Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald takes the Green message to the Prime Minister's home-town on November 24.

Mr Donald, Green agriculture spokesperson Ian Ewen-Street (number three on the Green Party list) and Rakaia Green candidate Rex Verity will be in and around Ashburton on Wednesday, November 24.

"Mrs Shipley has neglected her own constituents to take a negative campaign to Coromandel," said Mr Donald.

"The Green response is to take a positive campaign to the Rakaia electorate, giving people lots of good reasons to 'Go Green' with their party vote.

"National has torn the heart out of provincial New Zealand - we'll be telling folk that there is a positive alternative, and the Greens have got it."

The Green candidates will concentrate on two key themes for achieving long-term prosperity: shifting to organic food production and reducing our dependence on imported consumer products.

Mr Ewen-Street, an organic sheep and beef farmer from the Marlborough Sounds, will be promoting the benefits of converting to organic farming while Mr Donald and Mr Verity will launch the Green Party's 'Buy Local' campaign in the town as the way to bring employment and prosperity back to the countryside.

'Buy Local' aims to revitalise local economies and has been a big hit with storekeepers and other small businesses in the provinces.

The programme for the Green candidate is as follows:

10am Ashburton Guardian interview 10:30am New Zealand BioGrains visit (Organic flower miller, 35 Dobson St West, Ashburton, 03 308-7349) 11:15am Wastebusters Worm Farm, (Mid Canterbury Wastebusters, 8 McNally St, Ashburton, 03 308-9998) Midday Public meeting at Baring Square Centre (Methodist Church Hall, behind the clock tower). The three candidates will speak on the topic "Let's Get New Zealand Working Again" which will address strategies for creating employment, improving our economy, and revitalising communities. 1:30pm Soil & Health organic garden walk - "Kenleigh", Johnson St, Tinwald 3pm Sirocco Organic vineyard, Rakaia (Methven-Barhill Rd, 03 302 7252)

Rod Donald: 025 507 183 Ian Ewen-Street: 025 902 527

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