INDEPENDENT NEWS

Roimata Food Commons is Crowdfunding

Published: Fri 22 Nov 2019 04:38 PM
The Roimata Commons Trust and the community of Woolston are embarking on an exciting journey to create a thriving and nourished ecosystem at a local level.
Since forming in 2017, the Roimata Commons Trust has worked alongside our community to plant nearly 100 fruit and nut trees in a Christchurch City Council owned park - Radley Park. All the varieties we plant are of heritage status - which means they are varieties that have been grown by many generations before ours, are much more disease resistant and have much higher levels of nutrients. Since planting the first fruit trees in August 2017 we have been evolving the planted areas into multilayered food forest systems by adding herbs, berries, pollinator friendly plants, edible companion plantings, as well as planting South Island Kowhai as a native nitrogen fixer. It is really all growing very well.
Just as important to the Roimata Commons Trust is to plant native plants alongside the Opawaho (Heathcote River) to help re-establish habitat for native biodiversity and help improve the health of the water in the awa. We have added over 1000 native plants now, and always working to find ways to keep increasing this without reducing the recreational use of the park.
We are about to embark on the construction of a community gathering and vegetable production space. We are currently holding a 10 year lease on a 400m2 piece of land within Radley Park to create this space. We have had professional plans drawn up. It will create spaces for community to gather, work, cook and learn. We are very excited about this phase of the project.
We also host events at Roimata Food Commons, which include an annual Outdoor Cinema Night, seasonal Seedling Swaps, collaborative education workshops, school & community planting activities and community fun days. All of our events are free and funded/supported by a mix of different businesses and funding organisations. This is a part of our work that we are really invested in and want to do more of…
Roimata Commons Trust is about to launch a PledgeMe crowdfunding campaign to raise financial resources to move our current volunteer project coordinator to a 25-30 hour a week paid position as Kaitiaki (Guardian). This role will allow the level of engagement with the community and the development of the food production capacity of Roimata Food Commons to increase markedly.
For this we need your support...we are looking for people and organisations that connect with the vision Roimata Commons Trust hold, alongside our community, to help fund this position and increase our impact.
I love the story that has been told above about the land and the river and birds and the people...I always want to tell that story..
However...there is another story. My story.
It has been suggested more than once that My Story is the one that will encourage people to pledge. To support me and my mahi.
I struggle with this because Roimata Food Commons is not about me..it is about community...it is about our ecosystem..our city...our future...our legacy...
I am all part of that and so are my beautiful girls, Sienna and Soren...they are the biggest reason I am doing this mahi..
I want them to grow up in a world that is healthy, thriving and nourishing.
For now..I want them to have a Dad that can be a role model to them - a role model that commits 1000% to the passion that beats through his veins and lives in service to the well being of life. This will be harder without the Kaitiaki role. The reality is that I am struggling to fund life for me and my girls...and I know how much of an impact it will have on me, Sienna, Soren and our Roimata community if I have to reduce my commitment...
I am so passionate about this work...anyone that knows me or has met me has likely experienced how deep I am in this work. The world needs people to commit to creating the change we need in the world...I am committed to this in so many ways..
Please consider pledging...for reward or no reward.
We have until 9pm on Monday evening to bring in another $14,000.
We are setting the target at $20,000 to fund the Kaitiaki position for 5-6 months, but ideally we would like to bring in close to $50,000 in order to fund the position for a year and to have a little budget for running events.
Roimata Commons Trust and the Woolston Community would appreciate your support,
You can contact us through Michael Reynolds 0210535726, roimatacommunityfood@gmail.com or our Facebook page - Roimata Food Commons.
Arohanui,
Michael Reynolds
https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/6311-kaitiaki-roimata-food-commons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ--TZ_-5ww=4s

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