Whenua Warrior

27/05/2025

Kai oranga - the first course I did at Papatuanuku kokiri marae, and the way it shaped my life is unreal. Connecting to Kai, Hua parakore, tikanga, reo...or waiata - counts even if your flat. 🤣 We've encouraged our staff and board members to join so that understanding of what Whenua Warrior does gets clearer - and its the same for people we know who are on that journey. One thing I've always imagined is if we were to have a Minister of Environment that valued Hua Parakore and based decision making on that frame work instead of using poor decisions through a poor system for our country. Anywho 🤣 have a look and see if there's one near you and go in a curious mindset - I turned up to Māori Tai Chi on my first day 😅 in there! Kia pai tō koūtou pō, Kelly

13/05/2025

Learning storage techniques with Aunty Paula in Whirinaki

- newspaper, cardboard boxes and bread trays (thanks Quality Bakers)
- Komiri to have seed for next year, kai for long term storage and kai for eating soon
- dry, even temperature for winter, spring and summer

Thank you for having us Paula Hohua ! Whirinaki Community Garden Group - Ahuwhenua Summer Garden Dec -March 2017 Kare Mohio

08/03/2025

With much love Papa ❤️ we've learnt so much from you this season - can't wait to bring the kūmara up with you too!

12/12/2024

POV: You made friends in 2017 and now we run food sovereignty kaupapa, rangatahi kaupapa and are based from Manurewa marae which has had its governance restructured and a selection of wahine toa have been hired

Another of my favorite observations with this kaupapa is that we had so many tama with us - using their strength to move the soil and dig the drainage

I spoke about how long ago we had talked about doing kai in this marae...and we were given a space right next to the mama pepi building 😍🎊✨️

The privilege of this work is ours...we were so honored and humbled to activate this space on behalf of those who believe this to be the right way forward..tenei te mihi aroha Kia koutou katoa, kia kaha, kia maia, kia tere! Hahahahaha

Loves, Kel x

09/12/2024

Introducing The Kumara Collective - our kaupapa is to support a thriving kūmara story in 1,000 years. We are growing kumara in our back yards to learn and practice the ancestral food systems our tupuna used

Bringing our kids into the mix, we want to show them what a healthy in-home kai system looks like

Lead by wāhine for all to learn value and practice passions

Thank you for having us in your whare Chloe, Irie, Benji and Prestley - hope your maara kai journey goes off with a bang!

09/12/2024

We were privileged today to meet Matua Damien Hohaia (ki Horeke) who has been growing kūmara in JAPAN for the past 15 years. We chatted about varieties, sesonl traits and soil types...plus a few techniques he's perfected to suit the drop in temperatures and the snow

As you can imagine - it was exciting to hear stories and here are a couple highlights he taught us:

- dried and processed horse poo is a big difference between having a highly successful crop and a not so successful one
- Japanese irrigation system takes the water from the maunga along a concreted divet directly to the maara. It is the controlled throughout the year on each farm with a lever for more or less water in the fields
- there are ALOT of varieties available in Japan to grow
- he has a story that in the 50's Japanese farmers cme to Aotearoa to collect a taonga species which they grow now

He shares his kūmara with women's refuge, children's hospital and is just finishing his harvest!

We intend to catch up with Matua Damien again on zoom and then again when he comes home. We want to learn all about the kumara and how it grows and how it is eaten internationally too..watch this space!

06/12/2024

UPDATE: Mel's tāpapa in Orua Bay!

We were at Mel's a few months back and placed a tapap, did some tidying up and then she had planted with the kids when they came back from school...look at the progress her tipu have made!! More than enough to plant and to share id say! Ka mau te wehi e te tuahine!

05/12/2024

I love seeing Papa Rereata smile this big...and so he should after the mahi he, Papa Mohi and Papa Matiu put into the maara before we arrived to help with hauhake

The soil he works with is hard, dry and high clay content
He planted Nau Mai red into 27 rows
This year (2021) he pulled 5t of kūmara from the ground and a casual few kilos of peruperu

The highlight for me is in this picture - seeing Papa happy, seeing a big fat pile of kumarax and connecting with our Te Pu-A-Nga Maara whānau!

Let's do it again!
Kelz x

29/11/2024

Hineamaru Ropati is one of Māngeres Kai Champions - hailing from the mighty Ngāti Hine - have a listen to what she has to share regarding mahi nga kai, kai oranga and kai sovereignty!

02/11/2024

For those of you who are asking...there are multiple varieties available for kūmara tipu on the below website...have a nosey through and pick the variety that best suits you...challenge yourself to next year have a tāpapa of your own...butnfor now anei!

Our kumara is now available to order. Some varieties may sell out fast but there should be more available later so please use the waiting list function to be informed when they become available again. Thanks for your interest in our collection of amazing heritage kūmara. Tupu will be available to o...