Freedom Fruit Gardens
Freedom Fruit Gardens is a project that aims to plant edible gardens throughout New Zealand. It creates increased accessibility to the simple pleasure of harvesting and eating fruit straight from the tree. When given an apple you can eat an apple, when given an apple tree you can enjoy many apples. Fruit freed from consumer society and a reminder that food is something that does not initially come from a supermarket. ‘Freedom Fruit Gardens’ hails from a movement within society to promote a dying art within urban space. Farmers markets and community gardens are increasing at an exponential rate.
Each site for planting is chosen using a statistical scale called the ’Deprivation Index’. The index uses census information (income, the number of people living in a dwelling, cars per household etc) to statistically rate each population block of 110 people (mesh block) within N.Z on a scale of one to ten, ten being the most financially deprived. I use the ‘Deprivation Index’ to map the area that statistically has the most condensed financial deprivation. Once I have mapped this area I look for suitable and under-utilised parkland within its radius. I then put forward a proposal to the relevant local council and community bodies to plant an orchard within this area.
The inaugural planting of a Freedom Fruit garden will occur on Friday 25 June from 9.30am, at Preston Road Reserve, East Otara, Auckland. The day of planting will be celebrated with an official opening event, with performances including Rongomai Primary School’s Kapa Haka group and conclude with a hangi.
This will be the first of many future instalments’ of Freedom Fruit Gardens throughout New Zealand, with plans already underway in both Wellington and Christchurch.
The site for the Preston Road Reserve orchard was also chosen because it boarders with Rongomai Primary School. I involved the students of Rongomai who elected the orchard’s fruit trees; apple, plum, pear, orange, mandarin, and feijoa. The planting and maintenance will be undertaken by the students and families of Rongomai Primary as well as local residents.
Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts has supported the project since its conception in 2007 as part of the Land Wars series, a major exhibition organised by former Te Tuhi Curator Emma Bugden. As a mark of respect to the origin of the project, I have chosen a site on the centre’s grounds to plant a small lemon tree grove which will serve to connect the centre to the larger Freedom Fruit Gardens project at Preston Road Reserve.
At 1.30 on Saturday 24th April, Te Tuhi will host a traditional Maori blessing lead by Taini Drummond, representing local Iwi, Nga Tai.
On the 19th of June 2010 A proposal for the Wellington Freedom Fruit Garden will be exhibited as a part of “Under Construction” at TheNewDowse Lower hutt.
Freedom Fruit Gardens success relies on the ongoing support from Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, The New Dowse, Waimea Nurseries, Rongamai Primary School Principal Tina Voordouw and students, The Otara Community Board, Vincent Perry, Chris Beard and the Parks team at Manukau City Council and Landscape Designer, Robert Sly.
Links:
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Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts |
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The New Dowse |
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Waimea Nurseries |
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Milar Paterson Metals |
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Chris Beard |