Location: Te Kupenga o Rongomai Maidstone Sports Hub, 11 Railway Avenue, Upper Hutt

Thinking of growing your own kai (food) at home? Already an experienced gardener, but keen to boost your knowledge about soil health and restoration, Indigenous food systems and regenerative, organic, hua parakore principles?

Join us for a free event with Dr Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati), featuring two short film screenings about her work followed by a kōrero and Q&A session.

To help us plan for the event, please let us know if you’d like to attend.

We’re hosting this event as part of Upper Hutt Food Week. Nau mai, haere mai – everyone is welcome to attend.

About Dr Jessica Hutchings

Dr Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati) is a local grower, researcher, and thought leader in Māori food sovereignty and hua parakore. She has published books on food systems, offers research, consultancy services and trainings, and practices hua parakore on her farm right here in Kaitoke.

Read more about her work.

Film programme

Seeds of Unity

Seeds of Unity follows Jessica’s hīkoi to India, where she explores the deepening of Indigenous relationships and their key in reclaiming land and preserving cultural heritage by taking care of the soil, saving seeds and planting traditional kai.

Produced and directed by Māoriland Films, it amplifies the power of mana wāhine to foster a world where cultures thrive and Earth is respected and preserved for future generations.

Hua Parakore, Rebuilding Our Broken Food System

We will play an episode of this television series made by Papawhakaritorito Trust,  Storybox and Māoriland Films.

The series offers a way forward for all whānau by exploring how growing food and restoring soil is an act of tino rangatiratanga and a revitalisation of Māori ancestral knowledge in practical ways.

A “thank you” to Upper Hutt City Council for requesting that this article be put up on The Upper Hutt Connection.

29/01/26