Kai West Collective

28/10/2026

We have more exciting events coming up in Karekare 🌞

On November 14th, Claire will be leading a workshop on making her famous bread! This workshop was so popular it has already booked up ✨

Missed out? The great news is there is another workshop taking place THIS Sunday, at 10am - 1pm!

Amanda from Compost Collective will be teaching us all about how banana swale composting works. This workshop covers how to design, build, and maintain a low-maintenance banana swale system.

Discover how banana swales turn food scraps and garden waste into healthy soil, capture water, and nourish bananas and other productive plants.

Numbers are limited - registration is essential. Email [email protected] for more information and to RSVP 🌿

23/10/2026

🌱 Our communities are amazing, and this story is a beautiful reminder of why. 💚

From community gardens to street pantries, it’s the people who come together, share what they have, and care for their neighbours who make our communities stronger.

Across West Auckland, we see this every day. People growing kai, sharing seeds and seedlings, passing on knowledge, creating spaces to connect, and finding local ways to make good kai more accessible to their whānau and neighbours.

These initiatives are about so much more than food. They’re about manaakitanga, belonging, sharing skills and knowledge, and building the relationships that help our neighbourhoods thrive. They show what’s possible when communities lead, local knowledge is valued, and people have the support and connections they need to turn their ideas into action.

At Kai West, we feel privileged to connect and support the amazing people and initiatives working towards a more resilient, equitable and locally grounded food system. Our communities already hold so much knowledge, generosity and potential. Imagine what we can achieve when we nurture these connections and give locally led initiatives the conditions and resources they need to flourish.

He waka eke noa. We’re all in this together. 💚

Read the story from OurAuckland: From community gardens to street pantries - https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2026/10/from-community-gardens-to-street-pantries/

Henderson-Massey Local Board Waitākere Ranges Local Board Whau Local Board Glenavon Community Hub Triangle Park Community Teaching Garden Ambrico Neighbourhood Hub

Across west Auckland, communities are finding their own ways to grow, share and access fresh, affordable kai.

21/10/2026

A great piece of history about portage road and surroundings, and how it was a key portal for community connections, kōrero, trading and the crossing of waka between harbours. Worth sharing it ❤️

16/10/2026

What are political parties proposing for a fairer food system in Aotearoa?
For those who missed tonight’s Vote for Kai political debate, RNZ has shared an article exploring political parties’ plans to support a better food system for Aotearoa.
Food is more than what ends up on our plates. It is about health, dignity, culture, livelihoods, our connection to whenua, and the wellbeing of our communities. Everyone should be able to access healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate kai, regardless of where they live or how much they earn.
As we look towards the election, it’s important to understand what different parties are proposing and how their policies could help create a food system that is fairer, more resilient and works for everyone.
Kai West

Aotearoa New Zealand produces enough food annually to feed 40 million people - most of it exported. Yet it is estimated one in three households experience some form of hunger or food insecurity.

13/10/2026

This Saturday, something exciting is happening in Karekare 🌿

Join us for a relaxed community lunch this spring and celebrate the new season with kai & community! All welcome, drop in event 😀

We know that building resilient local kai networks is about more than growing and sharing food; it's also about growing connections, strengthening community and making sure we can look after each other. This kind of connection can be a key ingredient to supporting local food systems.

When/where: Saturday 17th October | 12 Midday @ Karekare Surf Club

What's on:
🥙 Free kai + drinks
🌱 Seed swap
🖍️ Activities for tamariki (squash growing competition launch + design your own seed packet)
🥔 Kai basket giveaway (seed potatoes)

Ngā mihi to Kai West, Grow Karekare & Waitakere Ranges Local Board for their support of this event.

01/10/2026

The Auckland Heritage Festival offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the stories, places, food and traditions that have shaped West Auckland.

Across a range of events, we can learn from those who came before us and discover how people adapted to a new land while carrying their cultures, knowledge and food traditions with them.

Here is a list of events happening across West Auckland:

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/the-olives-and-the-vines-hafla/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/painted-heirlooms-painting-workshop/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/te-kete-kai-o-kaipara/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/tamariki-uku-workshop-vegetable-trinket-trays/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/turning-the-pages-auckland-library-history/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/cookbookery-with-te-radar/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/09/growing-out-west-how-migrants-fed-auckland/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/

Kai West

Join us for an archival exhibition about the people who established the vital market gardens and orchards of West Auckland.

22/09/2026

🌱 A little something special happened at the Piha Market last Saturday… 🌱

The Piha Kai Collective kicked off their very first Kai Swap Table, bringing a beautiful selection of local goodies to share, swap and celebrate.

There were seeds, seedlings, home baking and insanely delicious garden produce, with plenty of kōrero and connection along the way. 🥕🌻🌱

And the best part? You didn’t need money to take part.
The invitation was to get creative about what you could offer in exchange. A song, some flowers, a piece of advice, a handful of seeds, something from your garden, or simply something you had to share.
One of the ideas was to swap seeds, grow them at home, and bring back a share of the plant’s produce for the next month’s table. 🌿

It’s a simple idea, but one that speaks to something much bigger: sharing what we have, growing what we can, and keeping kai, knowledge and generosity moving through our community.
A beautiful first step for the Piha Kai Collective and their vision for a more connected, local and resilient kai system in Piha. 💚

He kai kei aku ringa.
There is food within my hands.

Ngā mihi to Waitākere Ranges Local Board for their support.

19/09/2026

The Auckland Heritage Festival is nearly here - 26 September - 11 October 2026. This year's theme is "Tastes of Tāmaki: A Heritage Feast", so there are lots of free and cool kaupapa to enjoy!

Join us on the 1st of October as we launch our series of stories from the past of Kai in West Auckland.

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/10/west-auckland-kai-stories-past-present-future/?source=/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/&fbclid=IwRlRTSAUa2S1wZG9mAWZkaWQWUOuu3MpSaa1-4k6H3HbyYzS7Xm11LGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR75GNoQrHIMOspzpVlTOWqXRDeXHif6kp97g5aNNL4HYr3fW6pyZ7-DkPCxog_aem_AIrLy5vkgvsgk_fJGj-kRQ

This event features a mix of video and photo exhibition with kōrero to launch the West Auckland Kai Stories project.

07/08/2026

Still buzzing from our time with Te Kawerau ā Maki💚

Some experiences stay with you long after the day is over. The kōrero, the connections, and the shared commitment to caring for the whenua have left us inspired for what's ahead.

We're looking forward to continuing this journey together!

30/07/2026

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the whenua, our relationship with Te Kawerau ā Maki, its rich history, and the mātauranga that continues to shape and sustain the whenua today.

From learning about the meaningful places and how these places once connected people through waka journeys, trade, and shared knowledge, we gained a greater appreciation for the enduring relationship between people and place. These stories remind us that the landscape holds generations of history, resilience, and identity.
The kōrero highlighted the wealth of ancestral Matauranga and reinforced that kaitiakitanga begins with connection, understanding the whenua, respecting its stories, and carrying that responsibility forward for future generations.

As Kai West continues to grow, so too does our commitment to working alongside mana whenua with respect, curiosity, and a shared vision for the future.

Ngā mihi nui to Te Kawerau ā Maki for your generosity, your hospitality, and for trusting us with your stories. We look forward to continuing this journey together.

Shout out to Kaitiaki Creative! Ngā mihi for your support and photo shooting.