Dave Watson is a regular shopper at Grey Lynn Farmers Market and chair of the market committee.
Where did you grow up?
Titirangi, in the bush at the top of Mt Atkinson. I was a barefoot child running around the Waitakeres and the West Coast. It was an amazing place to grow up.
What about after you left school?
I studied advertising, marketing and photography, which led to me working in film as an art director. I worked on movies and television like Xena and hundreds of television commercials.
That’s a long way from your current sustainability focus.
In my early 20s, I had chronic health challenges that taught me about the systems of nature and the importance of healthy soil, clean water, healthy plants, healthy animals and healthy relationships for healthy people. These early lessons shaped my future – it was hard to justify promoting unhealthy and unsustainable foods and products in my professional life.
I wanted to make a difference and moved into various sustainability roles. I was proud to work for Splore as sustainability manager, in 2014, to develop a NZ benchmark for sustainable events. That led to creating a consultancy that supported event organisers and venues to embed sustainability into their activities.
How did you get involved in Grey Lynn Farmers Market?
I was always a regular shopper and the contract nature of our consultancy provided an opportunity for me to moonlight as the Market Manager for a year. I loved having the hands-on experience.
What is your current day job?
My role as Climate Action Partnerships at Auckland Council is fantastic, connecting people and creating opportunities to contribute to the delivery of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s climate plan. There are so many organisations and individuals actively working on a brighter future for us all – it’s a privilege to work with them.
The power of people...
Yes, I’ve always been a fan of grass-roots community-based initiatives. I have been involved in several community projects. As part of a community resilience project, I surveyed my street and held a street party. I was amazed to learn that there were people who had lived on the same street for 30 years and hadn’t met each other. There are so many disconnected communities where fences are built and people are so busy that they don’t have time to engage with their neighbours.
Is that what you love about the market?
Yes – I love the regular cadence of my Sunday morning, when my focus is food and community. I know a lot of stallholders and I run into heaps of friends and colleagues. In the modern paradigm it’s a rare opportunity to engage as a community – the healthy food and sustainable practices of the market are a bonus.
The first week of March is Farmers Market Week.
Grey Lynn has long been a member of Farmers Markets New Zealand. Farmers Markets provide a robust model for an alternate way of buying fresh, low-emission food, supporting small scale local food producers. Our market gives people the opportunity to buy their food directly from growers and makers of food. That’s worth celebrating.
You are currently the chair of the market committee.
Yes. I joined the committee because I wanted to give back and be of service to the community and I want to see the market continue to thrive. I took up the chair role when Mindy stepped down last year after a magnificent seven-year commitment to the market committee.
Anything interesting on the market’s horizon?
I want the market to operate as a sustainable example for other communities, markets and organisations in the hope that it inspires others to make change. We’re working on a project to stop single-use cups and plates when people eat and drink at the market. Watch this space.
Is there any time for other things outside work and the market?
I’m still an outdoors kid at heart. Ocean swimming and tramping are my main hobbies and I’m a massive e-bike fan. My kids used to ask me, “What car would I have if I could choose any car?" Although I still have one, my answer was always, “If I could choose any car I would choose an e-bike!”
www.greylynnfarmersmarket.co.nz
#PONSONBYNEWS #ILOVEPONSONBY #LOVEPONSONBY #PONSONBY #AUCKLAND #AUCKLANDSHIPPESTRIP #ONLYPONSONBY #PONSONBYROAD #GREYLYNN #FREEMANSBAY #WESTMERE #PONSONBY #HERNEBAY #STMARYSBAY #ARCHHILL #COXSBAY @FOLLOWERS #FOLLOWERS @EVERYONE #EVERYONE #WAITEMATALOCALBOARD @HIGHLIGHT
