Waikōkopu Grove & Orchard

18/04/2026

E hoa mā - kua pau te hau a Tawhirimatea...

Just writing this account from a break from my Kuku whenua, and therefore from the last whare I occupied in Island Bay - a house that overlooked Taputeranga and Raukawa Moana.

Been a restful time just to take stock of what has been achieved on grove and farm over last four months.

1) Massive health kaupapa with 2 besties from varsity - to be lean and physically fit to keep up all efforts required to return health to Waikōkopu Grove and Orchard whenua - ooo and health goal achieved!; 2) Linking in January with former colleague from Te Papa who has an internationally supported project to help her whanau with whenua revegetation and strengthening their land holdings post cyclones in Ahuriri; 2) Massive drive since last year too to try and land a commercial olive press in Taitoko Levin - alas just till last Friday on back burner for moment... sad but real - calls made already to ensure I get fruit off and made into oil; 3) Been biochar burning since January with fine locals too, another group coming on Sunday of Anzac weekend; 4) Completed biochar campaign with Kowtow in February with potential research links be discussed shortly- ngā mihi ki a rātou mo oku kakahu hou anō - thanks again for all the new organic cotton clothes and best sustainability alliances forged. 5) All ups to my dear friends from Kaibosh - amazing people/amazing energy/amazing kaupapa/amazing enduring friendships and as helpers; 6) Attended incredible Hineahuone wānanga with the remarkable wāhine toa o Papawhakaritorito Trust held at Mangaroa Farms in March; 7) Since January have been cleaning out the accumulated dross from sheds, garage and house - removing/recycling/repurposing. 8) AND blackberry blitzing with a fine German woofer and Kaibosh helpers to assist, now to bring in the professionals for this non-organic area of farm and secure some funding support. 9) Completing the last of MPI instructed verification tasks required, whilst completing soil testing for maintaining and sustaining organic certification standard; 10) All the while since February making all my organic products from my seasonal harvest of plums, apples and figs this year; 11) Hosting fine SE Asian students and Massey/State University of Michigan staff at Te Hakiri/Te Hakari wetland and on my farm; 12) Readying last of info required for studio move to be retrofitted into 70 sq metre whare called Ngahere, on the whenua, where I get to live under the big sky on Tikorangi Terrace. That is a dream to achieve... move building by end of May... fingers crossed. 13) Lastly, am mind mapping and ascertaining the task list for both farm and my day job at Toirauwharangi College of Creative Arts too. Mahi Toi/Creative practice is is what fuels me as well as good organic foods from Kuku...

When the sun has shone in Kuku over the last four months, then it's been head down doing the physical mahi for the ongoing wellbeing of this small regenerative farm/grove... and because I just have to - to keep making the products to sell to cover costs for a fragile bird who now lives in a sanctuary facility in Whanganui a Tara...

Anyhow, within fortnight I should have all new products labelled and ready for sale. I will be at Hill Street Market in Thorndon on Saturday May 2 - a Rakaunui moon - a very good day.

Nau mai, haere mai. Come and see me on farm for a walk and a purchase from home office shop up behind former Kuku Dairy factory. Heoi anō, mauri ora kia koutou kātoa.

23/01/2026

ooooooo sorry to announce but due to inclement weather including rain and southerly winds tomorrow - the event planned at Pauatahanui on Battle Hill farm has been cancelled for 2026.

Hei aha, never mind better to be safe and well than not... It's been a tough week of climate change impactful weather this week for sure - my heart goes out to all those impacted adversely.

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22/01/2026

Nau mai, piki mai e hoa mā, it's the Mana Lions Eat, Drink and Be Crafty fair at Battle Hill Farm TOMORROW Saturday 24 January 2026 - weather permitting of course. Come and get freshly made Sweet Zucchini and Jalapeños Relish, Crabapple and Chilli Chutney (2025) and lovely hand crafted chopping boards made from timbers from Kuku Beach, Horowhenua. I also have delicious 2025 harvest of my Leccino Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive oil, which is fine in the bottle until June 2027. I won a silver for its quality and taste at the NZ Olives Association awards last year. All products contain 100% organically grown vegetable and fruit, which I process into a range of different chutneys or relishes. More recently on the grove it's been blackberry blitz with the ongoing kind assistance from Kaibosh volunteers. Their formidable assistance is helping me eliminate blackberry by weedeater force from the Waikōkopu Stream revegetation project which is all part of my wider ongoing Kuku Biochar Project an climate mitigation strategies for enhancing soils by returning biochar/carbon to beneath the olive grove. Have an area now cleared by large root raker machine that was completed late last year in readiness for planting a pā harakeke for the renewed sustainable fabric industry I am involved in. I am lucky to work with amazing colleagues at Toirauwhārangi College of Creative Arts. Watch this little farm space for more updates on all matters beneficial for humans, animals, whenua and climate, as we witness the deleterious actions of other humans (who are not human) within our perilous world...

03/12/2025

It's Kāpiti Food Fair this Saturday 6 December in Paraparaumu. https://kapitifoodfair.co.nz

Please come find me at stall 143 selling my 'towards organic certification' conversion produce of fine extra virgon olive oil and range of chutney products from seasonal harvests. I aim to be huaparakore certified too but just need to stagger the budget funds as I have a partner in full time care.

Just want to add that I am eternally grateful to my amazing kaiawhina/helpers who in 2025 have converged to help me on the grove/small farm in Kuku, Horowhenua.

Kore ngā kupu. There are no words to truly reflect my deepest thanks to them, to Kaibosh, the Earthworkers movement, staff and friends from Toirauwharangi College of Creative Arts, Te Whiri Whītau research cluster and other general kai marakai.

For those of us who know how to grow good food well in care of Papatūānuku and tangata, then please come and support all those small producers at this Fair.

Note also that my home shop is open this Sunday 7 December and again Saturday 13 December at my home in Kuku. Please DM me for details of address and pick up.

Give good food at this time of year. We do not need any more stuff/guff in our lives at this rampant time of consumerism. We just need to nurture each other and stay healthy. Nāku iti nei...

Kāpiti Food Fair, the ultimate foodie festival with something for everyone! Exciting, delectable, indulgent day out with GOOD friends, GOOD times, GOOD food & GOOD music that makes a lasting impression in the minds & bodies of all foodies.

02/11/2025

Big weekend with Kaibosh helpers again in the top orchard and grove, completed the certification for organic paperwork, made my property planning map, and generally worked hard in the top grove over the weekend. Sun, sun and sun to dry out what has been such a wet spring. Also managed to drop off the soil tests today in Levin. Such a relief, such hard work overall in last months but I refuse to give up on this whenua as a land back purchase in 2006 that has undergone a complete revitalising transformation...

09/06/2025

Mauri ora e hoa mā i Te Tahi o Pīpiri.
Brr its frosty mornings but brilliant sunny days while I work from home today - stay warm whanau.

News from the grove is that The Olive Press Team from Greytown, Wairarapa came early on Sunday 8 June 2025 (Richard's 80th birthday), worked hard till 3.00pm to produce the following for me:

Clean fruit (net) = 4,844kgs left from all those twigs and leaves removed
Oil output = 680.2kgs (745.4L).
My Oil yield = 14%

This is very good for me. Biggest harvest ever and so cool as it's been hard work since Richard went into care. I have had to trim finances considerably since October 2023 to make sure grove is looked after the best it can be without the backup funds I used to have. The brothers who live on my small farm and I - we work hard to maintain the grove, and their tendering the lower terrace mara kai.

Therefore, in these last 2-3 seasons to harvest 2025 I am truly grateful in being of Ngāti Tukorehe - a resilient, and determined iwi; a member of Te Waituhi ā Nuku: Drawing Ecologies artist group for all the biochar burns, for the Kuku Biochar Project exhibition and upcoming one in August 2025; for their assistance in the Waikōkopu Stream revegetation from 2023; for the help to try and eradicate blackberry that just keeps on re-colonising (!) by my very supportive Massey colleagues; for all research teams as harakeke agents; for Kaibosh team and volunteers; and for all those other creative environmentally-minded people who propel me for this small farm future that I am remain determined to achieve in my lifetime, according to the vision Richard and I started. So here's to me bottling like a fiend and getting this liquid gold out there.

Toitū Te Whenua, Toitū Te Uruora nei i Kuku.

11/02/2025

Kia ora koutou
Am selling products from the gate at
Waikōkopu Grove & Orchard.

Have available fresh Basil Pesto made on Monday 10 February using the Ligure Italian method and fresh ingredients. I also have Sweet Zucchini Relish with jalapeños. All basil, zucchini and jalapeños grown organically in our mara kai near our grove in Kuku.

Nau mai piki mai. Welcome.
Direct message me for details, address to arrange pick ups at gate. Cash really helps but can do bank transfer too.

Prices are: $25.00 for fresh basil and $15.00 for relish.

Note that I have plum sauces getting bottled and labelled from late next week. The figs are ripening and the peaches are too.
Local, fresh and organic produce. Kia pai te kai, nē?

26/11/2024

Finally starting to play with this for Waikōkopu Grove & Orchard in readiness for Kāpiti Food Fair this Saturday 30 November and for the Marton Festival on 7 December. Been prepping foodstuffs sourced from our mara kai and orchards. More labels to be picked up tomorrow but I have a trial range of products including Tamarillo Chutney; Peach and Ginger Chutney; Green Tomato Chutney; Chilli Sauce; Sweet Zucchini Relish (with Jalepeno); Sanguine Peach Chutney; Fig, Date and Ginger Chutney... I will be trialling Paleo Lemon Curd and Coconut Sugar Lemon Curd as I am not a fan of white, processed cane sugar. My aim for 2025 is to provide seasonal products only. When I have excess fruit they are frozen and turned into product at a later date, hence some of these products listed here are from the freezer supply, mainly peaches and tomatoes. Everything is grown here, so feel proud about that... except for ginger and dates.

Note also that I will run out of oil this month. While very happy to see the trees are covered in fruit flowers again for 2025 year harvest, but feel a little sad that I am about to run out of 2024 due to our big prune of trees in September/October 2023. I have orders from people already so your supplies have been put aside, but looks like I will be buying in local oil from other peeps to make the summer pestos! ooo and look out of plum sauce coming after I get back from holiday...

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