| Hey 2020, look at you, all bright and shiny new decade….
It’s hard to articulate the excitement we have leading into this new year. It feels incredibly hopeful from where we’re sitting. There are some major changes afoot, and many of them incredibly exciting for New Zealand food.
Just before the end of last year, we saw the Primary Sector Council release their ‘Fit for a Better World’ vision for the agriculture food and fibres sectors of New Zealand. We loved seeing the language include our farmers, growers, makers, crafters AND fishers. We also embrace the concept of Taiao - a deep relationship of respect and reciprocity with our natural world. This vision acknowledges that the health of the climate, land, water and living systems comes first.
This is our ‘hood, and we are full of anticipation with what comes next, truly looking forward to the strategy that delivers this vision.
We’ve got a lot of exciting plans this year, all around our New Zealand food story, but first to some more immediate efforts and initiatives…
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Southland's Food Story UnitesLate last year, I was asked to facilitate a discussion that focused around expanding the development of Southland Food Stories. I was hosted in Southland by Ngāi Tahu and this discussion was held at COIN South - a Southland based entrepreneur support initiative. The gathering allowed a diverse group of individuals and industry to connect, from food producers to MPI representatives and local runanga, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
What I've come to know is that Southland is an incredibly abundant place and therein lies a huge opportunity to both showcase and celebrate these original food stories. Read more about the event in the article from COIN South here.
If you are a Southland food business make sure you join the
Southland Food Collective on FB or email hello@coinsouth.nz for info.
[Pictured right: Southland Permaculture legend Robyn Guyton of Loop Local and I at the COIN Southland event.]
My time with Ngāi Tahu in Southland included visiting the incredible Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff where there was a special panel for each of the ingredients found in this incredibly abundant part of the world. 
This is the panel for tītī or muttonbirds and includes the põhā storage vessels, which you can learn about in this epic video series from Ngāi Tahu Mahinga Kai.
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News of NZ's Culinary Landscape Hits Chicago A 'thriving and underexposed culinary culture' were the words Freelance Writer Elaine Glusac used to describe her recent trip to the South Island. Like many tourists, she possessed the same pre-perception about New Zealand's mystical landscape, one that included a presumed lack of culinary credentials.
However, in her piece for the Chicago Tribune, she came to discover just how exceptional our markets, wine, meat, coffee and geogastronomy really are. And perhaps, more importantly, she discovered a multitude of opportunities to connect with both our land, our people AND our food.
Read more from the article here.
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| How's this for a way to celebrate what you grow... The Burning Horse Music & Food Festival 2020 is taking place at The Montana Flat, a family farm in Southland. Now into its 3rd consecutive year they are dishing up wildy conscious fun and feeding guests with produce grown on the farm. A truly epic way to connect our people and our food. - Burning Horse - Fri 14th Feb - Sun 16th Feb, Southland. Get there.
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Upcoming #NZFood Festivals With all this glorious summer sunshine, we are seeing the #NZFood festival season in full swing. Here's a wee round-up of some exciting and diverse food and drink events happening throughout the country. For more information check out our website. Remember if you have a #NZFood event taking place in your area, share it with us!
- XX Fest - Fri 31st Jan & Sat 1st Feb
- A beer fest celebrating women and diversity in the NZ Beer Industry.
- Kawhia Kai Festival 2020 - Sat 1st Feb
- Annual kai celebration held in Kawhia, Waikato.
- Wild Stock Wellington - Thurs 6th Feb
- A Waitangi Day celebration of New Zealand's wild wine and sour beer. Presented by Cult Wine & Beer Jerk.
- Marlborough Wine & Food Fest - Sat 8th Feb
- Hosted at Brancott Estate, over 40 local wineries and 25 food vendors will come together with top musicians to celebrate the region.
- Kelmarna Seed Saving Workshop - Sat 8th Feb
- An opportunity to learn how to collect, process and store your own seeds. Hosted in central Auckland at Kelmarna Gardens.
- Burning Horse - Fri 14th - Sun 16th Feb
- Wildly conscious music and food festival hosted on a family farm in Southland, dishing up serious fun and farm produce to feed people.
- North West Fest - 2020 - Sat 15th Feb
- A day spent amongst the vines in West Auckland at The Hunting Lodge enjoying local wine, beer, food & great music.
- Meatstock 2020 - Sat 15th - Sat 16th Feb
- The barbeque and music festival ft. barbeque, butchers, bands, beer, barbers and beards. All welcome.
- Sunshine and a Plate Whakatāne - 29th Feb - 8th March
- An Eastern Bay of Plenty food festival, involving a variety of engaging local events.
- Wild Stock Christchurch - Sat 29th Feb
- NZ's premier celebration of natural wine and sour beer hosted by Cult Wine & The Beer Library with food by Gatherings.
- Hokitika Wildfoods Festival - Sat 7th March
- The famed 30-yr-old festival is back to share more exotic ingredients and the celebrate our wild and wonderful West Coast.
- North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival - Sun 8th March
- The 'coolest little wine festival in the country' is back for another year. A free-range, family event celebrating local producers.
- Wild Stock Auckland - Sun 10th March
- Auckland's turn to celebrate wild food, wild beer and (most importantly) wild wine on Karangahape Rd. Hosted by Cult Wine & Beer Jerk.
- Havelock Mussel and Seafood Festival - Sat 14th March
- Celebrating it's 16th year in the Marlborough region, with delicious seafood, beer and wine and entertainment from Tiki Taane.
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Open Farm Day - Sunday 1st March 2020A reminder that Open Farms - a movement to reconnect urban and rural Kiwis - are asking farmers, across all food & fibre sectors, to sign up to host an Open Farm Day event. Or if you are interested in visiting a farm, registrations for visitors will be taken in the next few weeks, so keep an eye on their website for more details here.
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Taste WaikatoEver wanted a cookbook collection that showcases Waikato produce and producers? Well thanks to the voluntary efforts of Jan Bilton and her husband Michael Ryan, now you can! The book was published by Rotary Cambridge as a fundraiser and so far it has generated $39,000 to help within the community.
Taste Waikato is available from most Paper Plus stores in the Waikato, Pennys Bookstore in Chartwell, both the Taupo and Cambridge iSITE's or online here.
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