As Puanga and the Matariki star cluster reappear in our midwinter sky, heralding the start of a new year in Aotearoa, we talk to a healer, a politician, a  biodynamic farmer and two organic growers about what Matariki means to them and how they’re choosing to celebrate it. 

Here is my finger-licking, creamy crustless pie, which also features caramelised leek, fresh rosemary, light spices and chunks of sweet kūmara, all immersed in a rich sunflower, miso sauce and finished with a layer of the parmesan-like cheesy rosemary crumble. Do not put this gloriously cosy winter’s pie in the too-hard basket, it truly is very simple to put together and so delicious. 

Herbalist Sara Mertens celebrates our hottest native herb and peppers us with ideas on how to use it in the kitchen and medicine cabinet. 

Rebecca Reider visits a family-owned apple cider vinegar company on the Kāpiti Coast that has been perfecting the art of fermenting for more than 25 years. The secret? Letting nature do her thing. 

Subscribe to Organic NZ and enjoy a free jar of organic honey.

In the first of our new series that gives us snapshots of people treading lightly, we visit a lifestyle block in Upper Hutt where a herd of goats has made tasty work of troublesome weeds.

On the hunt for a peaceful night’s kip, Theresa Sjöquist visits four natural bed manufacturers and discovers the secrets behind a healthful slumber. 

On a stretch of coastline at Kēkerengū, midway between Kaikōura and Blenheim, a field of medicinal plants is growing in the sunshine and sea breezes. This is no small garden. It spans 10 ha, making it the largest medicinal cannabis plantation in New Zealand. And unlike any other cannabis farm in New Zealand, this one is fully certified organic.