Under the scorching summer sun of mid February, a small but enthusiastic team gathered at Ngahuripoke Community Garden in Northcote with one simple yet meaningful mission, to harvest potatoes! This humble, hands on event was led by Kaipātiki Project’s Regeneration Team Leader Derek Craig and Community Activator Karla Macdonald and it turned out to be a heartwarming celebration of community, connection and kai.
Despite the heat, six dedicated participants, including four Kāinga Ora clients and two members of the Kāinga Ora management team, rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in, unearthing the golden goodies they’d lovingly planted months earlier. By the end of the harvest, half a 50L bucket of potatoes had been dug, sorted and shared among the team and ready to share amongst the wider Ngahuripoke community.
For Karla, this was a particularly special moment, her very first community-led project event with Kaipātiki Project. There were a few unknowns and a healthy dose of nerves, but even more excitement about finally meeting the group who had been counting down to the harvest day.
“There’s something special about nurturing a garden, planting, tending and watching the fruits of your labour grow. Food has a unique way of bringing people together; it breaks the ice, sparks conversation and reminds us of all that we share,” - Karla reflected.
As the soil was turned and the first potatoes appeared, memories came flooding back for Karla, childhood moments spent with her late Poppa, who loved to gather the grandkids around the garden to watch him dig the first spuds of the season. “He’d loosen the soil with an old pitchfork and those first potatoes would rise like nuggets of gold. To us kids, they might as well have been treasure. We’d carry them like prized possessions back to the kitchen, where Nana would boil them with fresh mint, straight from the garden, just the way we liked them.”
While the soil at the Ngahuripoke community garden proved to be a bit tougher, Derek’s determination never wavered and sure enough, the potatoes came. Each one a small but powerful symbol of patience, care and teamwork. The mood was light, filled with laughter, reminiscing of the original planting, community updates and pride in what had been achieved.
More than just a vegetable harvest, this event reflected what Ngahuripoke Community Garden stands for, a space for connection, learning and collective care. For many involved, it wasn’t just about pulling spuds from the ground, it was about honouring tradition, building relationships and experiencing the joy of growing and sharing kai together.
“From one potato patch came a shared moment and from that moment, stronger community roots were planted.” – Karla Macdonald.