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)