Kai Rotorua joined by many in the community for annual kūmara planting

Rotokawa School's Jethro Hughes, 10, and Diamond Hapeta, 11, ready to get planting. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rainy weather did not stop schools, businesses and community members from coming together to connect with Papatūānuku.

Kai Rotorua had its annual kūmara planting day at Te Puea Orchard on Wednesday.

Joining in were students from Rotorua Boys' High School, John Paul College, Western Heights High School, Rotokawa School and Te Kura o Pukeroa Oruawhata - Rotorua Primary School.

Businesses including Fonterra BOP and BOP Spark Business Hub also took part. Hamilton City Council and an ope of Waikato-Tainui, Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust, attended too. About 110 people were there altogether.

Kai Rotorua committee member Sabine Willemsen says Kai Rotorua and the planting day are about bringing people back to Papatūānuku and giving hands-on education around planting and growing kūmara.

Kai Rotorua project leader Te Rangikaheke Kiripatea says the interest in growing kūmara is growing, and the turnout was testament to that.

A demonstration of kūmara planting was given before everyone got stuck in. Twenty-two rows, each 50m long, had kūmara planted in them - 3300 kūmara tipu.

"We did it in an hour. It's always an absolute pleasure to have people come to the kūmara planting day.

"It's especially great that we are getting a lot of schools involved. Businesses are also starting to find out what Kai Rotorua is actually doing."

He says the kids thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Te Rangikaheke says last year's kūmara had ranged from 600g to 4.4kg.

As well as reconnecting people to Papatūānuku through education, Te Rangikaheke thinks raising awareness of Maramataka - the Māori lunar calendar - is also important.

He says this day was chosen for the planting because according to the moon cycle of Maramataka the kūmara would be large and it would be a fantastic day to engage with large groups of people.

The relationships formed during the day were testament to that, he says.

He says we are in post-Covid times, and while there have been many challenges, people are starting to think about where their food comes from.

Rotokawa School's Diamond Hapeta, 11, has said she was looking forward to planting the kūmara and helping out.

She said it was great to able to do the planting with kids from other schools in the Rotorua area.

• For more information about Kai Rotorua, go to the Kai Rotorua Facebook page or email kairotorua@gmail.com.