A new community food forest at Maraeroa Mahinga Kai in Ōhinemutu is beginning to flourish just months after local whānau gathered to plant it.
Healthy Families Rotorua partnered with the local maara and social media influencer Byron Austin, also known as Byron Grows, in late November to establish the multi-layered food forest, bringing together fruit trees, berries and ground-cover kai designed to feed the community for generations.
The planting day saw a wide variety of fruit trees and edibles go into the ground, including pomegranate, bananas, guava, plum, apples, pears, raspberries and blackberries. Ground cover kai such as corn, peas and potatoes were also planted, supported by companion trees to help create a resilient and productive ecosystem.
The kaupapa uses a layered food forest approach, combining canopy trees, shrubs, fruiting varieties and supportive species to help create a resilient and sustainable source of kai for the community.
Maraeroa Mahinga Kai kaitiaki, Lani Kereopa, said the food forest had faced some early challenges, including interest from local wildlife.
“While the pūkeko ate the middle out of our two banana plants and pulled out a few smaller trees, most except the pine have survived the first couple of months,” she says.
“We’re doing our best to keep on top of weeds and the trees have so far seemed to enjoy the summer scattered with intermittent rainfall.
“We’ve had so many compliments from visitors to the garden about the new trees and plants and everyone is super hopeful that they will thrive here and produce lots of fruit and seeds.”
Healthy Families Rotorua systems innovator, Lois Swinton, said the initiative reflected the organisation’s commitment to community-led food resilience.
“Planting a food forest has been a wonderful way to restore knowledge, strengthen whānau connections to the whenua, and create long-term food security for Ōhinemutu residents and locals, in a way that feels natural and empowering,” she says.
“When communities design and grow their own kai, we’re building systems that support health, wellbeing and mana for generations to come.”
The Maraeroa Mahinga Kai food forest is expected to continue maturing over the coming years, with whānau and kaitiaki working together to maintain and nurture the space. As the trees establish and seasons change, the space is set to become an increasingly productive and well-used part of the māra.
