🧶What we can make from what we have

What we can make from what we have

The days are getting colder, and as we begin to snuggle in and enjoy more time indoors, this month’s newsletter turns toward the small, practical acts of resilience that begin close to home: what we repair, grow, share, learn and make together.

Our feature this month is a reflection from Toru trustee Hella Coenen, who shares how the permaculture principle Produce No Waste became a hands-on cottage industry of felted boulders, made with friends from wool and wood chips, materials that might otherwise have gone to landfill.

You’ll also find upcoming events across the region, from low-waste living and repair cafés to foraging, permaculture and sustainable fashion, plus a few media picks exploring food resilience, natural building and food forests.

👉 Read Hella's reflection: Waste into Wonder

Upcoming Events

A small selection of upcoming opportunities to gather, learn, and connect across our region.

Wairarapa

Fermentation & Sourdough Bread making

Sat 14 June| 4:00 pm - 7:30 pm

638 Mikimiki Rd, Masterton

A hands-on afternoon of vegetable fermentation and sourdough bread making, with take-home ferments, starters, recipes, and plenty of tasty things to try. $50.

👉 Contact for more info

Miriama Kamo: Less Waste, Greater Place

Sat 6 June| 1:00 pm

Wairarapa Events Centre, Carterton

Hear Miriama Kamo share her personal approach and practical, everyday practices for low-waste living in this one-off Wairarapa kōrero.

👉 Learn more

Wellington

Foraging for Wild Edible Weeds Workshop

Sun 24 May| 1:00–3:00 pm

Innermost Gardens, Wellington

Learn to identify common wild edible plants, explore their uses and stories, and leave feeling more confident to forage safely and ethically.

👉 Get tickets

Hutt Valley

Introduction to Permaculture

Sat 13 June| 9:00am–5:00pm

Whiteman’s Valley, Upper Hutt

Learn permaculture basics on a practical weekend course designed to help you grow more with less maintenance.

👉 See event details

Kāpiti Coast

Sustainable Fashion Market

Sat 30 May| 10:00–2:00pm

Waikanae Memorial Hall, Waikanae

Beautiful preloved, vintage and locally made fashion at this Waikanae market, with gold coin entry.

👉 About

Ōtaki Repair Café

Sun 7 Jun| 10:00–2:00pm

Ōtaki Memorial Hall, Ōtaki

Bring your broken bits to the Ōtaki Repair Café for repairs, skill sharing, cakes and coffee. Koha appreciated.

👉 About

Find more events happening across our region.

Explore all events

Media Picks

A few things that have recently caught our attention.

🔊 Listen

Carb Club - Growing food, together

What if growing your staple food was a shared effort, not a solo mission?

This Country Life episode visits Ruamāhanga Carb Club, where around 20 households grow potatoes, pumpkins, kūmara and corn together through seasonal working bees and a shared harvest.

It is low-cost, practical, and surprisingly productive. But more than anything, it is about people: learning together, feeding each other, and remembering how good it feels to rely on community.

👉 Listen to the episode

👉 How to Carb Club

🎥 Watch

A straw bale home built with heart and grit

What happens when a home is built not just on the land, but with it?

This Grand Designs NZ episode follows architectural designer Elizabeth and her builder husband Everett as they take on a straw bale self-build on Huntsbury Hill in Christchurch, using natural plasters, recycled native timbers and Passive House principles to create a home shaped by place.

It is a beautiful watch, but not a glossy one. Think tight budgets, long hours, muddy persistence and the very real work of turning low-carbon values into walls.

To watch, go to TVNZ+ and search “Grand Designs New Zealand”, then select Season 10, Episode 3.

👉 Read about the build

📖 Read

The Food Forester

What happens when a bare paddock is planted like a young forest?

This story follows Northland grower and builder James Runham, whose syntropic food forests are bringing food, shelter, soil life and biodiversity back to the land. It is practical, hopeful, and a good reminder that resilience can be grown, layer by layer.

👉 Read the story

Why we share

Across our region there are many people quietly growing food, restoring ecosystems, sharing knowledge, and nurturing community.

Much of this work happens in small places such as gardens, farms, classrooms, community kitchens, and local gatherings, and often it remains largely unseen beyond those directly involved.

Toru exists to help make these threads more visible and connected. Through stories, events, and shared learning, we hope to celebrate the people doing this work and strengthen the relationships that allow it to grow.

If this resonates with you:

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If you’re hosting an event, workshop, or course that aligns with our kaupapa, you are welcome to list it on our website. Check out our event listing guidelines and create an account.

Event listings are always free and are one small way we can help support the wider network.

Thank you for being part of this growing network.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Emma Ellison

on behalf of the Toru Education Trust

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