Maori Business Success Stories
New Caffeine Boost For Plants3rd November 2009
What do you get when you cross an eco-conscious Kiwi cafe owner with a Swiss soil scientist? A totally natural and eco-friendly new product for busy gardeners that feeds the earth, repels slugs and snails and even diverts waste from landfill - Fodda. Dismayed by the amount of free range egg shells and organic coffee grounds she was throwing away at her busy Bay of Islands cafe, Dianne Pilcher (Te Arawa) was sure there was a better use for these nutrient-rich waste products than taking up space as landfill. Dianne started to experiment with different concoctions on both her indoor and outdoor plants and with great results, realised she might be onto something. Being the entrepreneurial type as well as a passionate greenie, Dianne sent her samples to Andreas Kurmann a scientific consultant specialising in soil analysis. Andreas too was a greenie and in his many years as a consultant had discovered a number of natural ways to prepare, enhance and aerate the soil that worked with the earth rather than stripping it of precious nutrients. Meeting Dianne gave him the business partner he needed to put this knowledge to use. ‘We saw a real gap in the market for people who don’t have the time or space for proper composting but wanted a natural soil enhancer’, says Dianne. The two decided to join forces and do things properly – getting help from Te Puni Kokiri’s business mentors (Tautoko Consortium) and hiring hot shot branding and packaging consultants from Auckland. The result is Fodda – feeding the earth. According to Dianne, ‘we’ve already have had some early signs of success, with the Ecostore shop and website being keen to promote and sell Fodda both in-store and on-line. Luckily being a nation of coffee drinkers we should be able to keep up with demand!’
Fodda is now available in 2kg bags from www.ecostore.co.nz or www.fodda.co.nz.
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