01. Growing

Kia ora koutou, nau mai haere mai ki te Wildest Streams. Welcome to the podcast that elaborates on dialogues held within and around a community initiative known as Critical Signals. For three months in 2025, Critical Signals temporarily held residence at 115 Taranaki street in Te Whanganui a Tara, during which we held a range of discussions, seminars, workshops, and gatherings dealing with our anthropological world; climate response, community resilience, data sovereignty, food systems, and the creative potential of community response. In this podcast, we reflect on and share some of those dialogues, with me, your host, Clay. Thanks for being here.

In this episode, the first in this six-part series, we walk and talk with Ira Bailey along the paths of Matairangi and we’ll listen to kōrero from Dr. Jessica Hutchings; speaking on food systems, holding seeds in the commons, and the natural collectivism of the food communities from her talk in the critical signals space back in July called “Seeding Hope - Rebuilding our broken food system”.

“GROWING”

What can we see as we look across Te Whanganui-A-Tara from our perch up Tangi Te Keo? The walkways and streets right from the top of Mt Vic (Matairangi) all the way down Courtenay Pl to Manners St, represent a history of growing food. So from a vantage point up high, we’ll sow seeds down thru the innermost gardens and beyond, asking our neighbours about their connections with this land. This walk is a place to connect with local history, and enquire about what it takes to cultivate local resilience and self-determination.

Credits

• “Food Prices” Song by Relator The Real Master
• Waimapihi Stream Recording by Renee Banks
• Additional Recordings by Jackson Gittings
• Hosted by Clay Joy Smith

Full Recordings

• Dr Jessica Hutchings
• Ira Bailey

Acknowledgements

Great appreciation and thanks to the following sponsors and donors that allow this podcast to be made: Goethe Institute, Te Herenga Waka, Toi Aria, nikau, Monash University, Te Pūnaha Matatini, Mouthfull, Hugo & Blowfish, and all of the generous PledgeMe donors.