He tono: An invitation to Te Tai Tokerau marae growers and food producers

Pā to Plate is a recently established social enterprise that connects descendants to whenua via kai and kõrero.  Our initial focus is in Te Tai Tokerau, working with rural marae communities in restoring māra and growing kai.  It is the first multi-marae, multi-regional cultural economy in Aotearoa that has descendants near and far at its heart.

We are targeting three distinct markets in our operation:

  1. The local informal market (whānau and local community)
  2. The non-local social enterprise market (providing kai and produce to those in need)
  3. The formal commercial market primarily for descendant consumers to buy kai or other resources from home

Of the commercial market, Pā to Plate will provide taonga (or ‘ancestrally-sourced’) and new crops for descendants wherever they live in the online marketplace through www.pa2plate.co.nz.

We will also include value-added foods like jams, chutneys, and pickles from marae deli recipes, like kawakawa pesto or other delicacies from Nan’s cupboards.  Keep an eye out as we will be offering kai during the summer harvest of 2020/2021 through our web page.

Ultimately, we would like to focus on reviving customary food sources from waterways and forests like freshwater crayfish, fernroot and berries that may re-enter the food system again.  Then there are marae-based native nurseries that may also offer seedlings and trees.

Given that we live in increasingly challenging times economically, culturally and in health terms, we want to help address them by strengthening connections between local marae and hapū members, not least those who left marae one or more generations ago and we are also wanting to provide meaningful employment for the whānau.  Ultimately, we are about kai, kōrero (stories of lands and growing) and kainga.

Pā to Plate is all about good foods, and good health of the people and the land

Check out our web page: www.pa2plate.co.nz and our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pa2plate

While we have growers already, we are always keen to extend manaakitanga to new growers for the 2020/21 summer season and for those who produce a range of processed foods.  You don’t need to be big, commercial or flash, just have a passion for kai and kainga.  We provide the tautoko you need.  If you are interested in knowing more, or keen to discuss being part of our collective, then please contact Paul Voigt at

pa********@xt**.nz











 or Merata Kawharu at

me************@nu*****.nz