Fresh, locally grown produce available in Halswell

A new Food Box delivery is beginning May 9 in the Port Hills area stretching from Halswell, along the Port Hills and Heathcote River to Sumner. Produce in the Food Box is high quality, organic and sourced directly from local farmers, meaning most of it is hand-picked and delivered on the same day.

The organisation delivering the Food Box, Garden City 2.0, is a new social enterprise applying a standard business model to achieving what are traditionally considered ‘charitable’ objectives.

Garden City 2.0’s mission is to show people where their food comes from, better communicate the challenges growers face in producing high quality goods, and increase local residents’ access to more nutritional foods.

In turn, it supports small and micro-scale growers to do what they love and do best – growing that nutritious food. It also means that more of the average $170 spent on food per household a week (source: Stats NZ), is fed back into the local economy which can lead to multiple positive spin offs for businesses and the wider community.

The Garden City 2.0 business model aims to reach a surplus in profits that can be reinvested in community food initiatives. The organisation hopes to generate enough revenue in the future so it can continue to support the growing local food industry as well as invest in areas of Christchurch most exposed to food insecurity (poor access to affordable healthy foods).

Co-directors, Bailey Peryman and Michelle Marquet are interested in establishing bulk collection points in the Halswell area, due to strong supply from local growers in nearby areas. The couple are keen to hear from local residents interested in accessing this service or think that a bulk collection point (minimum 10 orders) could work in their area. People interested in coordinating a distribution point at places like schools, churches or equally suitable locations in return for a Food Box should also get in contact.

For more information about the initiative, to contact Garden City 2.0 or to order a Food Box, go to www.gardencity.org.nz/delivery.