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

Living Better, Together
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
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.
Members-only Articles

Add daylilies to your plate
Herbalist Sara Mertens celebrates the day-by-day delights for the palate and health of daylilies (hemerocallis).

Introduction to biodynamics
Biodynamics is a holistic organic practice that views a farm as an entire organism. Rebecca Reider explains the fundamentals of this earthy yet cosmic system of growing.

Summer gardening: maximising space, plant protection, and more
Most māra around the country are now in full swing, and keen gardeners are keeping up with succession sowings and plantings. While that’s wise, it also behoves us, as sustainable growers, to look for new ways to make the most from every plant we already have in the māra. Through meticulous maintenance and careful coaxing, we can all hope to increase production from our allotted growing space, while at the same time, reducing waste.

Ethical omnivorism: a case for eating meat
Meat is a divisive subject for ethical, environmental and health reasons. As part of an ongoing conversation we'll be running on this topic, Bonnie Flaws shares her view on why planetary and human health is compatible with ethical omnivorism.

Creating food forests with syntropic agroforestry
Jared Hiakita is a practitioner of syntropic agroforestry and the founder of ōNuku, a charitable trust in Hokianga that provides opportunities for the community to build more resilient food systems. He talks about growing food for whānau and the whenua.

Meet the locals: Vagabond Vege
Vagabond Vege is a market garden in Te Hūpēnui/Greytown, started by four friends, Lise, Elle, Sheldon, and Saskia.

How to make kimchi
Not only is kimchi delicious but it’s a probiotic that is great for gut health. Theresa Sjoquist talks to two kimchi makers to find out the secrets of this moreish crunchy pickle.

Recycling companies close the loop
Diana Noonan investigates the work of three recycling companies saving us from ourselves.

Redefining weeds for the post-herbicide era
If non-chemical weeding is the only way forward, how do we manage troublesome weeds, and what exactly is a weed anyway, asks Charles Merfield.

Untame your herb garden
Enough with the spick and span, says Sara Mertens. Instead, go a little bit wild and take advantage of the smorgasbord of nutrition our gardens have to offer, especially from those plants with reputations for being weeds.

Spring gardening: kai waste, seedlings, and other tips
Nothing announces the start of spring more than the bright yellow blossom of te kōwhai! Kōwhai blooms also signal the beginning of some seriously hard mahi in the māra as we strive to give our seeds and seedlings the best, and earliest possible, start in life.

The wellbeing of food in Aotearoa
We produce enough food in New Zealand to feed 40 million people, yet one in five Kiwi kids live in households that experience food insecurity. Gareth Hughes talks about his new role as lead of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa.

Visiting Motueka’s Toad Hall café
Louise Perzigian visits a Motueka food business that serves up freshly grown organic produce grown on the same plot of land.

Banned pesticide impacting New Zealand youth
An insecticide called chlorpyrifos, banned in the US but still widely used here, is again under the spotlight due to risks of exposure in New Zealand children.

Fashion: the good, the bad, and the greenwashed
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and bewildered about what constitutes planet-friendly fashion, you’re not alone. Claire Brunette unpicks the multilayered environmental and ethical issues within the fashion industry.

Visit the luxury hut heated by mulch
Louise Perzigian visits a luxury hut in Nelson with a low-impact price tag and a heating system powered by a giant pile of mulch.

Forever farming in Southland
Philippa Jamieson visits an organic sheep and beef farm where crop rotation, diverse pasture species and natural fertilisers contribute to the production of a premium product that prioritises soil and climate.

Hormone balance, naturally
Holistic nutritionist Laura Hett explores the roller coaster world of hormones and provides practical advice on lifestyle changes that can make a difference.

Kūmara recipes from Hapī
Kūmara is something we need in our community. It’s an abundance crop, says Gretta Carney, owner of Hapī Ora organic café and māra in Ahuriri–Napier. She shares some of her favourite kūmara recipes.

Kai as medicine with Hapī Ora café
Gretta Carney, owner of Hapī Ora organic café and māra in Ahuriri–Napier, talks about kai as medicine, the quantum science behind biodynamics, homeopathy and Hua Parakore – and shares some favourite kūmara recipes.

