COMVITA + Sustainable Business Network

An article recently appeared on the Sustainable Business Network Dig It news site on Comvita’s bee business which we reproduce here.

‘Ever since apiarist Claude Stratford began health and well-being business Comvita, it has been basing its business around bees. Last year, the bees got a special treat – their own wildflower garden on the Bay of Plenty’s Paengaroa premises. The wildflower patch was set up as part of a larger on-site community garden. “It looks great and staff and visitors enjoy it too,” says Comvita Facilities Manager, Anne Blakeway.  “It’s much better than the lawns.”

‘The garden is part of a Paengaroa community initiative set up with the encouragement of Comvita CEO Brett Hewlett. It is staffed by a mix of Comvita workers and local Paengaroa community members and started with eight raised beds. It’s currently overflowing with courgettes, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, herbs, beans and broccoli. Leftovers are sold or given away to community members and the local school.

‘Fresh produce, including the strawberries, currants and raspberries from the ‘pudding garden’, is used in the on-site Café Restore, where visitors can also sup on souped-up smoothies loaded with Manuka honey and bee pollen.  The garden also contains beehives, serving as a reminder to the link between bees and pollination (bees are responsible for the pollination of about one third of food crops). There are also worm farms and a compost heap. “Since we opened the visitor experience in November 2013, the next logical step was to start growing our own produce to use in the Café.  Although our chef, Chris Hargreaves, is the first to admit that he isn’t really a gardener, he has led the project from day one,” says Anne. “It’s called the Paengaroa Community Garden as it really belongs to the community.  Comvita have donated the land and built some beautiful macrocarpa raised beds – now the rest is up to Chris and the community really.”

‘To learn more see the Paengaroa Community Garden Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/Paengaroacommunitygarden .’

Connecting people to nature and good health is how it all started in 1974 for Comvita. Today they continue that vision by researching and selecting sources of natural ingredients, carefully tending and harvesting them to preserve their purity. Their purpose is to inspire, enable and empower people to live healthy, happy and vibrant lives.

For more information please go to http://www.comvita.co.nz