The Kawerau Urban Food Forest (KUFF) project was launched in Febuary 2017 to create an avenue for edcuation and access to healthy options. Creating and promoting sustainability with a community driven approach.
Kawerau Urban Food Forest (KUFF) is a community project to establish a forest of food bearing trees, shrubs and vines over 2.0hectres of land on a portion of the Monica Lanham Reserve in Kawerau. The trees planted will provide fruit to the community all year round - stone fruit in summer, pears, apples and other heritage varieties in autumn and citrus fruits in the winter. Included in the forest will be companion planting of berries, nuts and ground cover.
A community garden, glass houses and a nursery are established on a 0.1ha site belonging to Kawerau Life Konnect (KLK). Here, seeds are propagated and plants grown for the community garden and the food forest. The community garden will provide fresh vegetables year round for the community.
Key KUFF Objectives
- Encourage our youth to learn about where fruit and vegetables come from (not a plastic supermarket bag), how they grow from seed to production status and their use in day to day living.
- Environmental understanding of how things co-exist.
- Understanding of customs and cultural practices.
- Develop skills in nursery work, propagating seeds, orchard management, making jam and pickles. Any or all of these can lead to paid work or even self-employment.
- Assist local families and residents to have free and available access to seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables
- Provide opportunities for outdoor community education about gardening, nutrition, cooking and waste management
- Build the community by fostering social wellbeing through community interaction
- Improve the health of the community
- Town restoration and beautification, which creates opportunities for local people to be proud of their town as well as providing a visitor attraction