Gardening Cook Island Style

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I have just visited the Cook Islands and stayed for a very enjoyable 3 weeks or so. I thought I would write a bit about the types of Fruit and Veg I saw growing and the way things were. It completley opened my eyes to a new way of life and their whole take on self sufficiency is very interesting.

Firstly the way of life over there is so vastly different, its like a breath of fresh air, very little crime at all, everyone has a smile on their face and greets you. Just about everyone I met was completely happy with life and totally laid back and more than happy to pitchin and give a helping hand if they saw someone in difficulty... This attitutude also extends into their gardening.

Each family has large plots of land, the land is owned by the people, not the Government so no land tax or planning applications etc... They all (or at least someone in each family)grows their own food, there are large tracts of their land set aside for this, puts the size of our allotments and back gardens well and truly to shame. The soil is very rich and fertile and a wonderful nut brown colour with a soft crumbly texture.

I spoke to three different people and they all appeared to grow the same food. Arrowroot, Taro, Pineapple, Banana, Paw Paw, Coconut, Chilli, Passionfruit, Watermelon, Squash/Pumpkins, Cucumber.. the list goes on. Once the plants are in the ground they are basically left to get on with it

quote "Mother nature takes care of it, thats why they call it Mother nature, if it was a man nothing would get done"

Doesn't mean they don't tend their crops but its hardly backbreaking. The hardest work is the clearing of the land, as its tropical you can imagine things grow quite fast and soon becomes a jungle.

I heard another saying. There is no hunger in the Cook Islands If you see someone is starving... then they are stupid

It was saif tongue in cheek but I could certainly see what they meant. Watermelons and Pumpkins grew as weeds, Coconuts fall off the trees all the time, seemed to be that bananas were constantly in season and you could just pick what you wanted and eat it. Things grew so readily, Arrowroot (tapioca) was so easy to grow, slap a cutting in the ground and about 6 months later you had a crop. Simple! The only thing to worry about was the cyclone season where salt water could ruin your harvest.

What I found amazing is that the Cook Islands set themselves a target of being completely organic by 2008 I believe, a target that they are almost achieving, quite unbelievable, and all the food tastes amazing, so much better than supermarket food.

I ate healthily fresh and organic veg with fresh game fish caught that day practically every day. You don't realise how good it is for you until you get back to work, sample the canteen cuisine and feel sluggish and lethargic all day after it.

I would sincerely give everything up to live the Island way of life, but then again, they have had absolutley no success at growing carrots or garlic . If I can get some of the flora and fauna photo's I took uploaded I will post a few.

Paul

[Chuckles]

Sound fabulous paul, if only we could get the first bit right the whole world would be a much better place.

paul said:

Firstly the way of life over there is so vastly different, its like a breath of fresh air, very little crime at all, everyone has a smile on their face and greets you. Just about everyone I met was completely happy with life and totally laid back and more than happy to pitchin and give a helping hand if they saw someone in difficulty... This attitutude also extends into their gardening.