Kelmarna Gardens has stopped all non-essential operations at the gardens

In light of our advance to Alert Level 4 last week, we have stopped all non-essential operations at the gardens, and closed Kelmarna to volunteers and visitors.

Over the weekend, we were pleased to hear clarification from the government that contactless deliveries of local fruit and veg boxes are deemed essential and can go ahead. This enables many small growers across the country to keep supplying their local communities and prevent huge amounts of fresh produce from going to waste.

For the next few weeks, we are planning to trial a weekly box delivery, including a selection of our fresh fruit and veg.

We continue to follow the latest best practice guidelines for food producers to prevent transmission and are dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our community.

Priority for our elders and higher risk
Since we can only put together a limited number of boxes, we have decided to offer first priority to members of our community who are over 70, or otherwise at increased risk, and unable to go to the supermarket for themselves.

We know that many of our regular customers fall into this bracket, and it makes sense to us to give them first dibs on getting their veggies delivered at this point.

In case you were wondering, we’re not interested in checking birth certificates or medical records, we have total trust in our community to allow our elders to the front of the queue ✌️.

If you don't fall into the higher risk bracket, but would be keen to join the back of the queue, let us know and we'd be happy to put you on the reserve list in case there are any boxes still available.

Ordering a box
At this stage we are offering a $35 box of Kelmarna veg and fruit. Exact contents may vary slightly, but this week's boxes will include roughly:
salad mix (300g)
bunch of kale or silverbeet
seasonal herbs
spring onions
courgette
cucumber
beans
radishes
turnips
seasonal fruit - either bananas & casimiroa or feijoas & guavas this week.

Delivery will be by courier within a 3km radius of Kelmarna, and costs $8. This includes Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Westmere, Freemans Bay, and St Marys Bay.

The first deliveries will take place on Friday this week.

To place your order (or join the reserve list), please email hello@kelmarnagardens.nz, or hit reply to this email, and we'll get your details and arrange payment by bank transfer. Orders must be placed by the end of Wednesday.

It's first-come-first-served, but if you don't make the cut for the first round of boxes, we'll put you down first for next week's.

Gardens closed to public under Level 4
Though we are operating an essential service, we are certainly not taking this to mean business as usual. We have a collective responsibility to do all we can to make this 4-week isolation period effective, so that it is as short as possible.

In light of this:
there will be two staff members working shifts on the site, in order to do what's necessary to keep our vegetables and animals alive and well, and production flowing

we will be closely following all hygiene, physical distancing, and food safety protocols set out by MPI and the Ministry of Health for food producers

there is to be no unauthorised public access to the site, including the shop, gardens, animals, and general visiting. This is to protect our staff members, please respect this at all times

all volunteering at Kelmarna is suspended for the period

Soil Factory composting services are suspended for the period. The photo above shows volunteers outside the gardens when they were open.

www.kelmarnagardens.nz

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