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Features

Spring into Kōanga!

22 Oct 24

Spring into Kōanga is a seasonal celebration on Waiheke Island. It’s one of the Kai for Community projects that focus on reconnecting with true seasonal celebrations and the stories and traditions around growing, harvesting and sharing food in the Waiheke community.

Shai Magic

23 Aug 24

Raglan organic grower, compost maker, gardening educator and permaculture landscape designer Shai Brod shares his compost-making and spring gardening tips with Mynda Mansfield.

Sliding into Spring

23 Aug 24

What does a ‘sliding scale’ price mean? I have been aware of this concept for years and had wanted to implement it in our business for several years as well, but had lacked the tech knowhow to create multiple prices for the same product until this winter. By Setha Davenport.

Gardening

Steve Erickson, second from right, and group in pasture

Creating on-farm fertility

22 Oct 24

Chaos Springs at Waihi run regular workshops about soil health, composting, and on-farm fertility. Jenny Lux reports on a recent workshop.

Monique Macfarlane

Moon Calendar Nov-Dec 2024

21 Oct 24

Timeliness is always key. When we do the job that needs doing as soon as we see it, or have an internal prompt to check in on it, I find it is far more efficient.

Moon Calendar October 2024

25 Sep 24

Suggested seasonal tasks based on the cosmos, are a wonderful starting point for investigation, as each farm, property or garden is a unique organism.

Health and Food

Steamed eggplant with spicy sauce drizzle

22 Oct 24

This is an extremely simple dish that’s packed full of flavour. It’s great to cook during peak eggplant (aubergine) season in the garden. There's a homemade chilli oil recipe here too!

When Micromanaging is Good

20 Sep 24

Microbes are a big name in organic agriculture – in fact, they are the reason for everything. I’m not exaggerating here: the first life forms thought to have existed were – you guessed it – of such tiny proportions that you and I would have thought nothing of them. Story and photos by Paige Murray.

Asparagus & Lemon Walnut Crumble

20 Sep 24

The asparagus season is short, so make use of the season with a nutrient-laden crumble you can whip up in 10 minutes.

Farming and Horticulture

What is Syntropic Agroforestry?

20 Sep 24

Syntropic agroforestry speaks of biomimicry, creating a system that is like a natural forest. Ecological succession is a key pillar. All plant species have their life cycles; each finds its niche within a system and in turn flourishes then dies in its own time. Story and photos by Andy Jeffs.

Winter Jobs for Blueberries in the Home Garden

25 Jul 24

There are many blueberry varieties available to the home gardener. Large and small, sweet and sour and everything else in between. They can be notoriously difficult to grow. So if you have some blueberry plants, here are a few winter jobs to help your plants to thrive. By Andy Jeffs.

Teaspoon of Soil

Life Underground – A Guide To Aotearoa’s Soil Food Web

16 May 24

Without the diverse organisms within our soil there would be no land- dwelling life on Earth. Duncan Smith describes the creatures and critters that underpin our plants, and ultimately, ourselves.

Building and Technology

Shelf life – or human life?

27 Jun 24

There is a new system of industrial food manufacturing that produces edible substances that are not food, but rather food products containing novel, synthetic molecules never found in nature. These ever-increasing laboratory-engineered chemistry experiments are designed to simulate food.

Critical Thinking on Gene Technology Regulation

08 May 24

Layers of manipulation and obfuscation are being used to package deregulation of gene technologies as a net positive. Bonnie Flaws outlines how, and why one of New Zealand’s leading biological science professors considers regulation the best tool we have to prevent risk.

Tourism doesn’t have to cost the earth

21 Dec 22

The tourism dollar is coming back, but at what cost? Claire Brunette investigates how New Zealand can, and does, balance the effect on the environment while still reaping the rewards in our economy.