Save Our Seedlings! Our tunnelhouse got smashed in the storm!
Our tunnelhouse is essential for growing seedlings - but ours blew down in the big storm! Help us buy a new one.
Newtown, Wellington
Disaster struck Newtown's Kaicycle Farm in May of this year, when our beautiful tunnelhouse got destroyed in the Code Red southerly storm. The Kaicycle team ran down there when we realised it had blown over, but the wind was so intense that even paving slabs and a solid wood picnic bench would NOT hold it down. We did all we could to save it, but unfortunately, it was destroyed beyond redemption - RIP tunnelhouse.
Our tunnelhouses are essential for us to give seedlings the best chance to make it in our chilly Te Whanganui-a-Tara conditions, and to grow those plants - such as kūmara - that really prefer a warmer life. We've done the research and have found that the best option will be a wider, sturdier tunnelhouse, with good ventilation to let wind through, so it's less likely to be blown down - this will cost around $8,000 and there are lots of other costs around this mahi. Acts of Tāwhirimātea were not in the budget for this year, so we'd love our community's help.
About us
Kaicycle is an urban farming, composting and community activation charity in Newtown, Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington. We use regenerative hua parakore principles to compost local food waste, grow food and connect our urban kai communities.
Use of funds
Buy new tunnelhouse; fit it out; labour to put it up; staff time to manage this unexpected project; prep the ground etc; plus any other Kaicycle mahi to support this. Whatever we raise, we'll be going ahead - a tunnelhouse is essential for our mahi!
Other page links
Latest update
A year on - Thanks to you we have a new tunnel house!!!! 16 September 2026
Tēnā koutou, it's been a while, but a year on we wanted to say another ngā mihi nui, and show off our beautiful new tunnel house that is all thanks to you! The new tunnel house is bigger and more robust than our previous one, which is allowing us to grow more kai than ever before for our community. It's already had to withstand some severe winds which bodes well for it's longevity in this changing climate of ours and means we'll be making good use of it well into the future. We couldn't have done it without you, and in these tough times when funding is more scarce than ever, you support meant the world to us. With current global crises highlighting the vulnerabilities in our food system, your support of a local, community based, not-for-profit organisation is a ray of hope for local, sustainable, and people-first solutions to global challenges.
If you have the means - now or in the future - Donations can have a big impact on our mahi and community, allowing us to plan ahead. More information here: https://kaicycle.org.nz/donate
If you would like to keep up to date with Kaicycle happenings you can sign up to our monthly newsletter, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or check out our website which is loaded with useful info: https://kaicycle.org.nz/
Latest donations
Ngā mihi nui! Thanks from us and the seedlings!
ngā mihi from us and the seedlings! 🌱
Who's involved?
Page Q&A
Ask a question hereAny concerns?
Report this pageThank the donor
Your message will be displayed on the page and emailed to the donor.
Your new message will also be emailed to the donor.
Saving a blank entry will delete the current comment.