It's a Sunday afternoon and Di Maxwell's squeezing a box of chillies and branches of thyme onto an outdoor table already covered in produce at a farm near Keri Keri.
There are peppers, tomatoes, a dragon fruit plant, avocados, eggs, pepino seedlings, squash, kale, beans, beetroot, spring onions, daikon radishes, a tromboncino and paper bags exploding with herbs.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Di picked the chillies an hour ago.
How hot are they?
"Hot," she laughs.
About 40 people have turned up to the Crop Swap, however that's a bit of a misnomer, says organiser Graham Kettle.
"We don't actually swap crops...People bring stuff to give away without any direct anticipation of anything in return. Invariably you go home with more than you came with - it just somehow magically happens like that.
"Like today nobody will take a dollar out of their pocket. It's all people just giving and sharing with each other."
Graham says crop swaps are hosted regularly around Northland. They allow people to live more locally and more sustainably, he says. They also strengthen communities as neighbours get to know each other and not only share fruit, vegetables, seeds and cuttings but also tips on nurturing plants.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Di's a crop swap regular.
"You get stuff you haven't grown and give away stuff you've got too much of instead of wondering what on earth to do with it. You know it's very rare that I buy seeds anymore.
"Why should we import stuff. Why do we grow stuff here and send it to Auckland to get packed and then get it sent back here to the supermarkets? It's crazy. The way the world's going at the moment we all need to learn to be as resilient as we can."
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
