Kaicycle Urban Farm and Composting

19/12/2024

We're sad to say that we've made the tough call to CANCEL tomorrow's summer solstice event. With an iffy weather forecast and end of year sickness we've decided it's best not to go ahead. We hope you all find other ways to celebrate the longest day and look forward to seeing you at one of our events in the new year 🌞

🌦 SILVER LINING to our cloud...

While bad weather & ill health means our Community Summer Solstice is CANCELLED... the most wonderful folk 🏆at Newtown Library 📖 who also run the very cute Newtown Seed Library 🫘🗄 are willing to host a one off of a little table of seedlings from the kaimahi of Crop Swap Te Whanganui a Tara, Kaicycle Urban Farm and Composting & Wellington Timebank for giving away...

So this Saturday 21 December in celebration of the Summer Solstice there will be a small tray of lovely seedlings 🪴🪴🪴ready to be popped into your garden or given away as xmas goodies!

ONLY this *Saturday 21 December* from 10am until 3pm - or stocks run out - which ever comes first!

10/12/2024

**CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER**

10/12/2024

With the weather heating up, Rose, one of our awesome Community Farm Managers has put together some tips to help keep your soil-life cool and happy.
See Protecting your garden from the heat: https://kaicycle.org.nz/blog/soil-tips-from-rose

06/12/2024

We've got our final community open day for this year coming up tomorrow (7th Dec)! Come along to soak up some of these glorious rays and say kia ora! We'll have some compost, fresh herbs, and tomato and cucumber seedlings for sale between 9am - 3pm. We've also got a few places left in our growing micro-greens workshop at 2:30pm so get in quick. And if you've been meaning to find out more about what we do, join us for the farm tour at 2pm.

All the deets here: https://kaicycle.org.nz/community-days

26/11/2024

Are you looking for a fun, worthwhile end of year activity for your Team?

Our urban farm team experience offers you the chance to get out into nature in the heart of Aotearoa’s capital city. You’ll get to explore our farm and learn about its regenerative Kaupapa, engage in a gardening workshop of your choice, get your hands in the soil, support local food resilience, have cake and foraged tea and most importantly have fun!

Find out more
https://kaicycle.org.nz/team-experiences

20/11/2024

Introducing another member of our team, the amazing Rufus! Rufus (he/they) is a kai-cyclist collecting compost from customers in the CBD. He is also a musician, you can find some of his work at rumundy.bandcamp.com/music

WHAT'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE CYCLING/FARMING/COMPOSTING JOB THAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

There is so much about my job that brings me joy! Being outdoors, cycling around Pōneke, keeping food out of landfill, hanging out at the farm, chatting to my awesome co-workers, meeting lovely people on my rounds, listening to audiobooks while I wash buckets. Perhaps what I love most about the job is the people we collect from: customers who have Free Palestine signs in their windows, or receptionists who offer me a glass of water on a hot day, or the sweet person who gave me a whole bag of the most delicious loose leaf chai because I had mentioned that their bucket always smelled of tea and spices!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD/RECIPE AND WHY?

I love the vegan shepherd's pie from Pranah cafe! Everything from Pranah is good, but there's nothing like popping there on my lunch break and finding they still have a hearty slice of shepherd's pie left, all those lentils and veggies topped with such a generous helping of delicious mashed potato!? Yes please!

SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER: TELL US SOMETHING YOU LIKE TO DO IN EACH SEASON THAT IS SPECIAL TO YOU.

Spring: eating onion w**d

Summer: spending as much time as possible snorkelling in Taputeranga marine reserve

Autumn: rediscovering soup

Winter: jumping in the ice cold ocean, drinking a flask of tea after, feeling buzzy and alive!

WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?

The quietness of underwater.

18/11/2024

‼️ No Volunteer Session Tomorrow ‼️

We have cancelled the volunteer session on Tuesday 19th November so that we can offer our full support to the hīkoi ❤️🤍🖤

15/11/2024

‼️ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ‼️

Volunteers are still needed to support with the hīkoi efforts on Tuesday, and we'd highly encourage you to support if you can. We'll be there volunteering with the zero-waste crew if you want to come hang and support this incredibly important kaupapa 💪 ❤️🤍🖤

We are looking for lots of hands to manaaki (host) the many thousands of out of town visitors on the day of the Hīkoi. Want to be a part of it? Sign up to volunteer and attend the full briefing on Sunday from 4pm-7pm Toitū Te Tiriti! ❤️🖤🤍 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeH8JV80Uo0LZ1pvaL3l-vbZxxFgl0IC6adBhwjP0kiYHU0BA/viewform
Mahi includes: Marshal on the hīkoi, Assist with buses (help people disembark, give directions), Security, Prepare and distribute kai, Water safety, First aid, Hand out flyers and talk to bystanders about submitting on the Treaty Principles Bill

11/11/2024

Summer Salad Club is open for new customers!

Our Salad Club provides a weekly dose of delicious organically grown salad from the Kaicycle Urban Farm in Newtown.
Each week our subscribers pick up 250g of super fresh and tasty salad for only $12 ($120 per 10 week season), its zero-waste too.

Not only do you get a portion of the freshest (and we think best) salad mix in town, you also support a community project and our Pōneke food system. What a win win!

The season is 10 weeks and runs from Thur 28th Nov to Fri 20 Dec (4 weeks) and Thur 16 Jan to Fri 21 Feb (6 weeks).

Secure your spot by emailing [email protected]

01/11/2024

Come on down to the farm for our community open day today! Browse produce and seedlings for sale, take a farm tour, attend the workshop, or get involved with the working bee at 9am.

01/11/2024

The weather is looking sunny for our Community Open Day āpōpō 🌞

We're going to have some beautiful produce and farm compost for sale! If you'd like to get your hands on some of this goodness, pop by the farm between 9am - 3pm!
These luscious greens, enormous fennel bulbs, and delicious spring onions are all going to be on offer (plus more!).

24/10/2024

Would you love to be harvesting fresh nutritious food,
and having delicious organically grown veggies each week?

What about getting a whopping 20% off a shop at Commonsense Organics, $1 off your favourite coffee at Tuatua cafe and 50% off at Switched on Bikes ?

All sounds too good, right?

Join the Kaicycle Farm Whānau to get all these benefits and more!

https://kaicycle.org.nz/farm-whanau

17/10/2024

We wanted to introduce you to another member of our team: Rose! Rose has been with us for over a year now and fills the role of Community Farm Manager alongside Alice. If you come along to one of our volunteer sessions or community events you're sure to meet her! We asked her a few questions so you could get to know her too.

WHAT IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE CYCLING/FARMING/COMPOSTING JOB THAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
A lot of this job brings me joy, but one of my favourite things is growing plants from seed and nurturing our seedlings in the tunnel house. It feels so magical to me that a tiny seed can turn into a plant and convert the energy from the sun into sugar that we then eat. What powerful beings! It reminds me to be in awe of nature. I also love hosting the kindy kids from next door for their weekly visit to the farm. I'm always impressed by how willing they are to sample new things I harvest for them from the garden.

WHAT SOUND OR NOISE DO YOU LOVE?
I love the sound of the zip on a tent (which definitely does sound different to other zips!). Many of my fondest memories are associated with camping and I spend as much time tramping and camping as I can. I also love the smell of a tent, something about dried grass and hot plastic....

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS YOU ENJOY SPENDING YOUR TIME DOING WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT WORK?
In addition to the tramping, camping and all things outdoors, I enjoy:
Knitting socks (I'm a bit obsessed).
Going to gigs to have a boogie
Riding my bike all over the place. Especially up big hills and on the cycleways.

17/10/2024

Thanks for the shout out Wellington City Council! It's awesome to be part of such a strong network of rōpu working in the local food space in Pōneke! Together we can bring our communities together and create radical change in our food system🧡

With World Food Day happening this Wednesday, we’re highlighting some of the amazing mahi in the capital which helps our vulnerable communities have access to kai and support to grow it.

14/10/2024

Kia ora e hika mā! It's the last week to share your whakaaro in this survey about Māori Kai Sovereignty in Pōneke 💚🌱

Your feedback will help us plan, organise and deliver community events and opportunities that align with Māori aspirations for a sustainable, equitable, healthy and resilient local food system.

If this sounds relevant to you, please fill out this anonymous survey by the 20th of October (Takirau o Whiringa ā Nuku): https://forms.gle/93Jg9iEtJXtBTmh8A

We particularly want to hear from Māori living in Pōneke and Te Upoko o te Ika, but are open to hearing from Tāngata Tiriti and people outside of the region, just specify your heritage and location at the beginning.

E mihi ana ki a koutou, e hika mā! So grateful to hear from you. Share with your whānau :)