Good—simple choices for a better life

Article illustration

A brave new world—again

Home » Latest issue » Good, issue 3 » The goods » A brave new world—again

With its thriving artistic scene and historic river, Whanganui has always had a coolness about it. Now it’s become a shining example of sustainability as well. Francesca Price suspects former resident James K Baxter would be impressed

It’s a Saturday morning at the end of July, and around 2°C in Whanganui. But the market, overlooking its famous river, is buzzing. At least 100 traders have braved the cold to make their way from further upstream and in-country to sell their produce and wares to the urban dwellers and tourists like me. This is what a good market should be about: real people selling real food.

A man from Ranana is offering food from a hangi he laid down last night. The nuns from the convent at Jerusalem have their jams and preserves on display. Another woman, who has just jacked in the job for a self-sufficient lifestyle, has honey and honey-based salves for sale.

An older lady stops to tell me how excited she is to have bought the last Monty’s Surprise seedling. The apple variety, now famous for its anti-cancer properties, is in high demand in Whanganui, where much of the research was carried out. I am slightly unnerved by her friendliness but I guess this is how good old-fashioned communities operate: you talk to the people you shop alongside.

Presiding over it all is Annette Main, who is responsible for driving this weekly event. She sells a variety of home-made produce too, including amazing muesli I get to sample later when staying at one of the reclaimed wooden cottages further upstream. She and some other locals set up the market three years ago with the aim of getting local produce back into the Whanganui diet.

“At the time, the supermarkets wouldn’t stock local food and many of the producers were struggling,” Annette says. “The market brought out the apple growers and the veggie growers as well as the people who were trying to get new ideas off the ground. It was a chance to showcase what Whanganui people were doing and capable of doing.”

You can, of course, use cash to buy produce here. But you can also use REBS (River Exchange and Barter System), an alternative currency established to move Whanganuians towards a more self-reliant future. A similar scheme was introduced in Totnes in Devon as part of the Transition Towns movement a few years ago. Now Totnes pounds will buy you everything from engagement rings to pints in the local pub. I use my REBS to buy dinner from the other traders. They, in turn, will use them to buy from each other and from any business that supports the scheme. Hence, the local economy benefits.

The day I’m in town the new Environment Centre is having its official opening. This is the brainchild of former Aucklander Laurence Boomert, who moved his family to Whanganui three years ago with the dream of a sustainable life in a more affordable part of the country. The new centre acts as a meeting point for various community projects as well as providing information on everything from worm farming to cloth nappies. There are already various waste disposal and alternative energy systems on display, while a library of magazines and books about all things green has at least half-a-dozen people thumbing through its pages.

Already popular at the centre is its Green Bike Scheme, which makes donated bikes roadworthy, then lends them for a small fee. There is a food group that encourages locals to establish backyard veggie gardens, and a seed savers network, which asks gardeners to save seeds from plants that perform particularly well, so they can establish a local seed bank. A parent network organises eco-outings for kids, and a weekly meditation group serves those with a more spiritual bent. In all, it’s an inspiring display of community togetherness.

I have to admit, I have always had a soft spot for Whanganui, being dispatched there fresh out of journalism school to work at the radio station 20 years ago. The locals were very friendly and forgiving as I learned the ropes, and I spent my weekends driving up the river, discovering the smaller inland towns.

Whanganui, I realised, is real pioneer country. In years gone by it was sheer necessity that made the people here self-reliant and inventive. Today, in the face of new challenges, that pioneer spirit has returned and is helping turn Whanganui into a model of a truly sustainable town. We wish it well.

Comments

Rachael
theorganicnutritionist.blogspot.com/
 
Wed May 06, 2009 @ 07:50 PM
Check out this site - in the interests of organic goodness.
Annabel McAleer
 
Fri September 04, 2009 @ 08:59 AM
Just put the 'h' in Whanganui in this article, in a fit of pique at Michael Laws. Take that!

Add your comment

Anonymous comments are queued before publishing and it may take some time before they appear. Please consider creating an account and your comment will appear automatically. If you already have an account, please log in.








If you have trouble reading the code, click on the code itself to generate a new random code
 

More Goodness

The Good blog
  • What are the best raw foods to eat?
    article illustration

    Whether you have a little or a lot, the important thing is just to start eating more raw food, says new Good blogger Christine Smith. She'll be introducing you to the benefits of eating raw, plus easy ways to incorporate more raw foods into your diet – and no, she won't be telling you to throw out everything in the pantry.

  • Why is raw food good for you?
    article illustration

    Whether you have a little or a lot, the important thing is just to start eating more raw food, says new Good blogger Christine Smith. She'll be introducing you to the benefits of eating raw, plus easy ways to incorporate more raw foods into your diet – and no, she won't be telling you to throw out everything in the pantry.

  • Going more raw
    article illustration

    Whether you have a little or a lot, the important thing is just to start eating more raw food, says new Good blogger Christine Smith. She'll be introducing you to the benefits of eating raw, plus easy ways to incorporate more raw foods into your diet – and no, she won't be telling you to throw out everything in the pantry.

Good magazine
  • The art of mindfulness

    Learn how to ‘turn up for life as it happens’ – and enjoy the health benefits

  • Going on an information diet
    article illustration

    The internet is a glorious, seemingly never-ending buffet of interestingness. But as with a smorgasbord, the trick is in finding the delicious and the different, and resisting filling your plate with deep-fried fillers

  • Gold, frankincense … and biscuits

    'Tis the season for sumptuous home baking – perfect for gifts, visitors or late-night indulgences alike

article illustration

Latest issue

Create a cosy – and happier – home this autumn. Discover the secrets of 30 inspiring women. Learn why protein is so vital for our health, whatever your age. Plus: scrumptious recipes, the beginner's guide to hiking, medicinal teas, a craft makeover and more.

Follow us

Latest comments

  • Stephanie on Slow cookers vs pressure cookers:
    Can you reheat leftovers in a pressure cooker? A silly question I am sure....Also, thanks vegedaze for the cookbook suggestion, I will check  
  • Joy on Win a tube of natural mascara!:
    Lucas pawpaw ointment. Better than any prescription stuff from the docs :)
  • gabrielle on Win a tube of natural mascara!:
    i am all about rescue remedy, not quite a beauty product as such, but a holistic way of looking at it..im not a make up sort of a gal (but i  
  • Lily Heathmore on Win a tube of natural mascara!:
    The Body Shops Vitamin C skin Boost is the most amazing skin serum I have ever experienced! It actually makes my skin feel like silk (excuse  
  • jay on Win a tube of natural mascara!:
    coconut oil on my lips since i found out the perils of lip balms :)
  • Annie Palfrey on New Zealand's top craft markets:
    Hi I am looking for a tiny little blue ceramic boat my daughter bought and was using as a salt celler ...it was a souvenier of a cruise   
  • Gayle on Win a tube of natural mascara!:
    My favourite item is Dr Hauschka Mascara. Mascara usually makes my eyes itch but this one doesn't make them itch at all...love it!
  • vegdaze on Slow cookers vs pressure cookers:
    Thank you for the energy comparisons! I love my pressure cooker and _The New Fast Food Cookbook_. I think it's very versatile since you can  

Blogs

Good pages

Good Shopping Handbook