Te Waerenga Ōtautahi Vege Bags

28/08/2026

We have come to the end of winter! ❄️

Highlights:
- Quick growth for our broccoli & cauliflower.
- Our new tunnel has been a dream (warm and less drafty)
- Kura education sessions. Had fun showing 2x local kura around the garden & teaching about renerative agriculture.
- Carrots! We have pulled over 1 tonne in the past 3 months. Sweet and delicious.

Lowlights:
- Our new plot in Addington Park is more shady than expected.
- Lost most of our celery crop to disease.
- Our lettuce grew so so slow in comparison to previous winter seasons.
- Our new vege wash station is a wind tunnel… absolutely freezing in a southerly.
- Spring onions have been a winter flop. Fingers crossed they will perform better in Spring

Lots of people complain about the supermarket duopoly & want to support local.

Big big mihi to all our vege bag subscribers - y’all are a key part of the change. Not just talking about change but actually putting your grocery dollars on the table.

Want to support our local food system?
Sign up now for a subscription vege bag on our website: otautahiveges.nz

25/08/2026

Winter - Frequently asked questions

1) Do you keep growing over winter?
Yes. We get ok sunshine hours most of winter - stuff slows down, but it still grows. The biggest killer for our winter crops would be flooding or a blanket of snow that sits for many days on end. We haven't had a heavy snow in years. & we have good drainage in Addington.

2) Why do you have big white covers over the crops?
We use micro-clima crop protection covers for our more sensitive crops like lettuce. It slows down the air movement and allows the crops to warm up. 1 or 2 degrees makes a big difference & allows our crops to keep photosynthesising when the sun's out. Most of our crops don't get the micro-clima cover special treatment; they just have to toughen up.

3) What's in the vege bag this week?
Celery, cauli or broccoli, spinach, radish microgreens, parsley, salad mix, kale, cavolo nero.

4) What are you planting this week?
2 beds of spring transplanted lettuce. Sowing some carrots direct-seeded for Xmas. Sowing some more broccoli & cabbage for pre-Xmas. Rocket direct-seeded for mid-spring (fingers crossed they grow quick).

Want to support our local food system?
Sign up now for a subscription vege bag on our website: otautahiveges.nz

24/08/2026

🌱 We’re hiring – Part-Time Market Gardener

Want to make a difference in strengthening kai security? We’re looking for a part-time gardener to join our team at Te Waerenga.

This is a permanent position with flexible working days. It’s a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in market gardening. You’ll have exposure to everything from planting and crop care through to harvesting, washing and packing produce.

We’re looking for someone who:
- Has at least one season of growing experience and a genuine passion for organics
- Is practical, reliable and physically capable, with a willingness to work outdoors in all weather.
- Works well with others and is a confident communicator
- Has a full driver’s licence and a car for deliveries (mileage reimbursement provided)

Living wage pay - $29.90/ hour.
Permanent position in Addington, Ōtautahi Christchurch.
May–September: 12 hours per week, October–April: 15 hours per week.

Email us your CV to apply for the job and tell us why you think you’d be a good fit: [email protected]

11/08/2026

Cooking with the seasons - this week's vege bag recipe was shared with us by Grace.

Cheese, garlic and parsley tear-apart loaf

‘Cold winter days call for a warming soup and bread. I decided to experiment with some more exciting bread this week, and it did not disappoint. A really low effort recipe that is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.’

1) Make a batch of your favourite bread dough, be sure not to bake it just yet
By hand: https://www.thekiwicountrygirl.com/5-ingredient-basic-white-bread-recipe/

Bread machine: https://edmondscooking.co.nz/recipes/breads-and-buns/breadmaker-loaves

2) Now to make the filling. Mix together the following ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. Room Temperature Butter
• 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
• 1 Tbsp. Dried Basil
• One bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Dried Oregano
• 200g Grated Mozzarella Cheese or Colby chedder

3) Roll out the bread dough to about half a cm thick
4) Spread the filling mix evenly across it
5) Cut the dough into approximately 16 even squares and pile them up
6) Line a loaf tin with baking paper and place the dough layers in so they are standing vertically in the tin
7) Allow to rise for about 40-60 minutes so it doubles in size
Place in a preheated oven at 175 degrees celcius
9) Bake for about 30-40 minutes, you may need to check on the bread at 20 mins and place some foil over it to prevent it burning
10) Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin
11) Serve and enjoy with your favourite soup

04/08/2026

SNOW! Cold mornings in the garden call for heaps of layers and a generous supply of hot tea.

This week we’ve got something a little different going into the vege bags: beautiful organic fennel from our friend Burdock in Lincoln.

Fennel is fantastic roasted with garlic — it becomes sweet, caramelised and wonderfully tender.

We have spots available for our subscription vege bags. Check out our website to sign up!

14/07/2026

Our vege bags have been packed with winter spinach (perpetual spinach) lately. It's way softer than silverbeet and handles frosty weather far better than regular spinach.

Grace has turned it into another cooking with the seasons vege bag recipe:

Spinach & Feta Puff Pastry Triangles

"I don't think there's much that pastry doesn't go well with pastry. These are super easy to put together, great as a main or a side and just a general crowd pleaser. As we enter Winter I have been looking for some cosier recipes to look forward to in the evening. If you are super organised you could even make these ahead and freeze them before you cook them, just make sure to let them thaw a little before putting them in the oven when you choose to use them."

Ingredients:
Filling-
2 tbsp olive oil
280 g fresh spinach
3 spring onions, finely sliced
½ bunch dill, chopped or 2Tbsp of dried dill
½ bunch mint, chopped or 2Tbsp of dried mint
2 eggs
200 g feta, crumbled
40 g breadcrumbs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Pastry-
4 sheets puff pastry (partially thawed)
1 egg (for brushing)
Sesame seeds (optional)
Sea salt flakes (optional)

Instructions:
-Heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan).
-Cook spinach
-Heat oil in a pan.
-Add spinach and cook until wilted (2–3 minutes).
-Let cool, then squeeze out excess water and chop.
-In a bowl, mix spring onions, dill, mint, eggs, feta, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
-Stir in chopped spinach.
-Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares (16 total).
-Add about ⅓ cup filling to one corner of each square.
-Fold into triangles and press edges to seal.
-Use a fork to crimp edges.
-Place on lined baking trays.
-Brush with egg.
-Sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt.
-Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden.
-Serve with some salad and roasted sweet potatoes or your chosen veggies.

05/07/2026

One of our favourite parts of growing kai is hearing how it becomes part of people's weekly rhythm!

Reading google reviews like this reminds us why we do what we do. It's not just about the dirt and the veges—it's about helping people reconnect with the seasons & cook creatively at home.

A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave us a review. It means a lot - especially in the middle of winter when it is bucketing down with rain.

29/06/2026

It's cabbage season!
Napa, Savoy & the common green cabbage have all made a feature in our vege bag over the seasons. Highly nutritious & packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber.

Here's a great cabbage recipe. Special thanks to Grace for testing this one out in her kitchen and sharing the results!

Sauteed Napa Cabbage

A great side dish to go with your favourite Asian dish. Really easy way to add some extra veggies to your meal and a nice way to stop cabbage from going too soggy. I served mine alongside a beef stir fry. If you don't have time to be watching a frying pan I have also tried baking it in the oven which works well.

Ingredients
-1 medium Napa cabbage (or any cabbage) quartered lengthwise, try to keep a bit of stem on each quarter to hold the leaves together
-1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce:
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin or substitute with rice vinegar + a pinch of sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Garnish:
Sesame seeds
Chives or spring onions
Chilli flakes

Instructions
-Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, put to one side.
-Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
-Add the cabbage quarters and pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side, covering the pan with a lid to speed up cooking.
-Flip each piece inner-side up and drizzle with the sauce. Cook for 30 seconds.
-Flip again to let the sauce caramelize underneath the cabbage.
-Serve immediately, sprinkle with sesame seeds, spring onions and chilli flakes if you like a little heat .

22/06/2026

Where do we grow our kai?

Right here in the heart of Ōtautahi. Growing food in the city just makes sense — it's local, reduces food miles, supports biodiversity, and helps connect people with where their food comes from.

Huge mihi to Will Harvie and The Press for putting together this video, which captures some of the heart of what we do.

Addington Park is our newest and largest growing site. The soil is incredible, and the abundance we're seeing already is exciting.

If you're curious about how we grow our vegetables, where your food comes from, or want to learn more about our kaupapa, check out our website in our bio.

Using ‘small plot intensive’ methods, a dedicated team of volunteers have transformed Addington backyards and a park into thriving vegetable patches.

16/06/2026

Our Garden Manager, Wilby, is being interviewed on RNZ Checkpoint today!

Tune in if you're keen to hear more about our new garden, the journey so far, and our growing focus on supplying fresh local veges through our Ōtautahi Vege Bags programme.

Listen live on RNZ from 5.25 pm.