Description:

Whakatō activates the concept of māra kai - gardening for food - providing a user-friendly system for use with primary school aged children. In te reo Māori, Whakatō means planting, which connects to the ancient Māori tradition of māra kai gardening for food.  

The concept was developed to engage children with the food production cycle and teach early concepts of sustainability. Whakatō is driven by the belief that creating a foundation for a better planet starts with understanding that food is grown from the land beneath our feet.  

The Whakatō system includes materials, tools and learning resources, all designed to make gardening for food accessible, fun and simple to understand. It actively encourages the inclusion of whānau, friends and the wider community in food production at a local level.  

The central element of the Whakatō kit is the strong wool planting mat - made from felted dag wool measured at 161gsm - the optimal density for weed suppression. Dagwool has limited commercial applications and low yield price for farmers. Utilised in a gardening context, the mat breaks down naturally and fortifies the soil, whilst acting as a suppressor for weeds. The use of dag wool also supports local sheep farmers who, particularly in recent years, have been impacted by low demand for bales of dagwool.  Whakatō aims to support the industry through providing certainty of demand, paying a fair price to farmers, utilising a valuable local resource, and reducing potential waste of wool yields.  

What’s in the Whakatō kit?  

1 x 1100 x 400mm dag wool mat  

2 x seasonal seed packs  

1 x soil divot pack  

1 x depth measure tool  

1 x planting instructions 

 
The planting mat has a carefully punched system of holes at effective spacing for planting each of the 3 seed varietals. Currently this is carrots, spinach and spring onions with the intention of introducing seasonal varietals. An ergonomic tool made from bioplastic derived from corn starch has been specifically designed for smaller hands. The tool has three functions; it allows for simple planting with a colour coded depth indicator aligned to the colours on the seed packaging, the ‘mussel’ edge can be used to scrape loose soil and the blunt ‘hammer’ edge can be used to press soil into the punched holes.  

Visual instructions and implementation are designed with young users in mind. Children can simply roll out the mat in their garden, apply the tool to measure depth in the designated zones, pop their seeds into the hole, cover the holes with the soil provided, and sprinkle water onto the space. All components of the Whakatō kit from the packaging, the ink used on the packaging, the wool mat and the tool, can be broken down naturally and returned to the earth.   

Whakatō provides an accessible system that gives agency to people of all abilities, backgrounds, and cultures to garden for food, enhancing healthy eating practices and building connection to the whenua and community they live within.