Food Forests
Northland Tropical Food Forest Design Guide
Warm northern and coastal New Zealand regions can grow subtropical and tropical edibles year-round — avocado, macadamia, banana, passionfruit, feijoa and more. This guide links practical food-forest design to Troppo's living nursery in Te Puke.
Plan layers and species with our free NZ grower tools a...
Troppo Edible Jungle: Urban Food Forest in Action
Troppo is the hands-on, muddy-boots side of Vector Group — a living urban food forest in Te Puke where theory meets practice. We grow and trial subtropical edibles that show what is possible in warm Bay of Plenty conditions.
Explore our food forest articles and the national Kai Resilience network.
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A Day of Transformation: Diving Deep into the Te Puna Food Forest Install
Today, the air in Te Puna buzzed with excitement and the promise of a greener future as the Food Forests Tauranga Group hosted a highly anticipated Food Forest Install at Lindsay and Scotty’s picturesque property. This wasn't just a planting day; it was a masterclass in ecological design, tra...
Cyclone Tam’s Fury Brushes Te Puke: Northern Communities in Our Thoughts
Well, Cyclone Tam has certainly made its presence felt here in Aotearoa! While we in Te Puke haven't borne the brunt of its full force like our whanau up in the Far North, let me tell you, that wind has been something else!
For the past day or so, a constant, howling gale has been whipping through ...
A Community Building Toolkit for Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
1. Introduction: Sowing Seeds for Community Resilience
The Vision of Community Food Forests in the Bay of Plenty
Community food forests, also referred to as forest gardens, represent a holistic approach to land management that draws inspiration from natural forest ecosystems.1 Unlike conventional ...
Jared’s Food Forest Tour: Youth Kai Resilience in Te Puke
Troppo joined Jared on a visit to his burgeoning rural food forest near Te Puke — a practical example of how young growers and mentors can build kai resilience through layered, edible landscapes.
Explore food forest stories and Kai Resilience across the region.
Here at Troppo.nz, we're passionate a...
Permaculture Principles for a Thriving Home Garden in Bay of Plenty
Welcome to the wonderful world of permaculture gardening! Here at Troppo.nz, we believe that creating a flourishing and productive home garden in our beautiful Bay of Plenty doesn't have to be complicated. Permaculture offers a simple, yet powerful, set of principles that work with nature, not again...
Creating Your Own Urban Food Forest in Te Puke, NZ: A Step-by-Step Guide
Imagine stepping out your back door and into a lush, edible paradise. A place where fruit trees, berry bushes, and useful herbs grow in harmony, providing fresh, nutritious food right at your fingertips. This isn't a far-off dream – it's the reality of an urban food forest, and you can create one ri...
Designing a Low-Maintenance Food Forest: Tips for Te Puke’s Climate
Welcome to the Troppo.nz blog! For those of us lucky enough to call the beautiful Bay of Plenty home, particularly the fertile lands around Te Puke, the idea of a thriving, edible garden is often top of mind. But who has endless hours to dedicate to weeding, watering, and pest control? The good news...
Integrating Native Plants into Your Urban Food Forest for Enhanced Biodiversity
Welcome to the Troppo.nz blog! Today, we're diving into a fantastic way to make your urban food forest even more vibrant and beneficial: by weaving in some of our amazing native New Zealand plants. You might be thinking, "Food forest? Native plants? Do they even go together?" The answer is a resound...
How to Build a Vertical Food Forest for Limited Space in Te Puke
Living in beautiful Te Puke often means enjoying the outdoors, but what if you have limited garden space and still dream of fresh, homegrown produce? The answer might just be a vertical food forest! This innovative gardening technique allows you to grow a surprising amount of food in a small footpri...
Understanding Soil Health in a Permaculture Garden: Te Puke Edition
Welcome, fellow green thumbs and aspiring permaculturists! Here at Troppo.nz, we’re passionate about creating thriving, resilient gardens that work with nature, not against it. And at the heart of a successful permaculture system lies one crucial element: healthy soil.
Especially here in our beauti...
Rainwater Harvesting for Sustainable Food Forests in Bay of Plenty
Welcome to Troppo.nz! Here in the fertile Bay of Plenty, we’re often blessed with ample rainfall. But are we truly capitalizing on this natural gift, especially when it comes to nurturing our thriving food forests? Rainwater harvesting offers a clever and sustainable method to hydrate your edible la...
Composting Secrets for a Nutrient-Rich Food Forest in Your Backyard
Imagine stepping into your backyard and being greeted by a thriving food forest – lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and the promise of delicious, homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It sounds like a dream, right? Well, one of the biggest secrets to making this dream a reality lies right under you...
Attracting Pollinators to Your Urban Food Forest
Welcome, green thumbs and aspiring urban farmers! Here at Troppo.nz, we believe that even in the heart of our towns and cities, we can cultivate thriving food forests bursting with life. A crucial ingredient for a successful and productive urban food forest is a healthy population of pollinators. Th...
“Hei Tiki” email response
Mauri, my plant family.
This morning, I received an email questioning my branding, expressing concerns that it might diminish the integrity of my mahi through misappropriation. It caught me off guard, but I acknowledge the importance of these kōrero. Conversations around culture, identity, and resp...
The Easiest Way to Harvest Banana Bunches – Plus an Exciting Ice Cream Project.
Troppo shares key activities and insights while preparing for the 'Flavours of Plenty' event and managing their garden. The focus is on banana harvesting techniques, replacing banana clumps with rarer varieties, and handling an overgrown 'green Abyssinian.'
https://youtu.be/2jdGwuTpcbc
Harvesting ...
A Green Encounter
It's not every day that your passion project catches the attention of someone who shares your vision for a greener, more sustainable world. That's exactly what happened when Bahareh from Green and Wild visited our Troppo urban tropical food forest and nursery in Te Puke, Bay of Plenty. The exci...
Youth Getting Into Syntropic Agroforestry: A Visit from Jared
The future of regenerative agriculture and food security is bright when young growers step up! It’s always exciting to see passionate youth diving into the world of syntropic agroforestry. Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting Jared and his father, Steve, for a tour of Troppo’s tropical food fore...
Sorting Shelving & Preparing for Winter in Te Puke ️
As the temperatures start to drop in the Bay of Plenty, it’s time to shift gears and prepare the plants for winter. While we don’t experience extreme frosts like some other regions, cooler nights, damp conditions, and occasional cold snaps can slow down growth and impact some of the more sensitive t...
Our Mission: Cultivating a Thriving, Regenerative Future
Our Mission: Cultivating a Thriving, Regenerative Future
We are committed to creating a thriving, sustainable food forest that not only nourishes our local community but also serves as a model for regenerative agriculture in the Bay of Plenty and beyond. By fostering deep connections between people...
Te Puke Community Food Forest Proposal
This formal proposal seeks support from the Te Puke Community Board and Western Bay of Plenty District Council for a community food forest rooted in kai resilience — local food security, education and Vector Group Charitable Trust's Te Puke vision.
Related: Food forests · Kai Resilience network
Sub...
Which White Sapote variety should i choose to plant for a new zealand food.
Many gardeners in New Zealand are discovering the benefits of growing White Sapote in their food forests, but choosing the right variety is vital for success. Some cultivars tolerate cooler temperatures better, while others produce smoother, creamier fruit with superior flavor. Since New Zealand’s c...
20 reasons to create a food forest in new zealand
1. **Promotes Biodiversity**: Food forests support a diverse array of plants and wildlife, contributing to ecosystem health.
2. **Sustainable Food Production**: They provide a sustainable source of fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables, reducing dependence on store-bought produce.
3. **Soil Health Im...
Creating a Thriving Food Forest with Tropicals in Te Puke
In Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, we are bringing together a diverse selection of plants to create a thriving food forest, incorporating a mix of tropical and subtropical species suited to our unique climate. By carefully selecting and layering plants—ranging from hardy bananas and taro to rare exotic frui...
Cultivating Abundance: The Rise of Food Forests in New Zealand
**Title: Cultivating Abundance: The Rise of Food Forests in New Zealand**
In the heart of New Zealand’s lush landscapes, a quiet revolution is taking root. Food forests, a concept as old as nature itself, are gaining momentum as a sustainable and regenerative way to grow food, restore ecosystems,...
Food Forest Directory of New Zealand
The collation of Foodforests.nz URLs and descriptions is a comprehensive directory of food forests across New Zealand. This resource aims to highlight and showcase the diverse range of food forest initiatives, offering an invaluable guide for enthusiasts, growers, educators, and community groups. Th...
Welcome to FoodForests.nz!
Step into a world where gardens transform into thriving ecosystems, and every plant tells a story of resilience, connection, and abundance. At FoodForests.nz, we are passionate about empowering individuals, families, and communities across New Zealand to create lush, sustainable food forests that in...
Urban Residential Food Forest in Te Puke
A Hub for Kai Resilience, Food Security, and Rare Tropical Plants
Welcome to our Urban Residential Food Forest in Te Puke — a living example of sustainable, community-focused growing. Nestled in the heart of New Zealand’s kiwifruit capital, this space is more than just a garden; it’s a thriving eco...
Brett’s Omanawa Food Forest Tour in the Bay of Plenty
Brett’s down-to-earth, true blue Kiwi approach to cultivating a thriving food forest in the Bay of Plenty is nothing short of inspiring. His philosophy revolves around keeping things simple, practical, and genuinely accessible, ensuring that anyone—whether a seasoned grower or a complete newbie—can ...
Annona – Rare and Delicious Exotic Fruit Trees for Food Forests
Most enthusiasts of food forests are often unaware of the extraordinary potential of Annona trees, which produce rare and delicious fruits like cherimoya, soursop, and sugar apple. These exotic trees not only enhance biodiversity in your garden but also provide unique flavors that can elevate your c...
Regional Kai Resilience Hui: Ōmanawa Food Forest Tour
Nau mai, haere mai — the Regional Kai Resilience Network Hui in Ōmanawa brought together growers and communities dedicated to strengthening food resilience through shared knowledge, tours and practical collaboration.
More food forest events and the national hub at Kai Resilience.
Nau mai, haere mai...
Kriso’s Food Forest Te Puke: Syntropic Agroforestry Model
Kriso's Food Forest.
Nestled in the lush landscapes of Te Puke, Kriso's Food Forest stands as a beacon of sustainable agriculture and community spirit. This vibrant sanctuary is a testament to nature's power and a thriving example of syntropic agroforestry in action. With generous support from Tr...
Food Forests Tauranga
Food Forests Tauranga Facebook group is a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for growing food forests, regardless of their size. This group is dedicated to sharing and seeking local knowledge and experiences to enhance our collective understanding and success in food fo...
Durian REACTS with TROPPO – The Taste: Sweet, Savory, and WTF? ️
Reaction to Eating Durian: The Worst Fruit in the World!
Durian, often crowned the "King of Fruits," might just as well be the court jester given the reactions it provokes! With a smell that could knock over a sumo wrestler and a taste that sends taste buds on a rollercoaster, this fruit is as inf...
Understanding and Applying SMART Goals to Garden Maintenance and Food Forests
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework is widely used to set clear, actionable objectives. Let’s break down each component:
Specific: Goals should be clear and specific, answering the questions of who, what, where, when, an...
Plants Biosecurity Index
The Plants Biosecurity Index (PBI) is a searchable database of over 30,000 plant species. It provides information on whether they can be imported into New Zealand as seeds or nursery stock.
For a more in depth search please visit the MPI website.
More from Troppo
Food Forests
Troppo Article...
Shout out!! Food Forest Workshop Tauranga Sunday 7th July
Kia Ora Food Forests Tauranga Community! My name is Jim and my wife and I live in Mount Maunganui. In previous years I have help manage organic markets gardens and am currently working as a landscaper. I have learnt so much this year about Food Forests and Syntropic Agroforestry via studying from By...
Quick Guide on Prioritizing Tasks Using the Eisenhower Matrix and ABCDE Method.
Prioritizing tasks effectively is crucial for maximizing productivity and efficiency in your food forests, gardening projects, and syntropic agroforestry systems. Here’s how you can use the Eisenhower Matrix and the ABCDE method to organize your tasks.
Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix, also...
Holly Havoc: The Invasive Charm of Ilex aquifolium & Ilex cornuta in New Zealand
Greetings, fellow garden enthusiasts and nature warriors! Today, we’re uncovering the prickly truth about Holly – specifically, Ilex aquifolium (English Holly) and Ilex cornuta (Chinese Holly). These festive-looking plants may conjure up images of holiday cheer with their spiky leaves and bright re...