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About Us
As passionate home gardeners, lifestyle block farmers and permaculture designers we have created Vital Harvest to help inspire and educate others to grow their own food, build resilience and get the most out of their land.
We are a family of 4 on a 2.2 ha block. Our aim is to share with you the basic permaculture design principles, holistic grazing systems and family routines that have allowed us to produce most of our own organic meat and vegetables, despite working predominantly off-site. Our services are for those who want to maximise their productive potential on a small to medium sized lifestyle block.
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Join us to learn how to be more resourceful and set yourself up for a healthier, happier and more resilient future.
INTRODUCING
NICKI
As a mother of 2 girls and keen gardener, my aim is to feed my family from my own organic garden as much as possible. I grow most of the family's vegetables and every year the garden seems to get bigger! I see food security as a crucial aspect of building resilience in a fast changing world.
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I specialise in individual consults in the edible garden, orchard, food forest and composting space. I am currently running a series of Edible Gardening workshops created especially for the home gardener and lifestyle block owner. These workshops are suitable for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
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I am the Head Gardener at the award winning Falls Retreat Bistro. With it's strong paddock to plate ethos the Chefs look to the garden for seasonal inspiration for their menu and use the produce in their dishes, pickles and preserves. I am an active contributor to NZ Lifestyle Block magazine, the Ocean Organics Facebook page and my local Waikino Whisper newsletter with monthly gardening advice. I am also a committee member of the local Waihi Herb Society.
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Available for consultation on:
INTRODUCING
SHANE
As a qualified permaculture designer I see all landscapes, and the people who inhabit them, through this lens. For me it makes so much sense to work with nature as much as possible. Nothing on this planet is getting any cheaper so maximising your own natural resources and designing your property so that your own energy isn’t wasted only makes sense. This is what Nicki and I have set out to do with our own property and we are already seeing the benefits of our design work by getting some key production areas established early. Having a plan for the development of your property from the beginning gives you a road map to follow, allowing you to prioritise your projects to fit in with your lifestyle. A permaculture design is always in progress and should never end so there is no requirement to get it all done at once, but it is really important to understand your landscape and to know where and how the different aspects will fit together and compliment each other.
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I work as a builder, a soil consultant and permaculture designer. All three of these skills intersect nicely to provide knowledge and guidance to clients setting out on their own journey of living lightly on the land. Good house design will save on energy and maintenance bills. Good soil health will keep your animals and family healthy as well as help regenerate the environment around you. Using the principles of permaculture allows you to identify the key production areas of your property and to develop these areas in an efficient way. It also establishes the outer zones of your property that can be returned to wilderness zones or planted out as woodlots for firewood. Our own personal goal is to make our lives both more efficient and productive and this is what we want for our clients as well.
Available for consultation on:
