Lise Van Laere: Regenerative Farmer

COOL HUMAN OF HOPPER -
Lise Van Laere

This month’s cool human is none other than Lise, who, if you’ve been at Hopper in the last year, would’ve had the delight of meeting.

Originally from Merchtem, Belgium, Lise has called Aotearoa New Zealand home for four years. She has been with Hopper as an Assistant Manager since February this year and recently stepped aside to focus on a very exciting new project in the Wairarapa...

Fear not though, this isn’t the last you’ll hear from her as she will be popping up from time to time to lend her skills and to say hi! Lise is passionate about community, sustainability, and a pretty cool human to top it off, so it feels right to shine the spotlight on her and find out just what she’s up to now.

So, what is Vagabond Vege?

Lise: Vagabond Vege is a regenerative market garden in Te Hupenui, Greytown that I, along with two friends (Saskia and Elle) and my partner (Sheldon) are in the process of setting up. We’ve got a shared passion of growing food and wanting to contribute to a change in our current food system (much like Hopper does).

Collaborating to create the farm was an obvious choice for us, as it meant we had a larger pool or resources to draw from, and having a larger team means we get to take a break from time to time! For me, this means I am able to keep doing my luthier apprenticeship on the side.

I grew up very close to my grandparents, who have a big garden. My grandfather is 83 now and still grows all his veggies himself! Having my hands in the soil feels like honouring him in a way.

How are you approaching farming from a sustainable standpoint?

Lise: To break the big buzz word down: regenerative farming in its most basic form means farming in a way that improves the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them. For us, this means: no tilling (except for the massive amount of rocks we’re moving at the start), no chemicals, and diverse and dense cropping that enhance beneficial fungi, bacteria, and insect life in the soil. Landscapes farmed in this way act as carbon sinks and retain rainwater. This creates resilient soils, especially in a changing climate!

The finished product: a plethora of yummy vegetables and colourful flowers. We are aiming to have a CSA (community-supported agriculture) subscription available by November this year. CSA members support the farmer by pre-purchasing their seasonal share of vegetables, which come in the form of a weekly vegetable box. We will also go to a few Wairarapa markets, and who knows- we might be able to bring products to Hopper in the future!

That’s very exciting, Lise! Is there anything we can do to support?

The start-up of Vagabond Vege has been a wild ride... We’ve faced challenges with the rocky constitution of our soil, the reality of 100km winds, the subsequent destruction of our tunnel, and heading into a second lockdown.

We’ve recently launched a crowdfunding campaign so if you back our vision, and would like to see us grow, you can help us by adopting part of a windbreak, or a growing bed, as well as spreading the word!

We’re going to be sad to see you less often, but have such fond memories of you and look forward to seeing how Vagabond Vege thrives! Do you have any favourite memories of your time at Hopper as Assistant Manager?

Thank you! I loved my time at Hopper, and leaving was bittersweet.

My favourite part was the people. Apart from working in my absolute waste-nerd dream job, I got to work alongside humans who shared my passion for zero-waste and were lovely, funny, and creative. Friends as colleagues, what more can you ask for!

I love the community around Hopper, the customers I met who became friends. I loved being part of organising the events, the repair cafe and Hopper markets.

A very specific memory scene: the Hopper Open Day, Lee singing beautifully, Anna in the sun taking photos, bow in her hair. Francine looking proud and dancing, Susie upstairs smiling through the window and the place just humming and buzzing, everyone around reveling in zero-waste fun. Such a supportive and great community.

That was such a lovely day! Out of curiosity, what’s your favourite Hopper product?

Black rice, hands down. So delicious! Great as an easy lunch, with some tahini dressing and greens.

Lastly, what are your zero-waste and sustainability tips?

Try to be inventive. When something breaks, ask if it can be used for something else or at least part of it? E.g. old holy t-shirts can become a cleaning cloth

Compost your food waste! It is really easy and saves so many tonnes of methane being trapped in landfills. Also magic for your garden.

Getting up that half-hour earlier, and walking or cycling to work. Good for the planet, and good for you!