Waiheke Island was once known as the food basket of Auckland, with a culinary history stretching back centuries to its first kūmara harvests.
This event features three distinct presentations exploring the island's diverse food producers and the evolving legacy of local food security.
- Talk 1: Jackie O'Brien introduces the Gradiska family, pioneering winemakers of Waiheke.
- Talk 2: Author Tessa O'Shea discusses her book Sweet As, which documents how the late kaumātua Kato Kauwhata and his pia, Eugene Behan-Kitto, reignited traditional kūmara growing at Piritahi Marae.
- Talk 3: Descendants of early local farmers share their family stories and reflect on what history can teach us about modern food security.