Feature Articles
Working with the earth
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.
Differently wired brains
What is neurodiversity? Understanding what is going on for people – especially children – is the only way to inform strategies and systems to help them cope with life, writes Mary Allan.
2025 Calendars for Sale
Our Calendars are back by popular demand. We have the sought after ‘N*de Gardening’ calendar, as well as a requested ‘Beautiful Gardens’ calendar (for those who prefer to hang a calendar that doesn’t get so much attention!). Both calendars include the moon phases.
Spring into Kōanga!
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.
Shai Magic
Raglan organic grower, compost maker, gardening educator and permaculture landscape designer Shai Brod shares his compost-making and spring gardening tips with Mynda Mansfield.
Sliding into Spring
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.
Neurotoxic Pesticide in our Food
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
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.
Facts About Flour – The Grist On Wheat Flour
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.
The Significance Of Degrees
The single biggest influence on an organic garden is temperature. As Dr Charles Merfield explains, a comparatively minuscule variation can have dramatic consequences.
The rise, reasoning, and role of Soil & Health Association of NZ
Historian and Soil & Health NZ councillor, Matt Morris, chronicles the
genesis of Soil & Health Association of NZ Inc., and the impact we have
made on organics in New Zealand.
Cooking with oil – which one is good for you?
Trans or saturated, polyunsaturated, or monosaturated? What’s the difference between cold-pressed and virgin, light and refined? Paula Sharp smooths out the choices of what is best for our bodies in terms of oils and fats.
To GE or not to GE?
We are at a critical point in decision-making about releasing genetically engineered organisms into New Zealand's environment. Philippa Jamieson outlines some of the potential risks and benefits of our options in a comprehensive flowchart.
The battle for the future of food
Jon Carapiet outlines why the push for automatic acceptance of unproven technologies that have the potential to irreversibly contaminate our food and environment (aka GE) is the wrong direction.
The benefits of Vitamin Sea
As we chase modern life, do we forget the powerful and potent benefits of nature? Simply going to the beach can have profound effects. Zara Adcock explains how the surf, sand, and sun affects our spiritual, mental, and physical health.
So let’s talk about GE
Pro-GE lobbyists are saying we need to have a ‘mature’ conversation about genetic engineering. Originally they claimed it would solve world hunger, now they are claiming it will mitigate climate change. Philippa Jamieson logically and ‘maturely’ refutes their greenwashing.
Dispersing the myths of methane
Are burping cows really to blame for global warming? Dee Pignéguy delves into the source and cycle of methane to reveal that it is not so simplistic – and there are other culprits that should concern us more.
Insects in your garden: Beneficial or bad?
Insects are a vital component of a spray-free garden. But which ones? Duncan Smith describes what various insects do, why you need them, and how to get them.
How-to: urban composting with bokashi, worm farming, and more!
Recycling plant matter into plant food is half of the cycle of life. Kaitlyn Lamb describes how this can be done on any scale, in any place – even the most urban situation.