YOUR INDUSTRY
TOMTIT MARKET GARDEN HUMMING IN MATANGI Words by Claire Ashton
Brittany Morison in her stall
Brittany Morison says she is really 'just gardening' in her new market garden venture in Matangi, Tomtit. Brittany was studying Nutrition at the University of Otago, fully immersed in the academic side of things. After her degree, she moved to Auckland and began working in the research field, but felt she also wanted to connect people with food and was missing out on experiencing that connection. Brittany is now a registered nutritionist (NSNZ) with a passion for academic research, but she is putting her years of study to use at a grassroots level by getting families interested in locally grown biodiverse produce you wouldn't otherwise see on the supermarket shelves. She became very focused on growing food and began to take a particular interest in market gardeners, realising how much beautiful land there is out there. She even went out and worked on some market gardens as a wwoofer (Willing Workers on Organic Farms). She got involved with Auckland community gardens Kelmarna in Herne Bay and OMG (Organic Market Garden) in Eden Terrace, just down the road from where she was living, which was practising regenerative agriculture in a working farm model. She also became aware of Kaitake Farm in Taranaki, sustainable growers who have a market garden she admires.
Brittany's parents relocated from a farm to Matangi in the Waikato, onto land which boasts good soil quality and also had a spare paddock which was “just growing grass.” Eyeing this up she quit her full-time Auckland job, took on a part-time research job at Waikato University, and put her efforts into starting a market garden in the paddock. A bit like its namesake, Tomtit, the garden started small then grew as she had more time to put into it, so that by September 2020, she had it up and running at around 1,000 square metres.
She is putting her years of study to use at a grassroots level by getting families interested in locally grown biodiverse produce you wouldn't otherwise see on the supermarket shelves Brittany's partner James has a law and commerce degree and works in rural finance. James built everything for the market garden and has picked up practical skills such as regenerative techniques, irrigation and tunnel house construction. He loves coming out to the garden after work NZGROWER : JUNE 2021 37
