Spirit of the land - Kaiwhenua Organics

PETER DRURY/ WAIKATO TIMES

NURTURING NATURE: Kaiwaka Riki works in his Kaiwhenua Organics garden, near Raglan, which has been given Ministry of Economic Development funding.

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From this special garden comes fresh organic food grown according to tikanga, a veritable taste sensation, full of nutrients. 

Kaiwaka Riki leans on a heap of sweet- smelling compost while he tells me about the relationship he holds with his land. Nestled on the slopes of Mt Karioi, Kaiwhenua Organics possesses a view for which property developers would hack off their limbs. Manu and Whale Bays spread out below, the Tasman glistens in a welcome sunny day and I find myself silent (for once), drawn in to Kaiwaka's story like a child listening to the adventures of a pirate.

His story is that of a present-day pirate made good; leaving his grandfather's land where he helped grow potatoes as a young boy for what he describes as "the other side" – a life which resulted in an 18-month prison term for growing cannabis.

When he returned to the land in need of rehabilitation, Kaiwaka began to dig the soil. His spade broke. Annoyed at the world he retreated to the house for a cuppa, then he trudged up into the steep and dense manuka bush to cut himself a new handle for his spade. He began to dig again and 12 years later, with the support of his wife, Lynette Lovini, they have a thriving market garden business.

Kaiwaka believes that his tupuna were testing his mental and physical strength back then and now he draws daily on traditional Maori wisdom to maintain the 150-acre (61ha) site, five (2ha) of which are used for growing kai.

They garden by moon phases, something that humans have done for centuries, compost all weeds, animal manure and organic waste. Leaving areas to lie fallow is also a well observed practice or "tikanga" here. Tikanga is "the right way", Kaiwaka explains.

"There is a place and time for every plant on this land," he adds, demonstrating his story with tall grasses that are browned and gone to seed. "Here is a mother and her babies – we must respect that this grass is doing what nature intended.

" Before we plough this paddock over we will say a karakia, asking for this space to continue our work, removing the tapu, thanking mother nature for her assistance and assuring the plants that they are welcome to return at another time."

Indeed, some visitors may see only patches of overgrown wilderness, desperately in need of Round Up and feel judgmental of the non-conformity of this garden. Yet every green leaf here vibrates with an energy so pure and uncompromised you can almost see the nutrients flowing through their cells. Lyn prepares bags of salad mix for the local supermarket and health food store. Thrusting me a handful of baby greens: "these are my favourite, great with a steak," she says. It's a blend of mizuna, mustard greens and baby rocket. They are peppery, fresh and exhilarating, crisp and loaded with juice. None of that limp and flaccid nonsense you get in gas-flushed bags from the supermarket.

The garden was one of the first to be awarded with Hua Parakore status – the Maori standard for growing organic, pure food, honouring tikanga Maori and identifying whakapapa pathways that, among others, lead to traceability and authenticity.

A small truck arrives with four children in the back holding huge buckets of compost and a barrel of vermacast (worm manure).

They are here to build, prepare and plant their own raised vege beds. Excited at the afternoon's work they discuss which are their favourite veges, and who is going to plant what.

Not a PlayStation in sight.

Plans are afoot for a community learning centre. A local building has been donated and some funds secured to erect it but they need finance or sponsorship for a concrete slab to sit it on.

Easy enough, most of us would think, but when the government cut Work and Income subsidies their work force was reduced to volunteers, those serving community service and prison department inmates.

They could not afford to pay the increase their Work and Income workers needed and many people lost out.

"It was such a shame," says Kaiwaka. "These people needed to do what they were doing here. They were learning about the land, regaining their mana and feeding their families with pure food. We want to create a learning facility here that not only teaches people about organics and tikanga, but also empowers whanau to live healthily from and on their land. Reducing living costs, living sustainably and focusing on self- reliance. We call it `Pu Taiao' – natural sciences".

As we wander around the garden I feel uplifted by the energy of this special place. When I begin to write my stories each week I base the article on the first verb that comes into my head when I arrive at that garden. When we came upon Kaiwhenua Organics, all I could hear was "integrity". There is an indescribable honesty about this land. Kaiwaka Riki and Lyn Lovini are dedicated guardians, kaitiaki with a sense of humility and gratefulness.

I have had the pleasure of visiting many gardens that have been rehabilitated by their guardians. This one is different. It provides pure and healthy kai, shelter and opportunity to reconnect spiritually with the land, its whanau and community, rehabilitating its people.

"Pakeha or Maori, we are all cousins, all connected like a fishing net below the soil. The gardens that we grow naturally today will be the wellbeing of our earth," Kaiwaka sums up for me. His father was a kaumatua here, I believe Kaiwaka is, too. His place is here, on this land.

Kaiwhenua Organics, Whaanga Road, Raglan. Tel: 07 825 0250

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