8 – 10 November 2024 – Jed Walker
As a returning Aotearoa resident from 40 years in Australia, I was delighted to find the equivalent of a Permaculture convergence was due to occur within two months and 10 km of where I’ve resettled in Taranaki – North Island, west coast, big dormant volcano. What better way to meet and network with both local permies and those from the multiple climate zones of this long and narrow country?
The hui, which translates from Māori as ‘ceremonial or social gathering’, took place in the private Green School in Taranaki. About 110 permies converged on the event organised not locally, but by PiNZ – Permaculture in New Zealand. The hui coincided with the local sustainable gardens/farms/builds trail which some local permies were helping run.
Following a tour of the magnificent whale-shaped and concrete-free buildings and grounds, the hui settled into a routine of morning circle (a bit touchy-feely for some) followed by PowerPoint presentations. There were a couple of diploma presentations and also a session for those from the regions to connect and coalesce. The local National Party MP Barbara Kiruger joined our regional Taranaki group.
The permaculture and regenerative scenes are intertwined in Taranaki. The region has been a dairying powerhouse since colonisation. Of the couple of dozen people I asked most saw regenerative pasture-grazing beef and dairy as potentially highly significant for carbon drawdown and food supply. The remainder were ‘don’t know’. I met plenty of soil food-web nerds too.
I was wowed by all the presenters I saw and am looking forward to videos of those that I missed.
First was Yotam Kay, who has ADHD, two books and lots of YouTube including a TEDx Talk. With his ‘reality-checker’ wife Niva, their ¼ acre Pakaraka Farm produces 10 tons of food a year.
Then there was white-bearded Rob Guyton who with his wife Robyn has a 23-year-old food forest established from a scraggly block nobody wanted in the cold wet deep-south town of Riverston. Despite having been on NZ TV and in a Happen Film, Rob was not recognised in the wealthy seaside town of Oakura where he was challenged by local ladies as he tugged at plants on a bushwalk. Once he got chatting they were eager to show him around.
Taranaki local Kama Burwell, an ecological designer and engineer, is rapidly cladding the family cattle farm with native bush, helped by local crews such as Rapid Regen. She described the holistic process of family farm regeneration including the familial succession aspects. We both went to Inglewood High School and I reckon Kama is probably the greatest alumni.
Venerable elder and educator Robina McCurdy described social and governance considerations of intentional communities. Invisible structures did not feature so much overall at the hui but Robina’s wide-ranging talk rapidly refreshed my sociocracy knowledge.
There were about 15 Māori attendees, and the call and response and singing (waiata) in the language of all participants showed me, this white man has some catching up to do. Whetu Marama, a film about recreated canoe voyages from Hawaii to Tahiti and Rarotonga educated me on the history of Māori occupation of Aotearoa. The word Hui in Hawaiian means ‘community or extended family’.
Local band The Slacks kicked off the dancing as the alcohol-free event went into celebration mode on Saturday night. I’d say the average age of attendees for the weekend was 50 – perhaps because Facebook and websites are the predominant forms of social media with local reach? The same demographic was apparent in the garden and farm tours I attended.
Overall the national hui was a wonderful event brimming with people-care, cultural reverence and high-achieving permies. Kudos and gratitude to the PiNZ Council, legends that they are.