11 February 2011

Pact has two new staff members in Dunedin doing grounds and maintenance work.

Gavin Drew is the market garden and grounds and maintenance supervisor and Sam Christensen is Pact’s interior decorator/handyman.

Pact social housing and enterprise development manager Ferdi Koen says that since Gavin started in January there is a new plan in place for growing enough vegetables at Pact’s gardens at our Hazlett Road property to supply Pact’s Dunedin homes - something Ferdi wants to do more consistently.

"The main aim is to provide activities for clients, but it’s also to provide vegetables to the houses."

Gavin has been gardening all his life and has often been called on by friends who want help to learn how to grow vegetables. He spent 21 years in the vineyard industry in Marlborough with 250 workers in his crew.

He took up the position with Pact because he has a passion for showing people how to garden and how to eat well.

"If I can teach one person how to do a garden here then I’m happy. It’s like that old saying: if you give a man a fish then he can feed his family for a meal. Teach him how to use a fishing rod, he’ll feed his family for a lifetime. It’s the same with gardening. I could give them a carrot, but then I could also give them a carrot seed."

At the moment Gavin is working on putting in additional compost bins. Ferdi says the aim is to become self-sufficient as much as possible.

Ferdi says it is great having Gavin on board, with his knowledge and skills to give direction and help clients. A team from The 420 Centre comes to the garden each day to assist Gavin.

The clients’ enthusiasm is growing all the time, Gavin says. One of the 420 clients is particularly also enthusiastic after initially not being so keen.

"I’ve got him watering all the tomatoes and pushing a wheelbarrow for me. He’s come out of his shell."

A client from Pact’s The Armitage also comes out three days a week to help and tells Gavin he loves it. Ferdi says that has been a real success and he has seen the client grow. The rapport that has been built up is so good that Gavin is taking the client fishing.

A probation crew also works at the garden twice a week to assist with things like weeding.

At present Ferdi emails the houses to let them know what is available each week. He says it is important to grow the type of vegetables that are eaten in the houses. He is keen for houses to let him know what they use over the period of a month and he will ensure those vegetables get grown.

The gardens’ first harvest went very well apart from two hiccups. Bad weather meant the loss of some broccoli and cauliflower (although the good news was that the cauliflower grown at The Armitage did survive).

The other challenge was potatoes in the Pact Outram garden getting blight, meaning they had to be pulled out before they could mature. Ferdi is looking into what caused that and may get the soil tested.

But other than those glitches the vegetables are doing well. The Hazlett Road gardens contain carrots, lettuce, spring onions, chives, beetroot, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, corn, leeks, cucumber, tomatoes, sliver beet, celery, peas and runner beans.

Gavin has plans for growing Chinese turnips and swedes.

Ferdi is also in discussions with Pact’s Ross Street home to get their support to grow seedlings, herbs, capsicums and chillies in its glasshouse.

Another new social enterprise that began last year was the chicken farm at Pact’s Pine Hill Road property. Ferdi says that is also going well, with activity support worker Steve Saunders now responsible for the chickens. Clients visit the farm to feed the chickens and collect eggs. Pact houses have a standing order of about 30 dozen eggs a week. 420 service coordinator Bob Hurr visits the farm with clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays to box up the eggs and distribute them.

Meanwhile, Sam has been busy in his new role, having previously been with the Malcam Trust which partnered with Pact last year to do a variety of work, including renovations at The Armitage.

Sam has been painting Pact’s Rutherford Street home, which is the sixth Pact property he has worked on.

He says he was keen to get the opportunity for ongoing work.

"Every job is different and with every job I take away a new lesson."

He says he really enjoys interacting with clients and meeting new people.

He recently taught a couple of clients how to paint.

"I wasn’t too sure how it would go. I’ve taught a few people how to paint – just friends – and I thought teaching a client would be a bit of a challenge but it was a success. They know how to cut in and roll and paint their own house now."