Grow Kit
The Power of Shared Wisdom
As food prices go through the roof across Aotearoa, Common Unity in Lower Hutt is helping communities take back control of what they eat through simple growing practices guided by mātauranga Māori. But as word spread about their work, they faced a real problem: they were spending so much time answering calls and emails from people wanting to set up their own community gardens that they barely had time left to get their hands in the soil.
The Insight
Knowledge that stays with a few people can only go as far as their time allows. The most powerful community gardens aren't the ones with the biggest harvests in one spot, but those where everyday growers find their voice and share what they know – their 'fundamentils' as they call it – in ways that others can pick up and use. When real people share their actual stories and methods, it's not just passing on information – it's sharing hard-earned wisdom from the soil up.
The Campaign Thinking
Instead of getting stuck in an endless cycle of one-on-one calls, we helped them build an online learning platform that would open up access to Common Unity's know-how. The "Grow Kit" wasn't just some how-to videos—it was a way for their community to share what they'd learned in their own words, making it easy for anyone to pick up and run with.
Strategic Elements:
Knowledge for Everyone: Making growing and community-building know-how available to anyone with internet
Different Ways to Learn: Creating content that works whether you learn by watching, doing, or reading
Māori Knowledge Woven In: Making sure mātauranga Māori was part of the DNA, not just tacked on as an afterthought
Keep It Practical: Focusing on stuff you can actually do without fancy equipment or big budgets
Finding Voice: Helping real people share their hands-on knowledge in their own words, keeping it true to their culture and everyday experience
Key Platform Elements
Comprehensive Video Tutorials: 38 minutes of on-demand content breaking down growing techniques into simple steps, shared by the actual people with dirt under their fingernails who do this work every day
Community Support Framework: Simple tools for building the social side of community gardens
Cultural Context: Weaving in Māori principles of kaitiakitanga and how communities relate to food, explained by those who live it
Scalable Model: Making sure the ideas work whether you've got a small section in the city or a larger plot out of town
Real Talk: Keeping the actual words, sayings, and insights that make Common Unity's approach special
Results
1,331 students enrolled in the free course
4.6/5 average rating (100 ratings)
59% gave the program a 5-star rating
Significant reduction in consultation demands on Common Unity staff
New community hubs established using the methodology across New Zealand
What This Teaches Us
The most effective community change happens when innovators design for replication from the start. By transforming their methodology into an accessible learning format, Common Unity didn't just solve their immediate capacity problem—they multiplied their impact beyond what would have been possible through direct intervention alone.
I really enjoyed this course and, while I know about Common Unity already, I learned more about the specific planning and detail that goes into your incredible work. Thank you for generously sharing your story. May the seeds of kindness, connection, and wisdom you have sown continue to grow in Aotearoa and across the world. Ngā mihi.
Susie S
Rating: 5 Stars
“Mahalo nui for sharing your invaluable experiences and structural documents. They will help us tremendously as we grow our farming community on Maui!”
Jeannine G.
Rating: 5 Stars
Since this is a free resource, I can only say THANK YOU for making this available to others around the world who are using your model as an inspiration. This was a great high level overview. As I'm interested in creating a similar model in my own community on the other side of the world, I'd be happy to pay for a more in-depth look at each of the pieces in this video, if you choose to create a longer course as another income stream for your mission. For instance, I wonder what foundational culture was already in place in your community that contributed to the success of your mission. How did you get people involved, and meet them where they were at? What were your stumbling blocks, and how did you overcome them? I have watched the documentary by HappenFilms, but I'd love to hear more detail about your origin story in the context of someone trying to duplicate this model. I would also definitely buy a book that chronicled the detailed history of Common Unity from start to finish. If you make a digital book available on Amazon, and/or a physical edition, this could be another source of income for you. Best of luck, and wish us luck who would emulate your model elsewhere!
Sarah R B
Rating: 5 Stars
MY ROLE