Planting Nitrogen Fixing Trees On Farms Is a good thing! Nitrogen fixing trees are good for farms, so it’s important to plant them there.
Nitrogen fixing trees provide much needed nutrients to the soil. If the trees are located in the field for a long enough time, they can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers thereby saving money for the farmer, and the environment.
Preparing to plant!
This week we took time to evaluate the different varieties sent over from Koanga Institute and plan where they’d be planted amongst the native and citrus trees that are currently in the swales.
Plants including: Nitrogen Fixers = Nitrogen-fixing trees and Biomass = chop, and drop
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori!
Nā te kaha o te ua i tēnei wiki, i whai wā tā mātou tira ki te wetewetengia i ngā āhuatanga Reo Māori rerekē. I ngā tikanga reo, i ngā pūrakau hītori o tēnei takiwā hoki. Whai muri mai i tā mātou akoranga, i whakakao ai mātou ki te paparahua kai ai i ngā kai o te poupoutanga o te rā.
Take a look into what our team got up to on a rainy day. Spent learning some day-to-day Te Reo Māori terms, we were able to sit back and not only learn Te Reo Māori but learn about the history of the surrounding area here at Ngapeke. We not only enjoyed the spontaneous session but a hot meal afterward as well.
Back to the farm after a NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN
After waiting approximately 2 weeks for the alert levels to change, we were finally able to get back into work. This week we completed some necessary tidy-ups around the block, as well as some tasks to help us prepare for what’s coming this spring!
February Progress At Ngapeke Permaculture
We got to a point where the section was finally cleared of unwanted structures and weeds including the kiwifruit vine. The ground was very uneven and pitted in places so we evened it out using a bobcat. We also took the whole of the perimeter fence down which was old and not functional anymore. Then … Read more
The taming of the vine – or more like, eradication of the vine
02 February 2019 The poor ol’ kiwifruit vine minding it’s own business putting out many new canes, just wanting to spread it ol’ self around the place got the chop. We had to remove it from the hoop house where it was causing a lot of damage. John went in with a chainsaw and cut … Read more
Before we get started…..
17 December 2019 There was a fair bit of overgrowth and rubbish on the site that needed to be cleared away. Also the big issue of an overgrown feral kiwifruit vine whose sheer weight was crushing the half round shed. The first step was knocking down the tough grass and fennel. The intention was to … Read more
The Vision
At a Ngapeke 7 Trust meeting in November 2018, the trustees and owners discussed a vision for the land block , looking at possible opportunities that will protect the land for future generations, is environmentally sensitive and also provides some return for owners. The concept of developing the block using principles of permacuture was readily agreed … Read more