The more I spend time with the land, the deeper I sink into a form of authenticity with it. The cycle of the Gregorian calendar needs awareness of its disconnect in the southern hemisphere.

This coming January, we have a unique opportunity to experiment, and see the impact a particular aspect of the calendar can have on our environment. With the node coming up at 3pm on Sunday 19 January, we can sow radish seed hourly from 9am to 9pm, to see how the negative influence can arrive, and subside.

Chaos Springs at Waihi run regular workshops about soil health, composting, and on-farm fertility. Jenny Lux reports on a recent workshop.

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.

Christine Dann found the Matariki holiday was a perfect time to take a walk around the garden and think about what worked well in the past year, and what needs to happen in the new year.