Month: March 2026

Kia ora koutou,

We hope you’re all doing okay after the recent deluge and winds. Our māra fared surprisingly well, sheltered by the surrounding walls, and despite the sheer volume of rain, the soil drained beautifully. Check out the kūmara (above) looking vibrant and perked up after a good drink!

A nice reminder of what living soil can do when it’s functioning well. Like a sponge, holding and releasing water as needed. It’s also really cool knowing that the water draining through our soils heads toward the aquifer cleaner than when it landed, thanks to the microbes and organic matter acting as a living carbon filter. Ka rawe!

<read more>

Kia ora koutou,

Ngāhuru has arrived. We’ve just passed the autumn equinox, marking the shift from longer days to longer nights, and from warm into cool. There’s a subtle change in the air now.

Despite the seasonal slowing, things have been busy in the māra: clearing broken and unused materials, breaking down old pallets, and building our new compost storage bags (ngā mihi Sandy for the use of your van!). Check out the macrocarpa-sleeper compost setup when you’re next in… it’s pretty snazzy!

Hope to see you this coming Sunday 29th for our Garden Tour & Woodfired Pizza Party, 11am – 2pm.

<read more>

Kia ora koutou,

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend! Perhaps you’ve had some of the rain we’ve been holding out for, perhaps you didn’t get much (like us). Either way, it’s a good reminder to keep up with watering in your māra. Consistent moisture means happy microbes and happy plants, and that living soil life is what keeps everything ticking along.

This week we got our first round of cover crops sown in the long beds, planting tic beans to start rebuilding some life in the soil after a busy summer season. It always feels good to move on the tired summer crops and make space for new growth.

We also built a new compost storage bay. Our previous one served us well for six solid years, but it was time for an upgrade. The new bay is built from salvaged macrocarpa boards and will give us a place to store the extra compost we’re hoping to produce this year. Check out the photo above of Bex and Luke looking suitably proud of the new addition.

<read more>

Kia ora koutou,

Have you noticed the chill in the air? Depending on where you are across the motu you may be finding the signs of Ngāhuru/Autumn coming through strong – or perhaps, like us in Tāmaki Makaurau, the Summer heat is still beating down fiercely despite cooler nights.

Either way, it’s a great time to start noticing the signs that the seasons are turning. These can be small (a new blossom on your way to work) or more significant (frost in the mornings). Tune into these changes, and celebrate them as moments in their own right. Perhaps where you are there is a whole universe of mini-seasons happening all around you. 

<read more>

Kia ora koutou,

Hope you’re all staying cosy and laid back during this Ōhua moon — a low-energy descending phase encouraging us to stay close to friends and whānau and keep things simple.

There’s been exciting progress in the māra. Last week we celebrated our new compost tower, and now we’ve gained another structure — a beautiful shade sail floating over the circle.

Ngā mihi to the Thursday crew who tinkered away to get it hung. We now have a second shady space to relax together, which is especially welcome while our usual covered grape area has become a full-blown celebration for birds, bees, wasps and every creature enjoying this year’s abundant crop. The sail gives us somewhere peaceful to sit, talk and share kai without competing for space.

<read more>