Kaipara Kai Hub Attracts Exciting Array Of Industry Leaders

Kaipara Kai Hub is to host an incredible line-up of guest speakers at their site during the Northland Field Days in Dargaville on March 4-6.

The Kai Kōrero pop-up event will showcase a range of industry leaders, who will share their aspirations to support kai production in Te Tai Tokerau. The topics will cover water storage, emerging crops, workforce development, regenerative agriculture, and market access.

In addition to the event at the field days, Kaipara Kai Hub is organising a visit to the Te Kopuru trial site on Thursday, March 4 from 10am-12noon. Plant & Food Research, with assistance from Kaipara Kai Hub, is evaluating peanuts as a potential commercial crop on Northland’s sandy soils. Production costs, yield and taste are being evaluated in two trials, on farms near Kaipara’s west coast. The project is being funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Pic Peanut Butter.

On Thursday afternoon, Dr Bruce Campbell and Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust will give an overview of water storage initiatives in Northland and the opportunities this brings for food production in Kaipara.

A panel discussion on Friday morning will bring together local farmer Allister McCahon, Declan Graham, from Plant & Food Research, Matt Punter, Manager of the Kaipara Kai Hub, and Isopo Samu, founder of Harvest Northland workforce cooperative. They will discuss diversification and emerging crops and how different groups must work together to develop emerging crops into thriving industries that make a real difference for the Kaipara.

For food producers, who are keen to sell to consumers, a workshop on Saturday morning will explore “Selling to supermarkets and sales opportunities for Northland food producers”. This will be delivered by Northland-based business advisors, Jesse Henderson and Kate Greenaway, from Get Better Problems.

On Friday and Saturday, Erin Crampton and Carli Davis, from Calm The Farm will be on site. Calm The Farm helps farmers transition to regenerative agriculture and is keen to understand the challenges and successes for Northland farmers moving to Regen. They will share their story, what they do, the benefits of regenerative farming, and their insights into the science and data behind it.

The Kaipara District Council will also have a presence at the site, providing information about their water demonstration site project, which is part of the Kaipara KickStart programme.

Lana Kennett, Programme Activator for Kaipara Kai Hub, hopes that “we offer an experience at the field days that inspires farmers, growers and others with a connection to kai production, about the opportunities in our district, while providing provide insight into what that might look like”.

Kaipara Kai Hub provides on-the-ground support that enables land to be used to its best potential. The Hub is delivered by Northland Inc, the regional economic development agency, and is part of Kaipara Kai, one of four KickStart projects led by Kaipara District Council and paid for by the Provincial Development Unit.

The Kaipara Kai Hub team will be present at the Northland Field Days at site I3B on Tokoroa Road from March 4-6. Please visit the Kaipara Kai Hub website to view the schedule for the Kai Kōrero pop-up event: www.kaiparakaihub.nz

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