Farming and Horticulture

Farming & Horticulture Articles

Neem: Nature’s healing gift to humanity

15 Apr 25

The neem tree has many benefits, including as a natural pesticide, fertiliser and it's a plant with various healing qualities. Katherine Smith reviews this book by Klaus Ferlow of Neem Research.

Sheryl Stivens: Organic Pioneer

26 Mar 25

Sheryl Stivens is a Soil & Health member who embodies the motto of ‘healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people’. Mercedes Walkham traces her life and finds out what makes her an organic pioneer and champion.

Cultivating Change

25 Feb 25

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy shares her journey as an artist and advocate for regenerative farming practices, and her role in founding For the Love of Bees, OMG market garden, and the Earthworkers 101 course.

From paddock to plate and back again

23 Jan 25

As he deepens his knowledge of organic and regenerative horticulture and the links with soil, food and health, Chris McIntosh of Ethos Café has found his life journey coming full circle.

Mushrooming with next-gen homesteaders

22 Jan 25

Lenny Prinz and Jodi Collins lead a busy and inspiring life that includes growing mushrooms and cultivating spawn, developing compostable mushroom packaging, creating art, raising children, gardening and community projects. Read their story here.

Working with the earth

18 Dec 24

Coral Ramiro is the manager of Earth Stewards certified organic urban farm in Kirikiriroa / Hamilton, and an alumna of the Earthworkers Hort 101 programme. She tells her story to Sarah Smuts-Kennedy.

Stop, look and listen to the weeds

25 Nov 24

Organic gardeners and growers can be challenged by weeds. But if we learn to work with them – to observe what weeds grow where, we'll see what they're telling us about the soils.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Live2Give: Focusing on foundations, making good ethics a viable business

01 Mar 24

Two Manawatū couples with a big vision made hard choices, distilling their operation down to its essence. Rachel Rose talks to the owners of Live2Give about how their business has grown, diversified, adapted, and prioritised, all the while keeping the culture of doing it for good.

Underground interactions: how roots communicate

01 Mar 24

They may be out of sight, but Dr Charles Merfield tells us what science is beginning to understand about the complexity of root interactions.

Blooms for change with Rebecka Bjelfvenstam Keeling

18 Jan 24

Rebecka Bjelfvenstam Keeling is not just a grower and a champion of local seasonal flowers; she is also an educator with a strong commitment to cultivating a greener tomorrow

Going underground to the root of it all

18 Jan 24

Roots, the essential ‘engine room’ of a plant, is the determining factor of health and growth. But roots may not be where you expect. David Whyte delves down into how our trees behave underground.

Spelt: the benefits and challenges of an ancient grain

18 Jan 24

An ancient grain that’s enjoying a modern revival is being grown organically near Bulls in Manawatū. Theresa Sjöquist talked to Harry Russell-Bowen of Ratahi Farm about the benefits and challenges of growing spelt.

Healing the earth through biodynamics

25 Aug 23

A philosophy that transcends all cultures, religions, or science has been practised in Aotearoa for nearly a century. It’s a holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food, and nutrition that is gaining recognition worldwide.

The soil improver: transforming forestry slash with biochar

27 Jul 23

Kev Dowman tells Paula Sharp why we should be producing biochar on a commercial scale. He says it is an investment for our future, specifically the future of New Zealand’s land quality and how we can contain carbon.

Accounting for the future

05 May 23

A recent article in a farming magazine, bemoaned that an estimated $55 million has been spent comparing organic/regenerative to industrial (named conventional) farming – with the conclusion that regenerative farming produced less profit and more GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions.

Farming & Horticulture Articles

Neem: Nature’s healing gift to humanity

Sheryl Stivens: Organic Pioneer

Cultivating Change

From paddock to plate and back again

Mushrooming with next-gen homesteaders

Working with the earth

Stop, look and listen to the weeds

Creating on-farm fertility

When Micromanaging is Good

What is Syntropic Agroforestry?

Winter Jobs for Blueberries in the Home Garden

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

Live2Give: Focusing on foundations, making good ethics a viable business

Underground interactions: how roots communicate

Blooms for change with Rebecka Bjelfvenstam Keeling

Going underground to the root of it all

Spelt: the benefits and challenges of an ancient grain

Healing the earth through biodynamics

The soil improver: transforming forestry slash with biochar

Accounting for the future

Proudly published by the Soil & Health Association NZ

Proudly published by the Soil and Health Association NZ