Peter Wells on edible food forests and the Ōtākaro Orchard

Jun 25, 2018

Peter is the project coordinator for the local urban food hub Ōtākaro Orchard.  Its aim is to provide knowledge and inspiration about sustainable food systems as part of the Food Resilience Network.  In this interview we talk with Peter about his background and experiences in different parts of the world and what led him to move to Christchurch to be involved with this new initiative as well as his time in Edinburgh, Costa Rica, discussing modern dance, acting and theatre.  

There are three stages to what is being done at Ōtākaro Orchard:

An Edible Park featuring a public food forest, multiple herb and vegetable beds showcasing a variety of growing techniques, space for educational workshops and an amphitheatre for public gatherings and events.

A Local Food Information Centre and Cafe housed in what we envision will be Christchurch's most regenerative building.

A Dome which will serve as an indoor food production and classroom space.

https://otakaroorchard.org/

http://beaconfoodforest.org/

NZ food related resources: https://www.localisingfood.com/

More from the website:

The Ōtākaro Orchard  will serve as the welcoming front door to the local food resilience movement with has been gaining momentum since the earthquakes shook our city apart.  In that time we realised that supermarkets carry only 3 days worth of food and if our supply chains get disrupted we go hungry. Community gardens became important places of refuge and connection as well as sources of fresh food.  In the past few years the Food Resilience Network (aka Edible Canterbury) has been holding a collective vision of Christchurch as an 'Edible Garden City'. A city where every citizen has access to the fresh and healthy food they need to live well. Research has shown that up to 40% of Cantabrians are food insecure which means they can struggle to have access to the food they need. Reimagining our urban green spaces as edible ones is a key way we can start to change this. We hope that by establishing the Ōtākaro Orchard as proof that these kinds of spaces can work, that many more can become possible in the city.