Stories
News & updates from our local Mangaroa Biosphere.
10 Reasons Why GMO's Are A Problem For Aotearoa NZ
As Aotearoa considers its agricultural future, it seems that genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are finally about to enter our soils. Up until now, GMO’s and gene editing have been banned in New Zealand. Mangaroa Farms shares a range of reasons why GMO's could be a problem for NZ
Honouring our Jules Matthews
As we look towards the future of Mangaroa Farms, we want to take a moment to honour someone who has been an integral part of our journey—Jules Matthews
It Takes a Village
Mangaroa Farms will be featured on Country Calendar tomorrow night, New Zealand’s longest running and highest-rated television series, celebrating rural life and land. Country Calendar is an iconic institution, so it feels like we’re getting our five minutes of fame.
I haven’t seen the episode yet, but first and foremost, I hope it portrays the farm transformation that Jules Matthews led in her three years as the Mangaroa farm manager. Starting with a more conventional dairy block and some worn down infrastructure, Jules brought in a regenerative agriculture lens and playbook - with a focus on soil, water, and living systems - and has helped Mangaroa / Whitemans Valley establish a thriving local food hub, with robust market gardens, a Kete Kai farm shop, healthy and delicious cows and sheep, significant riparian restoration, and much greater community resilience.
Watching this transformation gives me hope that we can quickly evolve agriculture and build bioregional food systems, especially with the right mindsets, gumption, and bit of luck.
Mangaroa Farms on Country Calendar
We are looking forward to being featured on Hyundai Country Calendar this Sunday 21st July - at 7pm on TV1 🙌🏽💚
The team have been working with Howard & the film crew over the last few years to capture footage as we’ve developed the farm, and we are stoked to be able to share it on the longest running programme on New Zealand television 🙌🏽❤️
Going to miss the screening? No worries, you can also tune in on TVNZ on demand from next week - just look for Episode 21.
Visit here:
Mānawatia a Matariki 2024
This week marks the passing of the winter solstice, and the rising of the Matariki star cluster
This Friday 28th June, the Farm Shop / Kete Kai will be closed, as we take a pause to honour a remembrance of the past, celebration of the present, and preparing for the future.
The 2024 theme is “Matariki heri kai” - The feast of Matariki.
From Mānawatia a Matariki
This comes from the Māori proverb ‘Matariki whetū heri kai’ meaning ‘Matariki, the bringer of food’.
Kai is central to the celebration of Matariki, and Māori believe that the appearance of Matariki in the morning sky in winter would determine the success or failure of kai harvesting.
Different stars in the cluster have an association to the various domains from where we source our kai, in particular:
- gardens (Tupuānuku)
- forests (Tupuārangi)
- fresh water (Waitī) and
- the ocean (Waitā)
This connection reaffirms relationships with our environment and signifies the importance of food in the celebration of Matariki - a time to journey home, spend time with whānau and friends, and enjoy feasting on fresh, locally sourced produce
Follow Living by The Stars with Professor Rangi Matamua & Mānawatia a Matariki for more.
Regeneratively Grown Meat Delivery - Coming Soon
We are excited to announce that our organically grown & regeneratively raised frozen beef & lamb will available for delivery online very soon 🥩🙌🏽📦❄️
Partnering with NZ Post - we will be offering same-day frozen delivery in the Wellington region & overnight delivery for the North Island.
Be the first to know - signup here:
Apologies to our south island whānau, unfortunately we can't manage shipping to Te Wai Pounamu yet 🙏🏽
Tree Planting Day & Predator Free Mangaroa Network
We had a successful weekend recently with our team of local volunteers planting over 200 trees alongside our local crew from Forest and Bird - Upper Hutt.
After a Karakia for the ancient grandmother Kahikatea, the mob quickly got to work planting a selection of rata, kahikatea, tī kouka & more throughout the "Ancestor Grove" on the River trail - to help support the established native ecosystem to thrive.
Earlier that morning, we connected with local trappers, and enthusiastic forest & bird guardians in our newly established Yurt to kōrero about pest control, (including both plants and animals) featuring highlights from Biome Trust's
(NEXT Foundation, Taranaki Mounga, Opepe Farm Trust) and
Tony + Pat.
Mangaroa Farms Organic Week Tour & Movie Screening
To celebrate Organic Week 2024, we're hosting a garden tour, and also co-hosting a screening of reknowned documentary Six Inches of Soil.
Our Weekly Vege Bag is Retiring
Our beloved Weekly $35 Vege Bag is retiring
A massive thank you to all our weekly subscribers for their continued support in our CSA (community supported agriculture) styled weekly vege bag food model.
In the past 2 years we have sold over 1100 of these bags of goodness to our local community - consisting of 7-8+ seasonal, organically grown produce, and holding its place as a foundational chapter of our history and market garden / food hub journey.
We're Hiring - Farm Shop Retail Lead
We're looking for an inspired and empowered individual to join our Mangaroa Farms team, and take our Farm Shop / Kete Kai to the next level.
Role Description:
In this diverse and unique role, you will:
Oversee daily operations of our retail presence, both online and in-store
Lead our Farm Shop / Kete Kai team,
Drive sales and customer service excellence
Collaborate with marketing and garden teams,
Manage software & inventory systems,
Ensure compliance with health and safety standards
Expand and grow our retail opportunities in local and national scales
What we're looking for:
An entrepreneurial leader to oversee and apply business acumen to our daily operations -with strong business management and retail experience, preferably in organic or horticultural sales, and a passion for regenerative agriculture.
Key Attributes:
Entrepreneurial mindset
Excellent communication skills
Analytical thinking
Project management capabilities
Commitment to lifelong learning
Ability to work well with a team
Experience Required:
5+ years in relevant retail sales, including team leadership and financial management
Degree not essential; however qualifications in Horticulture/Sales/Operations is beneficial
More information here: https://mangaroa.org/pages/retail-lead-application
Apply here: https://airtable.com/applELai85mtj03oW/pagRaUsTVlAvAa94B/form
Organic Raw Milk Collection Depot @ Mangaroa Farms
Mangaroa Farms is looking at becoming a "collection depot" for Three Oaks Organics Raw Milk customers in the Upper Hutt region.
You can leave your expression of interest here:
This future service will be operated by Three Oaks Organics via their website, and picked up by the customer at Mangaroa Farms - more details below. We can proceed with this service if we reach a minimum order of bottles weekly.
You can learn more about the process here: https://www.threeoaksorganic.co.nz/how-it-works/
The 2024 Mangaroa Open Farms Day - Sun 10th Mar
Join us for the annual Mangaroa Open Farms day on Sunday 10th March from 10am - 3pm for a variety of garden tours, planting & livestock demos, games & activities for kids, and perhaps most exciting - a locally produced lunch, with our smoked Mangaroa Farms lamb & fresh salad rolls + vegetarian options & more.
We will also be drawing 2x raffle prize packs, both to the value of $300+ each. You can purchase a ticket online, or on the day.
BUY A RAFFLE TICKET HERE
EVENT TIMELINE
Arrive from 9:30am and do a self-guided tour, or attend one of our guided tours limited to 30x people - first come, first served.
9:30am - Gates & shop open
10am - 10:45am: Guided market garden tour #1
11am - 11:45am: Guided market garden tour #2
11:30am: Rolling lunch is served
1pm - 1:45pm: Guided market garden tour #3
2pm - 2:45pm: Guided market garden tour #4
3pm - Farm Raffle Draw & Event Closes
5pm - Farm Shop / Kete Kai Closes
RSVP at the Facebook event here:
More info at the Open Farms Website.
The Mangaroa Honesty Fridge
The Mangaroa Honesty fridge is our investment in building local trust based systems by giving our community the chance to access quality organically grown kai at any time of the day
On Monday’s it’s a great time to visit with heaps extra produce from the weekend - including Broccoli, Cauliflower, and even a few bottles of Three Oaks Organic milk.
Visit the honesty fridge and pay with cash or bank transfer using our free wifi on the spot.
108 Whitemans Valley Road, Upper Hutt
Verdi Soil Testing
The Verdi team just wrapped up baseline soil testing at Mangaroa Farms, diving deep into soil health and carbon levels.
View the photo album here.
Over two days, they extracted numerous one-metre deep soil cores, alongside crucial observational data, leaving Mangaroa with just under 100kgs of soil for analysis.
The Verdi Baseline Test is all about setting the stage for sustainable growth. They are establishing a benchmark to monitor soil health and carbon levels accurately
With precise measurements, they’re able to provide us with valuable insights for effective “regenerative” farm management.
Why does it matter?
Because understanding soil carbon and nutrient levels is crucial for fostering a healthy, sustainable environment.
The Verdi team plans to return in year 3, ensuring we can continue to make significant strides in reducing our carbon footprint and actively capturing carbon.
By year 5, they’ll measure the outcomes, transforming carbon gains into verified credentials.
Farmers and growers aren’t the villains; they’re the heroes in the environmental story. Every day, we need them - 3x a day. They hold the key to reducing emissions for the entire supply chain.
By channelling resources toward sequestration, especially into soils, collectively farmers can work towards crafting the greatest societal benefit, and making a lasting impact for future generations.
Thanks to Sam & the Verdi team for the awesome mahi and analysis
Learn more at
Hua Parakore Māori Organics at Mangaroa Farms
Late last year, our team had the privilege of joining Dr Jessica Hutchings and her wife Jo for a kai at her place over the hill near Kaitoke, and receive an introduction to the Hua Parakore Māori Organics framework.
Mangaroa Farms Features on NewsHub
We are stoked to have our vision for Mangaroa Farms & regenerative agriculture featured on NewsHub recently.
Watch the video and read the full article here.
Farm Shop / Kete Kai Opening Hours
Welcome to the Mangaroa Farm Shop / Kete Kai, hosting a range of organically produce & meats grown, grazed and harvested right on our doorstep.
You can visit our shop during the hours below.
Wednesdays 11am - 5pm
Thursdays 11am - 5pm
Fridays 11am - 5pm
Saturdays 9am - 5pm
Sundays 10am - 5pm
📍 98 Whitemans Valley Road, Upper Hutt
Find us on Sundays 8am - 2pm at Brewtown Farmer's Market in Upper Hutt.
Our Honesty Fridge is open next door to the shop 24/7 at 108 Whitemans Valley Road.
Expanding Our Kai Basket - November Newsletter
Kia ora,
Welcome to the Mangaroa Farms Newsletter, featuring updates from our local ecosystem.
As the seasons have well and truly shifted to Spring, we are finding the soil is getting drier, and the longer days make for more daylight hours caring for our above & underground livestock (mycelium).
At the gardens, we've finally planted out our 6th 25m bed (see photo above), after the "chopped and dropped" cover crop had first been covered for a period of time with the black sheets.
With all the extra produce coming through, we're stoked to open the Farm Shop Kete Kai for extended hours over the Summer - see more below.
Top left in photo - there's now a new bed full of growing pumpkins for harvest next Autumn (with black mats) and a small grove of natives planted along the cottage fenceline.
We're enjoying watching growth of new trees and seedlings that have been planted in Aug - Oct, especially in riparian areas (along rivers) and to extend significant natural areas.
Big thanks to our team who have been working around the clock to keep the wheels turning of the Mangaroa Farms Food Hub & Education Centre vision.
Please find a list of our latest updates below,
In Gratitude,
The Mangaroa Farms Team