Fruit and Vege Co-op Kāpiti keeps up with growing demand

Christine Bull with a box of fruit and vegetables. Photo / David Haxton

It’s midday in the St Paul’s Anglican Church hall and a group of volunteers are hard at work.

They’re working in the nerve centre of the flourishing Fruit and Vege Co-op Kāpiti.

It’s a military operation every Thursday as a variety of fruit and vegetables are taken out of boxes and placed into bags.

When the Kāpiti News visited, the team were filling 251 bags, which was the most they’ve done since the branch started.

It’s demanding work but the volunteers are a happy bunch as they chat and ensure each bag gets the right amount of food.

The bags are then transported by vehicle to three other pickup areas – Ōtaki, Waikanae and Raumati Beach – where customers collect their pre-ordered $15 bags, place the contents into their own bag and take them home mid-afternoon.

Steve Cropp and Asta Hoverd, 4, bag potatoes. Photo / David Haxton

This weekly supply of fruit and vegetables has grown in popularity, especially now the cost of living is rising.

Christine Bull, who helps spearhead the operation, said a bag from the co-op was good value, with the contents costing more in the supermarket.

Thursday’s bags comprised good-quality potatoes, onions, broccoli, apples, mandarins, bananas and kiwifruit.

The branch also gives 30kg of spuds each week to the Kāpiti Community Foodbank and often distributes them to primary schools, kindergartens and the Kāpiti Women’s Centre.

The Kāpiti branch is part of the wider Fruit and Vege Co-op Wellington Region which is an initiative between Regional Public Health’s Te Whatu Ora Wellington, Wesley Community Action and community partners.

Helen and David Prankerd hard at work. Photo / David Haxton

“It was all about getting healthy fruit and vegetables into the community,” Bull said.

“It started originally after the earthquakes in Christchurch because the shops were munted and people couldn’t get to them.

“So fruit and vegetables were brought to the community.

“Then there was a pilot project in Cannons Creek, Porirua, which was so successful that it was rolled out to other areas.”

The Kāpiti branch started in 2017 at the Paraparaumu Baptist Church before moving to St Paul’s Anglican Church, in Kāpiti Rd.

When it started 60 bags were filled but the demand has grown so much that the number is 220 to 230 bags in recent weeks.

Kath Bull selects apples. Photo / David Haxton

The fruit and vegetables come from Market Gardens Wellington, a group of local growers that sell to the co-op at wholesale prices.

Any perception the fruit and vegetables were for people less well off couldn’t be further from the truth.

“It’s for absolutely everyone and a chance to help people make their dollars go a little bit further.”

There were a variety of reasons volunteers helped out.

“Someone told me it was a reason to get out of bed. For others, it’s a chance to serve the community.

“And customers love picking up a bag and seeing what’s inside. One person described it like Christmas every week.”

Bull said the best way for people to find out more was going to the branch’s Facebook page.