As Aotearoa’s floriculture industry faces the need to evolve, one Far North grower and florist stands out as an early bloomer. Waipapakauri-based Kat Rodger is forging a forward-thinking path in a space often dominated by plastic, chemicals, importation, and waste issues stemming from single-use materials.
Rodger grew up in one of the Far North’s first avocado orchards in Kaingaroa with parents who instilled in her a deep-rooted love for nature. “I spent a lot of my childhood outside with my hands in the dirt, exploring and observing my surroundings. My Mum grew our own food, and we had a small farm of chickens, goats, cows, and pigs,” Rodger said.
“Mum was always doing quirky little things like washing and reusing every plastic bag, which we do religiously now. I think all this exposure to nature and to thinking about the environment led me on this path.” Rodger began growing flowers commercially in 2020 and today operates Duncan Rd Creative, a business offering seasonal fresh flowers grown using sustainable and regenerative practices.
Rodger said the beauty of the floristry industry did a good job of covering up its globally felt negative environmental impacts, and many florists were ignoring waste issues. “Behind the flowers are some disturbing practices.”
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