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Homegrown Fruit: Pests and disease-reducing strategies

28 Nov 25

Here are some organic strategies to reduce pests and disease in the home orchard, from the book "Homegrown Fruit: A practical guide", by Kath Irvine and Jason Ross.

Cherries on top

28 Nov 25

Cherries – a small but mighty gift from the orchard, and one of the most nutrient-dense fruits of the season! Nutritional therapist Paula Sharp shares her nutritional knowledge and two delicious recipes: fresh cherry, rocket and almond salad; and warm spiced cherry compote.

2026 Calendars For Sale!

31 Oct 25

Our Calendars are back by popular demand. We have the sought-after ‘N*de Gardening’ calendar, and the ‘Beautiful Gardens’ calendar (for those who prefer to hang a calendar that doesn’t get so much attention!). Both calendars include the moon phases.

Strawberries: Sweet, sustainable, and full of summer joy

30 Oct 25

Few fruits capture the feeling of summer like strawberries. Their vibrant red colour, delicate fragrance, and juicy sweetness make them one of our favourite seasonal fruits. Beyond their taste and beauty, strawberries have a rich history, impressive nutrition profile, and are easy to grow, as nutritional therapist Paula Sharp writes.

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.

Bio-boost Your Compost!

26 Jun 24

Christine Grieder shares her expert compost recipes and dives into the world of using beneficial microorganisms in compost.

Facts About Flour – The Grist On Wheat Flour

20 May 24

Traditionally, wheat was a protein and vitamin-packed staple chiefly used for grinding into flour and making bread. Theresa Sjöquist investigates how it is grown and processed in New Zealand today and details its composition and effects on our health.

Miner’s Lettuce – Claytonia Perfoliata

20 May 24

It is prolific, grows just about anywhere with minimal care, and self-seeds for the following season. Anna-Marie Barnes describes an easy-care plant that provides fresh greens all winter long.

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.

The Significance Of Degrees

16 May 24

The single biggest influence on an organic garden is temperature. As Dr Charles Merfield explains, a comparatively minuscule variation can have dramatic consequences.

Keep your garden growing

15 May 24

Though growth will slow as the cold sets in, Diana Noonan gives ideas on how to keep your garden producing to offset the cost of living. While doing that, she advises that we must also look to the future and prepare for the coming spring.

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.

The rise, reasoning, and role of Soil & Health Association of NZ

06 May 24

Historian and Soil & Health National Council member, Matt Morris, chronicles the genesis of Soil & Health Association of NZ, and the impact we have made on organics in New Zealand.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Organic NZ has ceased publication

09 Apr 24

Kia ora koutou! Like many other businesses, and particularly…

Free Articles

Homegrown Fruit: Pests and disease-reducing strategies

Cherries on top

2026 Calendars For Sale!

Strawberries: Sweet, sustainable, and full of summer joy

Members-only Articles

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

Bio-boost Your Compost!

Facts About Flour – The Grist On Wheat Flour

Miner’s Lettuce – Claytonia Perfoliata

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

The Significance Of Degrees

Keep your garden growing

Critical Thinking on Gene Technology Regulation

The rise, reasoning, and role of Soil & Health Association of NZ

ANNOUNCEMENT: Organic NZ has ceased publication

Proudly published by the Soil & Health Association NZ

Proudly published by the Soil and Health Association NZ