Couple turns COVID-19 crisis into organic rewards

The difficulties and challenges brought on by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, particularly with regard to food imports, have highlighted the importance of local food production, especially for one couple in Rarotonga who are now thriving with their own organic vegetable garden.

Mirela and Katoa Mairi, who have three daughters and grandchildren, are worried about food shortages across the country during the pandemic. Their fear of not being able to feed their children has motivated them to spend time growing vegetables at home.

Four years later, their garden is now thriving, feeding their children and neighbours, sharing produce with schools and they are about to launch tours of their garden in partnership with the Cook Islands Tourism Board.

“The pandemic has been bad for us and the country, but it has shown us that we have everything we need on the island, and we also have fertilizers that we can produce ourselves,” Mirela said.

“We thought, during this pandemic, there won’t be any ships coming to bring us food, so how are we going to feed ourselves?

Agriculture Minister Temarama Anguna-Kamana with SPC staff, soil scientist Dr Rohit Lal and plant health laboratory technician (entomology) Nitesh Nand. TALAIA MIKA/24071511

“So we thought, we can grow enough crops to feed ourselves and our children, so we started planting, and so far we’ve done very well.

“We manage to feed ourselves, our daughters when they come home, they cook, and our grandchildren.

“When we have extra food, we share it with our neighbours and we also take it to school because we can’t finish it all… It’s been a really beautiful journey and we’re learning every day.”

The organic home gardening tours they hosted prior to the launch were a huge success and they expect to be up and running within the next two weeks. They are eager to share their passion for home gardening with the community and visitors.

The Mairis family started planting their own garden four years ago when the Department of Agriculture began handing out free seedlings during the pandemic.

At the time, they were still using chemical fertilizers until they met some friends who encouraged them to switch to organic farming.

They have been running an organic garden for three years, growing a variety of trees, vegetables and more.

“We were lucky because we met some friends who encouraged us and supported us in organic farming and gave us advice on how to take care of the garden,” Mirela said.

When asked if they sell their harvest to make money, they said they do so when they have too much or need to buy things like fencing and fishing nets for their gardens.

The Myri couple were among the farmers who attended a clinic at the Department of Agriculture last Friday. They learned more about farming and planting and how to take care of the soil.

The training, promoted by the Safe Pacific project funded by the European Union and implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC), started last Monday and focused on pests and diseases and soil.

The training was conducted by SPC staff, soil scientist Dr Rohit Lal and plant health laboratory technician (entomology) Nitesh Nand at the Agriculture Department office in Arorangi.

As a practical exercise, the trainees, who are extension officers of the Ministry of Agriculture, conducted a clinic with farmers in the agricultural district on Friday to showcase what they had learnt during the week.

“For me, I learn a lot. They see things that we don’t see in the garden, like insects and other things, and we learn how to look for them and how to treat them,” Mirela added.

“We also learned about good and bad insects. Beneficial insects help our gardens, while bad insects can be a scourge to the garden.”

Mirela warned local farmers that there will be some challenges along the way, but she urged them to take advantage of the Ministry of Agriculture’s help to support them in their journey as farmers.

“We want to encourage people to grow enough vegetables in their own garden to feed themselves, and if they can grow an organic garden that’s even better because we need to look after our soil, our soil feeds us, so if you look after our soil you’ll grow good vegetables,” she said.