Growing kai in smaller spaces: 'bio intensive' seed raising with Kane Hogan

Growing kai from seed is one of the most affordable ways to feed a family. Spring is the perfect time to learn techniques when growing from seed.

Join gardener Kane Hogan and learn how easy it is to grow your own food using 'bio intensive' methods.

• We will start with seed sowing, then show how to prick out seedlings to grow on.

• Learn how to make your own seed raising mix from well-aged compost.

• During tea/coffee break, see a couple of film shorts, featuring Kane's time at Koanga Institute and his 'Urban Gardener' micro-farm project in Christchurch.

• We will then learn how to grow 'in situ', direct sowing into a raised vege bed in EcoMatters organic teaching garden (with Meg Liptrot, garden coordinator).

• Ticket option: take home a couple of punnets you've sown on the day to grow on at home for your own garden.

  

About

Kane spent a year interning at the Koanga Institute working in the urban garden project (above), growing bio-intensively on a 200m2 plot of land. This project aimed to demonstrate that it is possible to grow enough kai for 'a family of four to get all the nutrition they need on a daily basis' out of the garden. (Founder, Kay Baxter).

Kane went on to develop a micro-farm prototype in a neighbourhood experiment in Oxford, Christchurch, where he chose to plough up the lawn in favour of growing food intensively.

Later he worked at Community House in Westport as garden facilitator, teaching seed raising.