Food at Your Fingertips: A talk and community potluck

Hear from Whakatipu Mana Kai and get inspired about ancestral ways of kai and eating in community. Tai Wright and Christina van der Velde are the kaitiaki of Whakatipu Mana Kai, and are on a mission to share their love of kai to help people live well for generations to come. Tai and Christina challenge themselves to an annual wero kai, a period of only eating kai from the māra kai (garden), moana (ocean), and ngahere (forest), with everything eaten being grown, gathered, or traded for within their community. The wero kai deepens and expands their knowledge of kai, connecting them to place and exploring an alternative way of being in the world. In this talk, Tai and Christina will share their story of how they came to undertake their annual Wero Kai - beginning with the inspiration to eat only food from their garden, the bush, and the sea for one month. Don't be daunted however! They will invite us into some simple actions we can take in our own busy lives to connect more deeply to the food systems that surround and sustain us. This kōrero is for anyone interested in ancestral ways of kai, local food, and eating in community. Things to know for the talk: • Please bring some kai to share together at the end of the kōrero: whatever is most accessible to you. • We encourage you to bring a picnic blanket or something comfy to sit on, and some sun protection as we will be outdoors with minimal shade.