Nau mai, haere mai – Welcome to Taranaki, the ultimate Spring destination.
A little less reliant, a little more sustainable. For decades, permaculture occupied a curious place in New Zealand's gardening culture. While its principles had deep roots in Aotearoa since the 1970s, it sat outside what many considered mainstream gardening—frequently associated with environmentalists, alternative lifestyles and “hippies” rather than the neat quarter-acre sections that dominated much of post-war New Zealand. My grandparents maintained a substantial vegetable garden on their property, complete with saved seeds and fruit trees grafted with multiple varieties. Their lawn edges were clipped to precise right angles and every crop had its designated place in a tidy row. Their approach looked very different from the food forests and companion planting systems associated with the environmental gardening movement that sat in the sidelines, but both shared the same goal: resilience. Somewhere along the way, home food production lost its place in everyday life. Supermarkets became more convenient, lifestyles busier, and access to land increasingly difficult. Growing vegetables shifted from a normal household activity to a hobby practiced by a minority. An even smaller demographic were those who practised growing kai among integrated natural landscapes without pesticides. During the spring of 2015 in Taranaki, a group of these motivated folks established the Sustainable Backyards Trail. This fledging event grew steadily in attendance until 2020, when popularity shot up. The global pandemic prompted many people to reassess their relationship with food. Empty supermarket shelves and disrupted supply chains served as a reminder that groceries don't simply appear on demand. Across New Zealand, people planted vegetables and experimented with baking and brewing. For some, what began as a
practical response to uncertainty has became more meaningful: a renewed connection to the land. Awareness of environmental issues, rising living costs, and climate resilience have also continued to grow. More people are asking questions about how to lessen their reliance on goods and services controlled by the global market. Interest around understanding the natural processes that underpin successful growing have
were often the same people installing solar panels, driving Taranaki's first electric vehicles, experimenting with natural building materials or applying regenerative principles on farms. And visitors were keen to know about it! To reflect this wider interest, properties began to include commercial agriculture ventures such as dairy farms and market gardens, as well as tiny homes or passive builds. In doing so, the event
“The focus is less about permaculture perfection, and more about sharing ideas that others can adapt to their own circumstances.” also increased. Gardeners rediscovered the value of saving seed, propagation, growing heritage varieties and encouraging beneficial relationships between plants. For many, a thriving garden is more than a collection of plants; it is an ecosystem of interconnected relationships. Scientific research has helped bring many of these ideas into the mainstream. As understanding of soil biology, microbial activity and ecosystem health has expanded, gardeners have become more selective about the products they use. Rather than relying solely on synthetic fertilisers and chemical sprays, there is a focus on building healthy soil and natural alternatives that make use of resources already available at home. Our event has evolved, too. People want to explore properties they can relate to—we aim to include small urban sections and hosts a few years into their journey, right through to larger lifestyle blocks and well-established growing systems. The focus is less about permaculture perfection, and more about sharing ideas, experiences and practical solutions that others can adapt to their own circumstances and stage. It has also become apparent to us as coordinators that sustainable gardening rarely exists in isolation. The people creating productive backyards
settled into the new evolution and name, Taranaki Sustainable Trails: Backyards, Builds & Farms. Now in it's third year, the Taranaki Sustainable Trails reflects a broader shift in how we think about food, housing, resource use, and environmental stewardship. Visitors can explore practical ideas at every scale—from productive urban backyards and bucket worm farms to energy-efficient homes and organic market gardens. The appeal lies in its accessibility and authenticity: people don't need to be sold on overhauling their lives overnight. Instead, they can engage with a range of folks who bring a broad collective experience, gradually adopting new ideas and building knowledge, confidence and resilience along the way. Whether you're seeking inspiration, practical solutions or simply a glimpse of what's possible, the open gates, doors and farm tracks of Taranaki offer a window into a future that is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Mā te waewae e kimi, karawhiua. %/' ($))&'1!5 .0!3$+'$"*/ ,#$+*! -&24&+'$3&# Follow us
sustainabletrailsnz
Start Planning Your Trail There is loads to do and heaps to learn. Check out our properties and events online, order a Bundle card, and plan your Trail with our NEW app. Backyards Trail 30 Oct - 8 Nov
Builds & Farms Trail 9 – 15 Nov
Our backyards are all shapes, sizes and styles— small and flat to large and sloped, tidy edges to flowing integrated systems.
With our builds you'll know the ins-and-outs of sustainable design, construction & living.
Garden hosts tour you around their property, talking to the benefits of chooks, worm farms, rainwater collection, no-dig beds and much, much more. Open hours. All backyards are open 10am4pm weekends, with several properties open during the midweek. Register. All events & talks need to be booked online in advance. Accessibility.. There are backyards to Accessibility accommodate families, dogs on leash, and limited mobility. Enjoy eBike or bus tours, so you don’t have to drive. Entry.. $3 cash per backyard or purchase a Entry Backyards Bundle card ($15 for 5 entries and 3 seed packets). Events range in price, but they're all great value. Order a Bundle card online and we’ll post it with a printed programme and double the seeds!
Walk through tiny homes, passive designs, hemp and rammed earth builds, sustainable renovations, and hear about solar, water harvesting, and more! And our farms & lifestyle blocks share how healthy, local food can be grown. From rare breeds and spray-free strawberries to organic dairy and solar powered piggeries, our farms will strengthen your connection between what we eat and how it can be sustainably produced. Our lifestyle blocks explore energy generation and efficiencies through to waste reduction, soil fertility, animal care, food production and preservation. Register. Builds & Farms Trail tours and events need to be booked online via our website or app.
Check out our NEW app or website for more details, save favourites, plan a day, or create personalised routes.
sustainabletrails.org.nz
Entry. Builds & Farms Trail tours and events are mostly free, or if there’s a cost, it's great value.
Just a taste of what's on offer. With more than thirty engaging and affordable events, you'll come away with an abundance of tips and tricks for your own backyard, home or farm. Growing Kai with the Maramataka
Seeds: Saving & Sowing Success
Sun 1 Nov 5pm – 7pm in Onaero, Taranaki $30 incl. snacks, refreshments & maramataka dial
Thu 5 Nov 6pm-8pm in New Plymouth $30 incl. refreshments, tea towel & seeds
Discover maramataka, the mātauranga Māori approach to māra kai. Practical strategies for planning, sowing, transplanting, harvesting and preserving by observing nature's rhythms and tohu.
Know the essentials for saving seeds, crosspollination, and sowing for success. This interactive workshop will get you sieving, fermenting, and shelling before creating DIY seed mix.
Plant Propagation
Mon 9 Nov 1.30pm-3pm in Korito, Taranaki Free
Mon 2 Nov 10am-11.30am & 5.30pm-7pm in New Plymouth $20 incl. refreshments & propagated plants
Propagation is a useful and affordable way to gain plants throughout the year. Get hands on and learn which methods - cuttings, grafting, budding, dividing, layering - suit various types of plants.
Food Scraps to Living Soil Discover how food waste from local businesses is being transformed into a resource for the land - bokashi fermentation, composting systems, biological monitoring, and use of compost within regenerative growing systems.
Photo: Mickey Ross Photography
Switch onto Solar & EVs
Fruit Trees: Bountiful & Healthy Fri 6 Nov 1pm – 3.30pm in Hurford, Taranaki From $75 incl. refreshments & snacks
Tue 10 Nov 6pm – 8pm in New Plymouth $5 incl. snacks & refreshments
Join the knowledgeable Kath Irvine and Bena Denton to learn how to get the best from your fruit trees. A focus on spring training and building healthy orchard soil with nutrient-rich ramial chip mulch.
Bookings essential for all events. Don’t leave it too late!
Explore how to make the most of solar, EVs, energy retailers and the basics of generating, storing, using, and selling power. Hear real experiences from solar, battery, and EV experts & owners to support your energy resilience journey.
sustainabletrails.org.nz
Lake Mangamahoe
Scan the QR code or head to taranaki.co.nz/spring-festivals to enter and find full terms and conditions.
YOUR SPRING FESTIVAL ESCAPE STARTS HERE TARANAKI MUST DO’S