James Clarke Property has donated professional tools to help volunteers scale up the assembly of KiwiHomeHarvest systems, in which households can grow their own produce, even if they don’t have a garden.
Launched in November 2024, the portable, self-watering systems are offered for a small donation, making them accessible to almost any household.
KiwiHarvest boss Gary Hough says after months of prototyping and testing, the systems have now been refined to the point they’re almost like a simple flat-pack system for those involved in the assembly sessions.
Till recently, though, a ‘‘major limitation’’ was the lack of tools available for vollies, who were often sharing a couple of drills or a single multiuse tool between a whole group.
‘‘It was frustrating, because we could see how much more could be achieved if we simply had the right equipment,’’ Hough says.
Clarke says he was ‘‘very impressed’’ when he met Hough and saw the kits.
‘‘The idea is so practical and accessible, but the impact it can have for families and communities is huge.
‘‘Gary’s passion for giving people the tools to easily grow their own food is incredibly inspiring and it was immediately something I wanted to support and see it reach more communities across New Zealand.’’
Hough, too, was impressed Clarke took the time to see what KiwiHarvest does and understand the challenges and opportunities.
‘‘What really stood out was James’ honesty and motivation to help.’’
KiwiHomeHarvest’s part of a wider effort to strengthen regional food resilience, Hough says.
While a century ago this region produced about 95% of its own food, it now produces less than 5% of the calories consumed.
‘‘In a major earthquake, we would likely have only a few days’ worth of food available.
‘‘Programmes like Kiwi-HomeHarvest give people the tools to take care of themselves to some degree, and that has huge ripple effects for the entire community.’’
Clarke’s encouraging other businesses to follow his lead and lend support to the nonprofit organisation, while Hough says his organisation’s now preparing for larger community assembly sessions this spring.
They’re aiming to expand the programme locally and, eventually, replicate the model across NZ.
