New Zealand: Growing success - A mental health organisation using organic gardening for therapy

Source: stuff.co.nz
By Maryke Penman

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

A mental health organisation using organic gardening for therapy has been named top of the country in this year's Sustainable Business Network Awards.

Trailblazer category winner Framework Trust beat other shortlisters Victoria University in Wellington and the Tauranga City Council.

Framework, based in Devonport, provides services to people with intellectual disabilities and delivers community-based mental health programmes.

It has been working with the Devonport Organic City Farm in a bid to become more sustainable.

Framework co-ordinator Linda Christianson says, "people get scared by the bottom line", especially now in times of financial hardship.

Ms Christianson says Framework has managed to save money despite some belief that sustainability is expensive.

"It has been a holistic approach, changing everything to things like eco-dishwasher, hand soaps, recyclable paper and recording mileage, petrol use and electricity."

Therapeutic Horticulture and Mood and Food are programmes Ms Christianson says do the world of good to people with disabilities.

Up to 60 people regularly work on the 3000 square metre farm.

Composting, worm farming and planting are popular, although eating the final product is a winner, she says.

"People get most excited about tomatoes, potatoes and chillies."

"They dig under and find there's five or six big potatoes and they whoop with joy," Ms Christianson says.

She says many illnesses can be made worse by nutritional deficiencies, like depression from a lack of vitamin B and anxiety due to low magnesium.

"I would go as far as saying we are the only place that does this sort of thing and we have been in contact with other mental health organisations who want to follow our model." The organically certified farm has a special area reserved for Framework members and a public garden open to the community based on a koha or small donation.

"I'm personally proud of what we have achieved and that we were brave enough to make the changes long term," Ms Christianson says.

The Devonport farmers are now working with Massey University to develop a community garden at the Albany campus.

"It's only small beginnings, but you've got to start somewhere and we hope to help them get it all under way."

Tip: OrganicPortal New Zealand - Organic Food & Drinks

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

23.12.2011

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