Kia ora koutou from the team at RECAP

As part of the new societies act, all incorporated societies have to update their constitutional rules by April 2026. We are in the process of finalizing our RECAP constitution and will be holding a general meeting of RECAP members (and those who may wish to become a RECAP member) in September. More info to come.  

Winter is sometimes a quiet time for us at RECAP. While we work on some exciting new workshops for the later part of the year (and 2025) I thought I’d give you all a brief overview/update on RECAP as a whole to show the scope of work we do in our community.

As of July 2025 RECAP provide the following services and maintain the following projects:

McCrae’s Bush: this is an area of native bush/wetlands that has been looked after by a group of volunteers supported by RECAP for around 6 years. They hand weed to control the invasives in the area, advocate for the area to PNCC and Horizons to ensure dead trees are cleared and walking tracks are well maintained; and have replanted the area with natives. At present we have noticed an uptick of pests in the orchard/bush area. PNCC have placed 20+ traps which they maintain; but late 2024 and 2025 we have some time dedicated to involving surrounding residents in trapping efforts to support the health of both the natives and the orchard’s fruit trees. If you are a neighbor to McCrae’s and you would like to assist in pest control by having a trap or two on your property, please contact us: info@recap.org.nz

Olsson Community Orchard This area within McCrae’s bush was planted in 2012 with mostly heritage trees (including apples, pears, figs, plums, peaches, hazelnuts and more). This functions primarily as a teaching orchard: we run pruning workshops where we offer the unique experience of getting hands on with the loppers and secateurs while being taught. Any produce in the orchard is free for the community to pick - we ask that you take only what you need and leave some for others. 

Ashhurst Library Garden The plantings around the library are  looked after by a dedicated group of volunteers, and out back are fruit trees and vegetable beds. Please feel free to pick anything that is ready. 

Māra rongoā We began planting this garden (next to Ashhurst Health Care) in March 2024. This is filled with traditional Māori medicinal plants as well as other natives. There is still room and budget to plant more here and we are working on educational signage (similar to the domain) once these plants are more established. 

Sharing Shelf A space to gift/receive extra produce, shelf stable food and gardening items just outside the library (please do not leave anything that is not edible or plantable).  

Seed Library Within the Ashhurst library is our seed library. Anyone is free to take 3 packets of seeds per month (please write your name and seeds taken in the log book). Ngā mihi nui to Jo Smith who puts lots of time and love into keeping this looking beautiful and restocking it with seasonally appropriate seeds.

Crop Swap The first Saturday of each month we host a Crop Swap in the Ashhurst Library between 11am-1pm. Not a direct ‘swap’ as such, but you are free to gift, or to take whatever is on offer. Often there are seedlings, seeds, cuttings, plants, fruit, veggies, baking and more.

RECAP Community Kai This is a rescued food distribution service that runs at the back of the library from 3:15-4:15 each Tuesday. This is a ‘no questions asked’ service where you are able to select what you want/need from the food and other items that have been donated. 

Education We run regular workshops and seminars on a variety of topics based in resilience and sustainability. These are intended to empower people with practical skills and knowledge. 

Other things we do in our community: We run a twice weekly garden club at Ashhurst school where we teach tamariki skills around growing kai. We run educational activities at the Ashhurst Library during their school holiday programme. We’ve worked with local councils to plant more fruit trees in public places. We’ve planted natives with local tamariki. We offer a variety of regular and casual volunteer opportunities. And much more! We’ve been in operation in Ashhurst for well over a decade, and overall we aim to engage in activities which support the wellbeing of both residents and our local environment as well as connecting our community. 

To sign up to our newsletter or to volunteer please contact us at info@recap.org.nz

And as always - a big ngā mihi to the many volunteers who make up RECAP.

Noho ora mai

-- Chris Love RECAP coordinator

Kia ora koutou from the team at RECAP

Last call to register for Broke Gardening which is this Saturday (May 17th) 11am-2pm

For those without any (or much) gardening experience, this is a how-to on creating vegetable garden beds with as little money as possible; using easily found free and cheap resources. Kids are welcome with caregivers. Hot drinks and afternoon tea provided. $10 waged $5 unwaged and students. Please register at recap.org.nz

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The RECAP AGM is on Wednesday June 11th 7pm at the Village Valley Centre. All are welcome. A light supper will be provided.

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New workshop alert!

Orchard Management & Tool Care with Phil Stevens of Slow Farm

Sunday 15 June, 10am-2.30pm, Ashhurst, Manawatū

$25 pp or $35 for two from the same household.

We expect this event will quickly fill up so be sure to register ASAP.

Registrations can be made at recap.org.nz

Phil will start by discussing ways of managing orchards that don’t involve mowing or putting up with rank grass:

planting guilds (syntropic agroforestry style)

scything, which he’ll demonstrate

grazing livestock (including birds)

Then we talk about nutrition. Get an introduction to biochar on a backyard scale, using fruit tree prunings and a simply converted 44-gallon drum. Learn how to make charcoal, simple ways to activate it (turning it into biochar), how to use it when planting and how to add it to existing orchards. Then we discuss liquid fertilisers.

After lunch, we focus on maintaining pruning tools, specifically secateurs and loppers. Bring a pair of either with you and learn about correct use and how to care for them, including how to disinfect and when that's required. We’ll get hands-on with seasonal maintenance: Phil will demonstrate how to disassemble, clean and sharpen.

Diamond files will be available for purchase for those who wish to take one home. Order of topics may change depending on weather (we’ll be under cover while working on pruning tools).

BYO lunch and appropriate wet weather gear. Tea and coffee provided.

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Winter Pruning Workshop 2025:

Our annual (and popular) Winter Pruning Workshop for 2025 takes place on Saturday June 21st, 1pm-3pm at the Olsson Community Orchard in Ashhurst. This is a practical, hands on guide to winter fruit tree pruning for optimum next season fruiting and tree health. Join us for this opportunity to get stuck in with the loppers with guidance and support. This is a free workshop, although koha is appreciated. Registrations are essential and can be made at

recap.org.nz.

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And as always - a huge ngā mihi to all of the regular and casual volunteers who make up RECAP. We are very lucky to enjoy such strong support from our community. If you’d like to get involved we have a variety of volunteering opportunities to suit a variety of people. Contact chris@recap.org.nz to find out more.

Kia ora koutou

A very quick update from RECAP this month.

New workshop alert!

Broke Gardening. A variation on our Beginner Gardening workshops. This is aimed at those without any (or much) gardening experience. A how-to on creating vegetable garden beds and (renter friendly) container gardening from scratch with as little money as possible; using easily found free and cheap resources. We will also cover easy to grow winter edibles, pest control methods and free and cheap fertilizers. Kids are welcome with their caregivers. Hot drinks and afternoon tea provided. $10 waged $5 unwaged and students. Please register at recap.org.nz

The RECAP AGM rolls back around on Wednesday June 11th 7pm at the Village Valley Centre (centennial room). All are welcome. Come see what we’ve been up to for the past year and what our plans are for the next year. If you’d like to get involved this is a great way to meet the board and other volunteers.

Ngā mihi nui to the kids that replanted the Ashhurst Library garden beds (around the back of the building) during the school holidays. It was a pretty rough, windy day and you all powered through to get the winter veg in the ground. Together we planted silverbeet, perpetual spinach, lettuces, spring onions, flat and curly parsley and celery. This garden is free for the public to pick from, so next time you need a handful of greens for dinner swing by.

Keep your eye on our socials and website as we’re working on another Preserving Workshop with the wonderful Supergans - looking like July at this stage

As always - a huge ngā mihi to all of the regular and casual volunteers who make up RECAP. The time and energy you give means we can maintain the projects and services that help make our community a wonderful place to be.

Photo from the April Crop Swap

Kia ora koutou from RECAP

An update on our projects, services and upcoming activities: 

Crop Swap - The RECAP Crop Swap continues in 2025 on the first Saturday of each month. Join us at the Ashhurst Community Library 11am-1pm. The first one for the year is this Saturday March 1st. For those unfamiliar with the Crop Swap - this is an open sharing event where anyone can give or take items for free (‘swap’ is a bit of a misnomer as you don’t need to exchange things). Things we welcome at the Crop Swap: excess produce/fruit, seedlings, seeds, home baking, preserves, small gardening items, cuttings, small trees, plants, fertilizers (e.g. worm wee), fresh herbs e.t.c e.t.c. There’s always a lot of great kōrero around gardening topics as well. It's a great way to meet others in the community. 

Summer Pruning - Our always-popular pruning workshop is happening on Saturday March 1st from 1pm at the Olsson Community Orchard in Ashhurst. Learn by doing under the tutelage of two knowledgeable instructors. This workshop is free, but we appreciate koha if you are able. Registrations are a must and can be made at  recap.org.nz.

Volunteer Library Gardening happens most weeks led by our wonderful deputy chairperson Suzanne. She updates facebook/Ashhurst Chat each week, so if you’re keen to get involved you can get in touch there or email: schelius@hotmail.com. Everyone - all levels of experience and ability - welcome. Come along as a one-off or as a regular.

Ashhurst School Garden Club The kids are back in the garden with Mondays for juniors and Thursdays for seniors. If your tamariki are keen on garden club (and you wish to keep their uniform shirts clean) please feel free to pack an old tee shirt - we do tend to get a bit muddy!

The Ashhurst Sharing Shelf - has a new facebook group you can join HERE. We are closing down the current facebook page as pages do not allow anyone outside of an admin to post. Groups are open so anyone can post what they've shared on the shelf. For those unfamiliar - the Ashhurst Sharing Shelf is a pātaka kai run by RECAP situated in the Ashhurst Library garden on Bamfield street.

UPDATED COMMUNITY KAI INFORMATION for 2025

We provide free rescued kai to people in the Ashhurst/Pohangina area each Tuesday from 3:15-4:15 from the back room of the Ashhurst Library.

If the weather is good - please queue outside, if it is raining you are able to queue inside the library.

Depending on donations, some weeks we are able to serve anyone who comes no questions asked. On weeks where donations are low we need to see a current community services card to access kai. We post on facebook/RECAP Community Kai at approximately 2:30 pm Tuesday to let you know.

You are able to come through and pick up what you need from what has been donated that week. Some items have limits so please read the signage.

Unfortunately we can no longer set aside bags for a later pick up. And only one bag per whānau, please. We can also no longer offer more than one bag for those picking up on behalf.

Kids and teenagers are not allowed to pick up kai unless a parent or caregiver has contacted us (you only need to do this once and we will note their name down) and on the weeks where a community services card is needed you will need to send a photo of this. Email: chris@recap.org.nz.

Please note that as this is rescued kai - many of the items will be past their best before date. We dispose of any items that we deem unfit for human consumption, but many items past best before are still good to eat. Please note, however, that this is at your own risk. Please use your eyes, nose and common sense if you are unsure. Please also note that use by dates are stricter than best before dates, so if an item says 'use by' this will need to be consumed asap. We will endeavor to let you know if items have been previously frozen or can be frozen.

Please be respectful of everyone else collecting kai and our volunteers. And please be honest when taking kai and do not exceed any limits that are on the signs - we are trying to be as fair in the distribution of this kai as possible.

Ngā mihi nui to our donors and volunteers, without whom we could not provide this service.

Chris Love

RECAP coordinator

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(Image from the Ashhurst School Garden)