2022 Taste Trail Adopts Sustainability Theme

The 2022 Horowhenua Taste Trail is working hard to be sustainable in all that it does as an event, and is supportive of initiatives by its 16 producer participants to be more sustainable.

Chair Erica Guy says the Taste Trail decided to adopt sustainability as its theme for 2022, as a way of working to protect the future longevity of the event.

“As we have organised and developed this year’s event, we have been conscious of the fact we want it to be sustainable in how we operate and deliver the event as well as how we position the event for the future. The 2022 Taste Trail is our 5th and we are determined there will be many more!” Mrs Guy says.

“The past few years have been tough on special events like ours, with covid preventing us from proceeding, and now we have escalating costs adding to the dynamics. It is important to us we are sustainable so that we can continue to deliver a fabulous foodie event that celebrates the unique offering we have in Horowhenua.”

It is one thing to talk about sustainability and another to achieve it, but she is proud of what the event and its producers are doing.

This year the Taste Trail has taken steps to move further towards zero waste and will be commercially composting the soiled food containers used on the event day, partnering with principal sponsor Horowhenua District Council and Organic Wealth to achieve this, as well as having recycling at all sites. To reduce printing the event is using QR codes for the site map and it is also reusing merchandise by collecting lanyards at each site at the end of the day for reuse at the next event.

“The sponsorship support we have received has also gone a long way to helping the event be sustainable from a financial perspective and we are incredibly appreciative of the support of our sponsors, particularly the Horowhenua District Council and our key event partners Fonterra, Fruitfed Supplies, Horizons Regional Council and Rabobank.”

To lessen its impact on the environment, one of the event’s producers, Genoese Foods, has moved its fresh basil supply to be 100% New Zealand sourced, removing the need to use agrichemicals to meet biosecurity importation requirements on the basil it had been importing from Fiji. The move has also reduced travel emissions and the need for fumigation using greenhouse gases.

Another producer, Woodhaven Gardens, has been recognised with a number of regional and national awards for its sustainable farming practices. The fresh vegetable producer is always looking at emerging technologies and is currently trialling regenerative farming practices.

In the past year Lewis Farms has installed solar panels on its packhouse roof to generate 50% of its annual energy needs on site. The asparagus, strawberry and raspberry producer also seeks to minimise food waste by using every single berry it grows. The berries are either sold fresh, in ice cream, made into jam or sold frozen.

“These are just some of the amazing initiatives being undertaken to practice what we preach.

“Those that come along to the Taste Trail will get the best insight into the hard work and efforts the producers are making to produce high quality, tasty food and beverage products in a sustainable manner,” Mrs Guy says.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2022 Horowhenua Taste Trail being held on Saturday November 26. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tastetrail.co.nz.

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