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Hot cross buns

14 Apr 25

This spicy, fruity and delicious hot cross bun recipe is by Isabel Pasch, who ran Bread and Butter Bakery in Auckland.

In an increasingly disconnected world, many people are seeking ways to live more closely with both the environment and one another. For Simone Woodland, a dream to create a different way of life led to the Tākaka Cohousing project in Golden Bay.

The coolest tangi

10 Mar 25

Malcolm Murchie was a long-time Soil & Health member who passed away The whānau of long-time Soil & Health member Malcolm Murchie share the beautiful journey of their father’s tangi with Organic NZ readers in the hope it will inspire others to maintain rangatiratanga over their loved one’s final journey.

Photos from Jenny’s garden

25 Feb 25

Soil & Health member Jenny Williamson shares some photos from her garden.

Moon Calendar Nov-Dec 2024

23 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Fat Hen & Cashew Cheese Tart

19 Sep 24

A commonly foraged vegetable throughout the world, fat hen is a good source of protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and trace elements, making this vegan tart — which uses both the seeds and leaves of the plant — highly nutritious.

Moon Calendar September 2024

23 Aug 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.

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.

Leek and Potato Stew

23 Aug 24

A simple, flavour-packed stew utilising spring veg and pantry staples – serves four. Recipe and photos by Tess Lenart

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.

Midwinter Musings

25 Jul 24

Christine Dann found the Matariki holiday was a perfect time to take a walk around the garden and think about what worked well in the past year, and what needs to happen in the new year.

Kūmara and white bean soup

25 Jul 24

This seasonal soup serves 6, is quick and easy to make, and very nourishing fare on a cold winter’s day. All the ingredients are easily sourced from an organic shop near you. By Christine Dann.

The Wild and Wonderful World of Perennial Brassicas

25 Jul 24

Fancy growing a hardy vegetable that will provide nutritious food for a few years? Several members of the brassica (cabbage) family grow as perennials, not setting seed for years. By Peta Hudson and Philippa Jamieson.

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.

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.

Neurotoxic Pesticide in our Food

27 Jun 24

Recently the Safe Food Campaign presented an oral petition to the government’s Petitions Select Committee, asking for the urgent reassessment and ban of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, due to its harmful effects, particularly on babies and young children.

Tribute to Hazel Berryman

27 Jun 24

Hazel Berryman was a life long gardener who believed in two cardinal credos: ‘you are what you eat’ and ‘eat food that goes bad, but eat it before it goes bad’. With these two credos, Hazel lived to the ripe old age of 100.

Free Articles

Hot cross buns

Living Better, Together

The coolest tangi

Photos from Jenny’s garden

Members-only Articles

Moon Calendar Nov-Dec 2024

Creating on-farm fertility

Spring into Kōanga!

Steamed eggplant with spicy sauce drizzle

Moon Calendar October 2024

When Micromanaging is Good

Asparagus & Lemon Walnut Crumble

What is Syntropic Agroforestry?

Fat Hen & Cashew Cheese Tart

Moon Calendar September 2024

Sliding into Spring

Leek and Potato Stew

Shai Magic

Midwinter Musings

Kūmara and white bean soup

The Wild and Wonderful World of Perennial Brassicas

Winter Jobs for Blueberries in the Home Garden

Shelf life – or human life?

Neurotoxic Pesticide in our Food

Tribute to Hazel Berryman

Proudly published by the Soil & Health Association NZ

Proudly published by the Soil and Health Association NZ