Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker was on hand to open CHB's Spring Fling celebrations. Photo / Ian Cooper
CHB's Spring Fling has begun with a vengeance - with Waipukurau's opening Market Day event on Saturday attracting such a crowd that one local was heard to say they hadn't seen that many people in town, ever.
The Spring Fling runs until November 5, and tickets to all the Spring Fling events are on sale now, with favourite events rubbing shoulders with new and enticing offerings.
One event that is new to the Spring Fling lineup offers a whole weekend of workshops, tours and keynote speakers in the field of sustainable growing and preserving, regenerative farming and biodiversity.
Foodscapes — Passing the Knowledge takes a comprehensive look at food, how we can produce it locally and sustainably while nurturing the land, ourselves and our communities.
Organisers want to encourage people to grow their own food, eat locally produced, seasonal and healthy fare, and begin the change that's needed to restore the environment back to health.
There will be nine workshops, four keynote speakers, and a tour around six local sustainable gardens and regenerative farms, all radiating from a festival base at the Otane Village Green where music will be playing and food vendors not only feeding the crowd but explaining where their food came from and how it is produced.
The public is invited to the festival base to eat, drink, enjoy the music and help paint a Foodscapes artwork that will be ongoing throughout the weekend.
The speakers, workshops and tours are ticket-only events.
One of the keynote speakers is Dr David Bergin, director of Environmental Restoration Ltd (ERL) where he is a scientist specialising in native restoration ecology.
David advises on establishment and management of ecosystems from coastal dunes and riparian areas to native forest and shrublands. He spent most of his 40-year career with the Crown Research Institute Scion where he was a senior scientist involved in applied research.
David works with environmental trusts, philanthropic organisations, councils and government departments undertaking trials and providing advice on establishment and management of natives.
This includes providing best-practice science-based establishment advice to restore degraded landscapes, integrate more natives into working lands, and providing landowners with options for sustainable cultural and contemporary uses.
David is a founding trustee of both Tane's Tree Trust and of the Coastal Restoration Trust of NZ, past trustee of the Project Crimson Trust, technical adviser to the Kauri 2000 Trust and is national adviser to Trees That Count.
While David admits his presentation could sound daunting, he says it can be covered in about 40 minutes — including reasons to establish natives, comparing costs, management including site preparation, planting methods, post-plant maintenance, weed and pest animal control.
He can also cover establishment of corridors, stepping stones, concept of seed islands and managing the increasing risk of fire with expected impacts of climate change — options for green firebreaks.
He is also happy to share Tane's Tree Trust resources — sources and access to free technical information.
Organisers hope to encourage a wide range of participants to David's presentation — from farmers to lifestyle block owners and gardeners — anyone who wants to take advantage of having one of the country's top "tree scientists" available to share his invaluable knowledge.
Other speakers on the Saturday include Angela Clifford, CEO Eat New Zealand, Francesco Van Eerd, creator of Fragrifert Perfumery, and Haana Wilcox, Kai Oranga teacher, of Mataweka Marae.
Saturday workshops, all based at the Otane Town Hall, include Preserving the Harvest, The World of Alpaca and Wool Spinning and Farming, Distilling: Perfume of indigenous forest, Medicinal, and Edible, Snip and Cut — Pruning, Health and Wellbeing with Herbs and Food.
Sunday is tour day: Tukituki River Lavender Gardens, Millstream Gardens, Riverstones Retreat, Mangarara Regenerative Farm, Mataweka Marae, Waipawa and Raydenes Alpaca and Wool Farm.
Book in for a day, or enjoy the whole weekend.
For more details of the workshops and tours go to Foodscapes' Facebook page: FoodScapesCHB. For full details on each workshop and garden and farm trail, visit thespringfling.nz
Bookings via eventfinda