Compost Awareness Day
Join Mangaroa Farms for a day full of learning, connection, and hands-on fun as we explore all things compost. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting started, there’s something here for everyone. We’ll be hosting experts with a wealth of knowledge on how to boost your garden with simple take-home tools. This is a free event, with an optional $20 garden tour of the Mangaroa Market Garden to finish.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM: Welcome & Connect
Arrive and settle in with a sharing circle, then hear a quick intro to the history of Mangaroa Farms and our journey so far.
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Pickled Compost - Power Up Your Food Scraps
Lydia Thomsen from Pickled Compost will run a hands-on workshop showing how you can turn all your food scraps — meat, dairy, cooked food and all — into rich, living soil. Learn about Bokashi fermentation and how this bucket-based system can easily slot into your daily life. Discover how small changes in your kitchen can lead to better gardens and a circular food future.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Biochar Network - Make Awesome Soil
Phil Stevens from the Biochar Network NZ shares how biochar and compost work together to supercharge soil health. Supported by The Good Carbon Farm from the Akatarawa Valley.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Natural Dyes & Eco Prints
Join Sustainable Fashion Design students from Whitecliffe for a creative session on natural dyeing. You’ll get to make your own dye bath or eco-print on silk. Learn simple, affordable ways to prepare fabric and create stunning, lasting colours from natural materials. Whitecliffe has been a leader in NZ’s creative education space for over 40 years, nurturing innovative, sustainable thinkers across art, design, tech, and therapy.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Mangaroa Market Garden Tour (add-on ticket)
Take a guided wander through our gardens and check out our worm farm. Learn more about how we grow kai and look after the whenua. A chance to connect deeper with our farm systems and take home new ideas.
5:00 PM: Closing & Final Q&A
Wrap-up thoughts and reflections on the day. Open space for questions on composting, gardening, or anything else we’ve covered. We're proud to be teaming up with Upper Hutt City Council for May Compost Month, helping raise awareness and action around better soil practices.
What to bring: your water bottle, sunhat, rain jacket, gloves optional. Dress for the weather.
See you out there whanau!
Join Mangaroa Farms for a day full of learning, connection, and hands-on fun as we explore all things compost. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting started, there’s something here for everyone. We’ll be hosting experts with a wealth of knowledge on how to boost your garden with simple take-home tools. This is a free event, with an optional $20 garden tour of the Mangaroa Market Garden to finish.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM: Welcome & Connect
Arrive and settle in with a sharing circle, then hear a quick intro to the history of Mangaroa Farms and our journey so far.
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Pickled Compost - Power Up Your Food Scraps
Lydia Thomsen from Pickled Compost will run a hands-on workshop showing how you can turn all your food scraps — meat, dairy, cooked food and all — into rich, living soil. Learn about Bokashi fermentation and how this bucket-based system can easily slot into your daily life. Discover how small changes in your kitchen can lead to better gardens and a circular food future.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Biochar Network - Make Awesome Soil
Phil Stevens from the Biochar Network NZ shares how biochar and compost work together to supercharge soil health. Supported by The Good Carbon Farm from the Akatarawa Valley.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Natural Dyes & Eco Prints
Join Sustainable Fashion Design students from Whitecliffe for a creative session on natural dyeing. You’ll get to make your own dye bath or eco-print on silk. Learn simple, affordable ways to prepare fabric and create stunning, lasting colours from natural materials. Whitecliffe has been a leader in NZ’s creative education space for over 40 years, nurturing innovative, sustainable thinkers across art, design, tech, and therapy.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Mangaroa Market Garden Tour (add-on ticket)
Take a guided wander through our gardens and check out our worm farm. Learn more about how we grow kai and look after the whenua. A chance to connect deeper with our farm systems and take home new ideas.
5:00 PM: Closing & Final Q&A
Wrap-up thoughts and reflections on the day. Open space for questions on composting, gardening, or anything else we’ve covered. We're proud to be teaming up with Upper Hutt City Council for May Compost Month, helping raise awareness and action around better soil practices.
What to bring: your water bottle, sunhat, rain jacket, gloves optional. Dress for the weather.
See you out there whanau!