Central Park Farm

About

Down to earth approach getting back to the good life.

Story

About Central Park Farm

The Christchurch earthquakes have been a catalyst for making some huge life choices by taking back
control and challenging ourselves to question how we can make a difference in the wake of uncertainty.
Like most people our family has also been touched by cancer and other chronic illnesses. This has led to
a pathway to really understanding how important health is and knowing that without it we have
nothing. People are becoming more aware of this too. Knowing where your food comes from how it is
grown and how it impacts their health are becoming increasingly important. We saw this as a great
opportunity to put our knowledge of Organic gardening to good use. We began looking for a property,
one that would foster our ideals.

Central Park is located in the small town of Palmerston with a population of 800. The town is known as the access to the Goldfields and has over 1.5million vehicles pass through it each year. It boasts having 5 cafes and tourist trains run seasonally from Dunedin to Oamaru each year. It is located halfway between Oamaru and Dunedin on the East Coast of the South Island. Palmerston gives us a combined local population of approx 140,000 within a 60km radius.

Central Park Farm is a 12 acre lot with approx 1.5 acres dedicated to Bio Intensive vegetable production and another 1.5 acres set aside for a Permaculture Orchard. We believe in a combination of ‘Organic principals’ – Healthy soil, Healthy plants, Healthy people and ‘Permaculture Ethics’ – Care of Earth (all living systems), Care of people and Share of surplus. The law of return: Whatever we take we must return (in order to be sustainable).

We are currently undergoing certification with OFNZ (Organic Farms New Zealand). It is based on the same strict guidelines as Biogro which is the International standard. It is a 3 year process which we have already been audited on and now only have 2 more years to go before fully certified. We can however sell our produce as Organic C1, next year C2 and then the following year fully under OFNZ. Organic produce is in high demand. The trick (we are learning) is to have variety and a continuous supply in the produce.

We look forward to sharing our journey with you!

Mission

To grow great food in a 'Beyond Organic' way