Features

Feature Articles

Spring into Kōanga!

22 Oct 24

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

06 May 24

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?

01 Mar 24

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?

01 Mar 24

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

01 Mar 24

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

18 Jan 24

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

18 Jan 24

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

18 Jan 24

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?

18 Jan 24

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!

26 Oct 23

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.

Behind the scenes of the Organic Act

12 Sep 23

Over four decades, thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of voluntary hours have been committed to establishing a solid foundation for organics in New Zealand. Brendan Hoare recounts the journey, the challenges, and the lessons learnt in the creation of the Organic Product and Production Act 2023.

Vote organics this 2023 election

25 Aug 23

At this critical point of organic development in Aotearoa, government support is going to be crucial for organic and sustainable practices to evolve. Jenny Lux asks our political parties what they intend to do about it.

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.

Silt to soil: Rejuvenating silt organically

03 May 23

The silts from recent floods are devoid of the all-important pore spaces, organic matter and microbes that make up a living soil. Charles Merfield gives practical recommendations on how to use organic processes to re-establish these and revitalise mineral-rich silt.

Feature Articles

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