarau marae, Ruatoki, from the 6th to the 8th of March. An excellent turn out, with over 80 people listening to presentations on Nick's trip to Peru, Eddie's Olive grove and Sid Clark on the manuka venture up Ngati Porou way.


Our first stop was just down the road from tauarau, Ngakahi Trust, where Nesi Bryce showed us the gardens that included a native plant nursery, kumara seedbeds, two types of store houses, and a puipui weaving operation.


Aroha checking out a pataka built by staff and workers at a hapu venture, Ruatoki Valley



Hanui (Hastings) and Fraser (Tikitiki) check out the kumara seed bed

We also took in a guided tour of Eddie Smith's olive grove, a dream he had nurtured for many years, aided by several seasons picking olives in Afghanistan, Iran, Greece, and France. His advice for Maori entrepreneurs? Be blind, deaf and dumb! Because if you thought too much about it, you'd never do it!! His daughter, Miriama Smith, is the gorgeous judge on tv's 'Got Talent' show...just thought I'd mention it.


Eddie's Olive label...Hinu (fat or oil; takawiriwiri, spiral)

We visited several other places, including Molly Turnbell's place where we enjoyed a few beers. Later that evening, more beers were had in a tin shed on which the rain pounded and lightning flashed! All this by candle light as there was an extensive powercut that night. Two ukeleles and a guitar, a dozen good voices and some old crooning songs! Oh and Johnny Walker popped in, downed by the cap in a style reminiscent of the islands. Auae, a good night was had by all!

Physico-chemical and morphological characteristics of New Zealand Taewa (Maori potato) starches

The most common search terms that are coming up in the blog-counter are to do with Maori potatoes. Here's a paper, rather technical but interesting none-the-less, on the physico-chemical, morphological, thermal, pasting, textural, and retrogradation properties of the starches of Karuparera, Tutaekuri, Huakaroro, Moemoe were studied and compared with starch properties of a modem potato cultivar (Nadine). There are also a lot of searches for kamo kamo (and from around the globe...homesick Maori?!). I chose not to grow an kamo kamo this season, they take up a heck of a lot of space and I've reduced the total size of my vege plot anyway (the boys need more space to run like the wild things they are).

Anyway, I offer these two pictures of succulent kamo kamo.

Xmas

Strange Xmas, I've yet to hear Snoopy's Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen. But I digress. Here's a pikitia of some Karuparera I harvested last season. This year I'm converting half our vege garden into lawn for Whitiaua and Bruno to tear up at their leisure. A shame but I am hoping the reduced garden will be more productive...somehow. Currently working on an idea of collaboration between halal consumers and tikanga suppliers...

He Aitua...Dell Wihongi

While she wouldn't've called herself a politician, Dell Wihongi was most certainly a Maori ecopolitical-activist! I posted a wee profile on her some years ago when Tahuri Whenua (through Richard Hunter) first began to discuss with Dell the possibilities of collaboration focusing on her kumara taonga.

Hui-a-Rohe 2008, Omaka Marae, Blenheim

Tahuri Whenua members outside Te Aroha o Te Waipounamu.

The latest Tahuri Whenua hui-a-rohe was at Omaka marae, Blenheim, from April 15th to 17th. Brilliantly organised by Richard Hunter, we were hosted by Ngati Apa in the beautiful whare nui, Te Aroha o Te Waipounamu. The first full day saw us visiting the research facilities at the Marlborough Research Centre where a number of speakers to presented their work, including Richard Williams (Potatopak, biodegradable packaging from potato waste), Elsie Hall (lavender oils and cosmetics), and Mondo Kopu (vineyard manager for Tohu wines). Also displayed was an olive oil made to raise funds for the RSA, and a lesson in local wines by Kerrie Stronge that showed the connection between taste and the whenua. Aerial view of Marlborough Research Centre.

The afternoon involved an extended visit to Danny Watson’s ‘island’. Danny (of television ‘Spot On’ fame) is of Waitaha descent and is bringing several hundred acres of land at Maori Bay, Pelorus Sound, back into production, with planting and cattle strategies implemented. The land is not actually surrounded by the waters of Marlborough Sounds but is only accessible by boat, so the hikoi was ‘book-ended’ by a leisurely cruise on the very comfortable cruising yacht ‘Foxy Lady’.

Foxy Lady parked in Danny's driveway.

The second day began with a trip to the local Farmers Market. Here we saw top-end products, including various nuts, cheeses, wines (of course), fruit and vegetables. Our kuia in particular enjoyed the convivial surroundings and continued their constructive exchange of information. The diversity of stalls was an excellent indication of regional productivity and resourcefulness.

Moana Puha, Ngati Porou, at the Farmers Market, Blenheim.

I shot through back to Otautahi/Christchurch but the rest of the roopu visited a strawberry farm on the outskirts of Blenheim which included PYO and niche product options. This was followed by a short visit to Clem Mellish’s carving studio in Havelock. The majority of the hui participants then relocated to Marahau, about 15k’s west of Motueka, staying at a backpacker facility owned by Wakatu Incorporation, a locally based Maori Incorporation representing local or regional land interests held by Atiawa, Ngati Tama, Ngati Rarua and Ngati Koata iwi. Wakatu Inc. and Ngatahi Orchards a JV between NRAIT (Ngati Rarua Atiawa Iwi Trust) and Wakatu were the hosts for the hui for this final leg of the hikoi (journey). A whakatau (welcome) was given by Ropata Taylor of Wakatu and Richard Brown (Ngatahi) to the hui participants to their operations and the opportunity was taken to present them with a copy of a thesis written by Nick Roskruge (Chairman of Tahuri Whenua) – called ‘Hokia ki te Whenua’ which included Wakatu incorporation as one of its case studies on Maori land utility.




Cape Gooseberry at Danny Watson's.

A full day was given to presenting the incorporation and orchard(s) to hui participants including field trips to several production systems; hops, pears, apples and kiwifruit. The afternoon was devoted to visiting a newly established vineyard under the Tohu Wines label. Participants were taken through the establishment mechanisms for creating vineyards from scrub lands by the manager Johnny, including the pitfalls and advantages aligned to such a task. The vineyard staff then took everyone through an exercise in wine tasting – how to identify characteristics of specific wines and the accepted process tasters generally follow in their sampling role.

The hui was brought to an end after the obligatory wine tasting and another night at Marahau before people journeyed home.


Carved kete on the bargeboard of te aroha o te Waipounamu.

Tahuri Whenua AGM, Parewahawaha, September 8th

This years AGM was held at Parewahawaha marae, Bulls, on September 8th on a beautiful clear spring day. With no elections this year (committee members are now elected to two year terms), the agenda was dominated by the chairman's report from Nick and a presentation on a the latest food technology experiment with our taewa. This saw three varieties of taewa (tutaekuri, moemoe and karuparera; a 'standard' variety, nadine, was also used) extruded, or puffed, much like rice bubbles. The general consensus was, surprise, surprise, that they needed salt! Conversely, sugar could be added to make a breakfast cereal. At this stage the venture is in a very early stage, really just experimenting with the all-important added value opportunities. In the picture below are the samples.





A wonderful kai which included titi (muttonbirds, a delicacy for some although not this vegetarian...) was enjoyed by the roopu, and we all caught up with growing ventures, hui and politics. Interestingly, NIWA's aquaculture roadshow was mentioned by one kuia who thought it extraordinary, for all the wrong reasons...









A wonderful quiet moment occurred when Uncles Jim and Pita dug out a sample of local harakeke for Piki Winitana.

Hue crop

Always a talking point, the hue or gourd plant gave a good showing this year although given the amount of space this sprawling South American import takes up, I may plant just one or two this season.

Tahuri Whenua's AGM will be held this Saturday at Parewahawaha marae, Bulls.

Tahuri Whenua hui at Hinetapora, Ruatoria

Well hosted by Tawhai McClutcie and whanaunga, many of whom are members of the East Coast Organic Producers Trust (ECOPT), Tahuri Whenua continued to fly the flag of Maori horticulture.

Richard Hunter discusses added-value in kumara with a range of products from the Japanese market, including kumara flour, noodles and liquer (20%...).

Field trips to two local growers gave insight into crops and methods on the East Coast. Below is Fraser Taiapa displaying his adaption for weeding kumara.

Hue, the Gourd Plant

Despite the poor spring season we've had here in Sockburn, the scrambling Lagenaria siceraria, or Hue I planted before Xmas have done surprisingly well. I last grew this plant three seasons ago, my sister-in-law providing the seeds and subsequently using dsome of the crop for her art. This plant seems to be another South American import.























Here's a very small fruit...

WAI 262 and ye olde kumara

Seems like the hoary chestnut of WAI 262 is hotting up. Claims for the kumara germplasm, some of which was rescued by Del Wihongi (mentioned in an ealrier blog) are reaching the outside world.

Whakatupua oranga o nga kai-a-Rongo

Change has belatedly come to the 'Matauranga Maori' theme at the National Centre for Advanced Bioprotection Technologies. Nick Roskruge is now supervising a small project on taewa, running three experimental sites to ascertain the agronomic qualities of three varieties, including their pathogens.

A second project has seen Te Ari Prendergast employed to continue the Indigenous Knowledge and agri-development project. Te Ari has the benefit of Dr. Shaun Ogilve's supervision and it is hoped they can resurrect the tarnished reputation of Lincoln and its so-called committment to Matauranga Maori. I've commented and presented on the farce that was Theme 4 at the NCABT, a research centre I was affiliated to (until being 'removed'...).

Harvest Day

March 23rd was harvest day for the taewa growing at Massey. With help from two minibus loads of Turakina juniors, the rain held off enough to get most of the crop in. Recorded for posterity by Maori t.v., the day was finished in the time honoured fashion, a hakari where yours truly gorged on the standard vegetarian fare: lucky I love spuds I guess.



Special mention must be made of our tractor driver, Simon Walsh. Sitting astride a squat green Ferrari, pulling a near antique spud digger, and only slightly bending the shaft, Simon guided the wee beast through the rows all day until we were rained off in the mid afternoon. Ka mihi au ki nga kuia, Ko Piki Winitana, me te whaea Hanui Lawrence. Tena korua!

Piki peeling pumpkins...


...Hanui and Nick dishing it up (yes that's the Ferrari driver hovering around the kai!).

Ka mihi ki Pu Hao Rangi

A collaboration between Tahuri Whenua and Pu Hao Rangi Trust will see agronomy studies undertaken on old cultivars of kumara ('Sweet Potato'). Some of these old varieties are Pre-European, others are very early introductions by Europeans.

Dell fetched these back from Japan, where their value as Plant Genetic Resources was recognised when DSIR scientist Dr Douglas Yen was looking for a means to preserve them. The Māori kumara would have been lost were it not for the efforts of a Yen, who collected 617 kumara varieties from all over the world during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1963, when the collection became too big for the DSIR to maintain, Dr Yen arranged for its safekeeping in three gene banks in Japan. Interest in the collection was revived in 1988 at an ethnobotanical conference organised by the DSIR. Members of Pu Hao Rangi, a Manukau-based Māori Resource Centre, journeyed to Japan and brought back 9 New Zealand kumara varieties, 4 of which were identified as pre-European varieties. These are now cultivated by several Māori groups.

On the one hand, the efforts of Dell and others is yet another example of what I call Maori eco-cultural resilience. Also an expression of Maori actively seeking re-engagement with contemporary agri-food networks.



* Check this pdf of a Waitangi Report piece for some backround.
* Graham Harris of the Open Polytech has collected some great stuff here

Te Ohu Whenua II, Massey University, September 8-9th, 2005

The following summaries are published in the second Tahuri Whenua newsletter

The second Te Ohu Whenua Conference was held recently at Massey University, following on from the inaugural conference in 2004. Balance Nutrients were again the Platinum sponsors, with HortResearch, the National Research Centre for Growth and Development, and Agricultural ITO, also contributing.

Highlights included a mini-workshop on sheep genetics by Hugh Blair. Hugh walked attendees through some of the modern concepts of breeding sheep (certainly a lot harder than even ol’ Cecil, the ram off Footrot Flats, made out!). Of course, the question was asked what effects these new and exciting techniques could have on issues close to Maori, such as wairua. Hugh neatly sidestepped the controversy by explaining he was a scientist, and the debate was a wider one of ethics in which the entire community should engage. Well, Hugh did ‘step out’ for, I think, the Manawatu rugby union back in the day, but we can be sure gene techniques – not all of these technologies involve ‘engineering’ - will not disappear, and they will certainly offer Maori farmers and growers greater options in the future.

Nick Roskruge spoke on ‘Nga Maara kai ki te Ao Hurihuri’, ‘Garden Foods of the Future’. Trends in fruit and vegetable consumption point to more emphasis on convenience and locally-sourced produce. Quality is increasingly important, particularly in such attributes as taste, smell and eating sensations. Discerning consumers are also willing to pay more for foods that are produced in a sustainable manner. The food industry admits that the consumer is ‘King’, although kings that are increasingly busy and ‘fussy’, demanding better taste, more health benefits, and convenience.

These demands will require growers to invest in training and education (for themselves and their workers), and in new technologies, especially in the areas of crop health, harvest and grading activities and crop prediction modelling. Maori continually hark back to the wisdom and courage of our tupuna. Let us acknowledge that they were quick to adopt innovations in growing and marketing produce from their lands.

Nick communicated two key objectives for Maori in horticulture. The first is the need to apply more than one discipline to our growing. Horticulture is a rapidly advancing industry, and the skills needed to be successful are various and demanding. The second objective is to ‘take ownership’ of our lands produce, ‘from paddock to plate’.

This theme was repeated by Peter Ensor, Executive Officer of the Approved Supplier Programme. The Programme originated as a pro-active move by New Zealand growers to address consumer concerns relating to food safety, the environment and quality assurance issues. Growers also sought an efficient, cost effective management and production system that removed the need for multiple auditors. They wanted ‘just the one auditor walking through the farm gate’.

Vegfed launched the Approved Supplier Programme in 1999, and were joined by the NZ Fruitgrowers Federation in 2000. A successful pilot in 2003 saw flower growers also seeking accreditation and adopting the Approved Supplier Programme as the standard for their industry. Details are available on: www.approvedsupplier.co.nz/

Last, but by no means least, Joe McLeod spoke of ‘Our Maori Cultural Culinary Cuisine’. Joe is a well-travelled chef who has ‘come on home’ to promote, develop and secure Maori cuisine for the the future. Joe contributes to a website:
www.genuinemaoricuisine.com/

Copies of the Conference Proceedings are available from: Centre for Professional Development and Conferences; Mail Code PN415; Massey University; Private Bag 11-222; Palmerston North, NZ.

Te Ohu Whenua

Another excellent Te Ohu Whenua conference at Massey. Many thanks to organisers, especially Nick Roskruge. Before I cut and paste a few summaries of what i thought were the key presentations, I'll post a pic of ears of Maori corn, the old varieties that came with Pakeha and have been cultivated for several generations among some whanau.

Emergent Maori Horticulture and Sustainable Development: A 'System of Provision' Analysis

Here's an abstract of a paper I'm presenting at the upcoming Maori and Indigenous Doctoral Conference, Onuku (27th-29th October).

The return of Maori land, the return of Maori to their land, and the return of Maori land to supplying a market economy, all occur in a context of innovations that are relevant to the sustainable development of this land. Sustainable development is fundamentally different from earlier forms of development in that mitigates environmental degradation and contributes to ecological resilience. This discourse is also cognisant of a sociological resilience that has expanded to incorporate aspects of cultural 'functioning'. Innovations will struggle against the forces of conservatism that interpret the continuation of traditional practices as integral to the 'proper' functioning of a culture.

But Maori have never excluded innovation from Post-contact strategic and tactical actions in promoting individual or group resilience. This practice has continued an accelerated with contemporary development from a realisation that sustainable development requires the successful adoption of innovative ideas, objects and activities. This can be described as contributing to Maori eco-cultural resilience, defined as Maori-specific development that links the management of ecosystems and social systems in ways that are specific to, and valued by, Maori. These systems incorporate actors that traverse networks that are global in extent. Sustainable Maori resource use is, therefore, reliant on the adoption of non-Maori innovations.

However, modern innovation involves the transfer of information and resources for political-economic ends that threaten the autonomy of participant eco-cultural institutions. Where these processes interpret 'culture' as merely an instrumental means to promote innovation, or as a component that enables product differentiation and added value, then that culture is threatened. This paper presents preliminary results of research that has examined the establishment of a new institution charged with protecting Maori cultural and ecological heritage while simultaneously engaging with non-Maori research, science and technology to supply niche markets leveraged of indigenous labeling. Within this 'System of Provision', Maori 'interrogate' innovations in an effort to embed a discourse of sustainability that is attuned to the needs of Maori eco-cultural resilience.