Source: Te Pukenga
A new horticulture programme aims to offer practical gardening techniques to help feed whānau, save money and create a community of like-minded people.
“We want to give our families the ability to become more self-sufficient and to enjoy the delicious taste of organic home-grown success,” says Te Pūkenga NMIT Curriculum Area Manager for Primary, Food and Environment, Pam Wood.
Pam says there’s a perfect storm of increasing costs for fruit and vegetables, coupled with weather events which are impacting the movement of produce both regionally and internationally.
To help address the issue for local communities, Te Pūkenga NMIT is launching a Level 2 Sustainable Horticulture programme, which offers practical education on how to successfully grow and maintain a productive garden.
The programme is designed to give people a solution to rising food prices and offer them a way to eat healthier.
“You harvest your kai fresh when you need it; it hasn’t sat in a coolstore and you know what has gone on it while it was growing.”
Jenny North, Horticulture tutor at Te Pūkenga NMIT, says classes will examine how to plan and execute a successful garden by learning several practical skills such as building your own compost and pruning and shaping trees.
“It is a hands-on course, with a bit of theory that gives reason behind what we do. We learn useful techniques for pruning and shaping trees, feeding the soil, and encouraging biodiversity,” Jenny says.
“We will also focus a lot on organic practices, teaching how to make fertilizer and compost, as well as discussing sustainable solutions to managing pests and diseases.”
The New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills – Sustainable Horticulture is open for enrolments in Blenheim, Kaikoura and Richmond and runs over six months with evening, daytime and Saturday morning classes available.
Where/When: Blenheim: From 27 March 2023. 6-8.30pm Monday evenings and every first and third Sat 9am-1pm.
Richmond: From 26 April 2023. 6pm-8.30pm Wednesday evenings and every first and third Sat 9am-1pm.
Kaikoura: From 27 April 2023. 9.30-2.30 Thursdays only.
