Ko wai mātou
A passionate group of talented and experience Kai producers are the kaitiaki of Te Waka Kai Ora
Tiamana o Te Waka Kai Ora
Teina Bossa Dean
Teina Boasa-Dean is an active member of her marae and iwi pae tapu based in Te Urewera, Ngāi Tūhoe. She has 30 years’ experience in environmental science, ecological development, and waste management. She is currently a Māori Soil Science Research Advisor, Iwi archivist and historian and Te Reo Māori Community Language Commissioner. Teina is experienced in governance, climate change, waste, and soil. She also advocates for the circular economy and played a role as member of the Māori technical experts group commissioned to work on the new waste strategy. Teina is the co-founder and co-designer of the Māori circular economy model known as Te Takarangi a developmental system that explores Māori cultural values in action for the restoration of natural living systems.
Cathy Tait-Jamieson
(Ngati Raukawa) Our queen bee of organics and Hua Parakore and the first recipient of the Hua Parakore tohu at Biofarm, Cathy and her whānau create Hua Parakore Verified yogurt which you can find at many local supermarkets. Cathy continues to play a pivotal role within the space of Te Waka Kai Ora and brings 40 years of knowledge to our team not only in farming, but also in business acumen.
Rob Small
( Nga Puhi) Currently the Curator for the Pourewa Gardens for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Rob Small has dedicated his post retirement mahi to the development of Māra kai, Māra Rongoā and Māra Rāranga. The design of the Pourewa Garden's has been created from a Te Ao Māori perspective, based around creating spaces and structures to relate mātauranga of Te Ao Māori and Ōrākei tāngata.
Rob has studied ethnobotany around the world and believes that tikanga associated with Māori gardening and te taiao is critical to preserving both the languages the tikanga and the pride of Māori in Aotearoa. Rob has had a distinguished career spanning 40 years in Parks Management within both Aotearoa and Australia and also holds an honours degree in Horticulture, a Master of Landscape architecture, and a diploma in tikanga and Te Reo Māori.
Faren Taylor
Te Ati Awa, Ngati Mutunga, Taranaki Tuturu, Faren has spent many years integrating the kaupapa of Hua Parakore into her mahinga maara.
You may have seen Faren running our social media and communications as our previous Kaiwhakawhiti keeping you up to date with all the happenings in TWKO. This wāhine pukumahi has now moved into the space of Kaiwhakahaere continuing to grow and share the kaupapa of the Hua Parakore Verification System.
She is an established Kai Maara practitioner and well known for leading our signature program Kai Oranga alongside Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Waitara, Taranaki.
Receive Te Waka Kai Ora E Panui
Stay in touch with the latest
You're safe with me. I'll never spam you or sell your contact info.