Wish Trust Garden Project

We want WISH is to be a place where people can become more mentally, emotionally, and physically resilient in these uncertain times. We’re striving to be a best practice NGO in the mental health sector. Facilitating ‘garden to table’ is a key part of this journey.  

Our developing gardens span our two adjacent properties (55 and 57 Bay Rd, Ostend Waiheke Island).  

A Foundation North grant helped us to  

• commission a landscape plan from Daphne Mitten  

• cover initial project costs and materials including four raised garden beds, soil, fruit trees and tools.  

Our garden to table philosophy includes recycling and zero waste. We’ve started large scale composting, bokashi composting and worm farms.  

During the covid pandemic, the Ministry of Social Development agreed to support our ‘participation and inclusion’ gardening/social enterprise initiatives by funding a garden manager and chef/nutritionist to promote food secure communities.  

So far, the gardens comprise: 

• four raised kitchen garden beds  

• multiple fruit trees and an extensive array of herbs and vegetables  

• compost and bokashi bins  

• a large chicken Coop  

• a grape pergola & flowering vines  

• several flat garden beds  

See concept plan below…… 

Chicken Coop & Chicken area

Creating first Chicken Coop was a big team effort with Simon Field leading the effort. The coop houses six purebred Plymouth Barred Rock chickens who produce beautiful eggs each day. The second chicken coop was built by our lovely and very talented Operations Manager - Jasmine Bhana

Cooking & Nutrition

At Wish, we have a Nutritional Coach & Chef who has created a program where every resident partakes in weekly cooking, harvesting & nutritional goals. The residents have taken huge steps in their independent cooking skills, knowledge of nutrition, overall health, and hygiene.

Composting

We’ve created a quality composting system with three large compost bins, a successful worm farm and a Bokashi bin. The staff and residents all get to learn how they work and actively take part in this.