Grow My Greens partners with restoration

From a single grow room in a suburban garage to supplying cafes, supermarkets and community gardens, Grow My Greens has always been about growing more than just plants.

Now, the certified organic microgreens business is taking its sustainability journey a step further by partnering with Te Hōnonga a Iwi – Restoring Rosedale Park.

Founder Catherine Hackett, a former primary school teacher and long-time advocate for healthy eating, discovered microgreens on a fishing trip to Great Barrier Island — and never looked back.

“I demolished the tiny bag of cute vegetables and thought, ‘What are these?’” she laughs. “I went home, did the research, and realised they were packed with flavour and up to 40 times more nutritious than mature plants. It was absolutely up my alley.”

Catherine’s passion project grew quickly. From solo trials with friends and family, she and her partner Cam built purpose-built grow rooms, hired local staff, and expanded into two commercial sites in Rosedale. Today, Grow My Greens supplies cafes, supermarkets and households across the North Shore with microgreens that are fresh, local, and grown with sustainability at heart.

As the business grew, so did the need for a sustainable way to manage their growing medium — coco-coir, a coconut-based substrate used instead of soil. Unlike traditional composting, GMG’s vertical farming setup doesn’t allow space to process the used coco-coir on-site.

Enter Te Hōnonga a Iwi.

“We are thrilled Cat and the Grow My Greens team are partners in Te Hōnonga a Iwi,” says Project Co-ordinator Nicky Shave. “We need a constant supply of organic biomass to convert into compost, and to receive that free of charge within 100 metres of the restoration site is the ultimate example of using circularity to drive down our emissions!”

Catherine agrees: “It just made sense. We’re based in Rosedale, the restoration project is in Rosedale — we’re both part of the same local ecosystem. Supporting something meaningful right on our doorstep felt natural.”

The donated coco-coir, which still contains organic root matter, is ideal for putting around natives, helping to retain moisture in the soil and reduce the need for watering — a win-win for the restoration and the environment.

From the outset, Grow My Greens has been committed to doing business in a way that nurtures both people and planet. The business uses vertical farming to reduce land and water use, grows to order to eliminate food waste, and makes smart choices around packaging and delivery logistics to reduce emissions.

“Our whole model is built on reducing our footprint,” says Catherine. “It’s about growing food that doesn’t come at a cost to the environment.”

The partnership with Te Hōnonga a Iwi is just one part of GMG’s wider commitment to community connection. They also supply Forest Hill Community Garden and have donated coco-coir to other local projects.

“There’s something really special about the community that’s forming around Rosedale,” says Catherine. “You can see the commitment from everyone involved — it’s inspiring to be part of something that’s not just about what we take from the land, but what we give back.”