Belinda Clark with her granddaughter Isla

My journey to healthier skin

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Diet and the skin-sugar connection

For most of her life Belinda Clark has enjoyed good health, despite a tendency to do too much, but her skin has often shown when something’s amiss. Here she shares her story.

Fortunately my mother started learning about healthy food when my sisters and I were young, and my parents eventually converted their citrus orchard to being organic and biodynamic.

Our mother’s research into wellbeing strongly influenced my own choices with holistic health later. These helped me stay generally well through student and overseas years and teaching in a New Zealand Steiner school, mostly while raising three children.

I sometimes enjoyed sweet foods, concerned only for my teeth and very occasional candida outbreaks, although I knew of naturopaths who advised clients to avoid it. Dr Rudolf Steiner had recommended it for some, I’d heard, and most people ate it, so I took little notice.

Twenty-two years ago, my daughters, our pets and I moved to a lifestyle block near Napier. It was lovely and brought many benefits but also new pressures, especially when I accepted a herd of angora goats.

  ABOVE: Belinda Clark with granddaughter Isla and Caspian the cat, by a raised vege bed.

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Belinda Clark is a Soil & Health member who lives near a daughter and granddaughter at Birdsong Nature Sanctuary.

She enjoys learning from and supporting Nature, writing poems and short stories for her ‘Unusual Encounters’ book, being part of an International Peace Group and singing in Napier Community Choir.

Working with the earth

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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.  

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Coral’s journey to organic regenerative growing 

Sarah began by asking Coral how she became a regenerative grower and how the Earthworkers course helped shape her path.

“My journey into regenerative farming began far from the soil and was an unexpected turn,” says Coral. “I actually trained as an interior designer in Spain, but had to move to London in 2008 after the recession made it impossible to find any work there. It was in London while living in a tiny flat with no access to nature, that I started to notice I was developing a longing for a connection to the outdoors.”

So when the opportunity arose to volunteer at one of London’s educational farms, Coral joined the team.

“I have always been a vegan passionate about sustainable food systems, so I quickly gravitated towards the growing team, where I discovered a deep sense of belonging with like-minded individuals who shared a desire to create a food system that nourishes both people and the planet.”

ABOVE: Left – polycropping at Earth Stewards; right – Coral Ramiro
Photos: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Challenges: catalysts for change

But despite her growing passion, she faced challenges breaking into the sector due to a lack of experience. This was a catalyst for Coral and her partner embarking on their big OE (overseas experience), first going to Australia before ultimately landing in New Zealand.

“I completed my Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) at Whanganui Eco School before I was lucky to secure my first role in the sector at Earth Stewards in 2019, just as the farm was getting off the ground,” says Coral.

During Covid-19 Earth Stewards lost its manager and Coral was encouraged to step up and take the reins. It was a daunting task, but luckily six months later, she was invited to take the Earthworkers Hort 101 course, which proved to be a pivotal moment in her career.

Earthworkers course: valuable learning

“The course really opened doors for me,” says Coral. “It helped me become an informed decision-maker. I needed to understand something before I can truly embrace it. The course gave me the base knowledge of why we do what we do, especially when it comes to growing regeneratively and organically. I came away with answers that gave me clarity and confidence in my role as a market garden manager.”

One of the key takeaways for Coral was understanding the science behind regenerative practices, particularly the relationship between soil microbiology, chemistry, minerals, and nutrients.

“It was overwhelming at first. I had a headache for days trying to absorb all the new information, but by the end of the course, I really understood how everything fits together.”

As a creative person, Coral also loved how polycropping allowed her to apply her design skills to farming.

“I get a lot of joy from the colour patterns that appear across the beds over the growing season. We got really excited at Earth Stewards as a team about planning our polycrops, and it gave us a simple way to contribute and learn together.”

“I needed to understand the why behind what we do—why we grow in ways to protect the soil and the whole ecosystem” – Coral Ramiro

Supportive network of growers

In addition to the valuable knowledge gained, the Earthworkers course provided her with the opportunity to connect with other like-minded growers.

“Through the course, I met Jenny Lux of Lux Organics and Brit from Tomtit Farms, and we’ve formed a lasting, supportive connection. Our farms collaborate by sharing produce, seedlings, and knowledge, and we’ve visited each other’s farms, like Jenny’s in Rotorua. It’s been a reminder that we’re not alone. Being part of a network of like-minded growers makes all the difference, especially in a field where the challenges can feel isolating.”

Coral has found the Earthworkers support network to be crucial for her and the Earth Stewards team, especially when it comes to managing pest and disease pressures.

“Having access to the post-course WhatsApp group has been vital. It’s reassuring to see other growers experiencing the same challenges—it makes you feel better about the difficulties you’re facing.”

ABOVE LEFT: Earthworkers participants at Highwic House, left to right: Coral Ramiro, Richard Conyngham, Jenny Lux, Pippa Hayes and Kaitlyn Lamb
ABOVE RIGHT: Coral, standing in the centre, and Brit Stembridge at the front, with other Earthworker participants at Highwic House, learning ‘flipping beds’ with no-till systems. Photos: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Stepping up to share knowledge and innovation

“Brit and I are excited to host the 2025 Earthworkers Hort 101 course at Earth Stewards and Tomtit Farms. The Earthworkers course was a game-changer for us, and being able to see these practices in action at the FTLOB (For the Love of Bees) model farm OMG in Auckland really made it feel real and achievable. Now, as we step into hosting the course on our own farms, we hope to inspire local growers in Waikato to embrace biology-first regenerative growing systems.”

Coral’s enthusiasm for soil science as a result of the Earthworkers course led her to undertake more study with Dr Elaine Ingham via the Soil Food Web. Participants in the next Earthworkers course in March 2025 will be able to see some of the research project she did.

Earth Stewards is certified organic with OrganicFarmNZ. It has come a long way since its early days, and Coral and the team will share some of the farm’s innovations with course participants in March.

Enhancing soils with compost and cover crops

“One of the things we’re really proud of is our ability to grow all the inputs we need to produce high-quality compost. We’re now self-sufficient in compost production, which we use for our seed-raising mix. Knowing that we control the quality of our seedlings has made a huge difference.”

“We’ve also had our first successful season managing our cover crops, allowing us to have in-situ mulch on most of our beds. This has drastically improved our moisture management and weed control, while also providing nutrition to the plants as they grow.” “This season while we were planting out our seedlings we experienced the soil being bouncy underfoot for the first time, and found preparing for planting carrots much easier. Over time we are seeing a change in the physical conditions of the farm as a result of the practices we are using.”

ABOVE: Abundant growth in the Earth Stewards greenhouse. Photos: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Finding the best sales model

At Earth Stewards they have also made real progress with their sales system, which they discovered is just as important as the growing.

“We started out doing farmers’ markets and had just started implementing the CSA (community supported agriculture) model as Covid started,” Coral recalls. “In a few weeks we went from doing a few CSA boxes to over 100, which put us under untenable pressure. It took us a while to find the right balance, and model, for selling our produce, but now we have a thriving shop on site which is open one day a week with talk of opening another day.”

“On sunny days there is a queue to buy produce which comes from a few local growers we are collaborating with. This gives us a very practical way to contribute to local growers who are also needing to sell their produce.”

The importance of a sense of community in organic regenerative farming is huge. Farming can be isolating, especially when you’re committed to healing the ecosystem the community gets even smaller. But for Coral and others the Earthworkers network has helped them feel supported and connected to others who are facing similar challenges.

“Together, we’re learning, growing, and turning our farms into models of biology-first regenerative practice.”

Earthworkers Hort 101

24–28 March 2025, Hamilton

Hosted by:

  • Coral Ramiro and team at Earth Stewards
  • Brit and James Stembridge of Tomtit Farm
  • Chris McIntosh at Ethos Café’s new start-up farm

These three farms will showcase regenerative farming practices in action. Participants in the course will learn from these growers who have experience of managing farms and offer models of what’s possible using biology-first regenerative methods.

Find out more and ENROL HERE by 9 March 2025.

ABOVE: Earthworkers lead agronomist Daniel Schuurman showing soil samples to Earthworkers participants at OMG in central Auckland. Photo: Kate Micaela

Earthworkers alumni – continuing the journey

Since it was launched in 2020 the five-day Earthworkers Hort 101 course has encouraged nearly 200 alumni to turn food production into an ecosystem restoration tool. Continuing this support via post-course mentoring they have established a network of optimistic like-minded growers who help each other in the day-to-day stresses and joys of learning how to work alongside nature to feed their local communities.

As a result, Earthworkers lead agronomist Daniel Schuurman and Earthworkers co-founder Sarah Smuts-Kennedy are developing the Earthworkers Educational Pathway to include opportunities for those wanting to take their learning to the next stage.

In 2024 For the Love of Bees (FTLOB) ran the Communities of Regenerative Learning (CORL) programme) in Tāmaki Makaurau, supporting six urban growing projects engaging alumni to step into mentoring roles. In 2025 this is being rebranded as the Earthworkers Alumni Research Group and will support a small group of alumni who want to deepen their knowledge using their own projects to do this.

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is the founder of For the Love of Bees and OMG (Organic Market Garden in central Auckland), and co-founder of the Earthworkers programme. 

Differently wired brains

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By Mary Allan

“Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits”.  This is the introductory sentence on the Harvard Education blog “What is neurodiversity?”

However, unless we dig a little bit deeper that catch-all term doesn’t explain the glaringly obvious struggles some people live with or the subtle, hardly noticed nuances that make life very difficult for others.

While I applaud inclusive language and thinking, my experience as a specialist in the management of autism spectrum in schools tells me that despite changing the terminology every 30 years or so, we are still very short on understanding how to help neurodiverse people survive and even thrive in our society that caters to the less diverse majority.

Understanding what is going on for people – especially children – is the only way to inform strategies and systems to help them cope with life.

The shape of walnuts is similar to the human brain

  

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Mary Allan is a retired special needs educator who still maintains a focus on managing ASD and severe behaviour. She is a keen gardener, spurred on by the limited range of organic and GE-free foods in the supermarkets, and the need to provide gluten-free and dairy-free food for her family.

gardening calendar 2025 fundraiser

2025 Calendars for Sale

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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.

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Spring into Kōanga!

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By Tanya Batt

Tanya Batt shares the story of Spring into Kōanga, a seasonal celebration on Waiheke Island. It’s one of the Kai for Community projects run by the Once Upon an Island Charitable Trust These projects focus on reconnecting with true seasonal celebrations and the stories and traditions around growing, harvesting and sharing food in the Waiheke community.  

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Egg time! 

It’s egg time. Many people often fail to make the connection between eggs, Easter and spring – kōanga. Probably because we celebrate Easter (a northern spring festival) in Australia and New Zealand in autumn.

However if you are lucky enough to have the company of a few chickens, that connection will come as no surprise to you. At this time of year you can be sure of an egg for breakfast. But for many of us, eggs (if you eat them) come from shops and shops always have eggs regardless of the season.

When we lose the connection between our seasons and celebrations, a vacuum is created and celebrations become superficial. Instead of connecting us to our environment, they become focused on what we can buy and how things look, and reverence is often diminished or lost. Upcoming spring Halloween celebrations demonstrate this perfectly.

ABOVE: Laying the tāpapa beds, Piritahi Marae, Waiheke Island, September 2024

September: Laying the tāpapa beds 

Here on Waiheke, we’re seasonally celebrating with Spring into Kōanga – a story in two parts.

The first part took place during September with the return of the pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo), in the māra of the Island’s Piritahi Marae, with the laying of the tāpapa beds from which will grow the tipu of the kūmara. These tipu (shoots or slips) will then be sown later in October or early November.

The September event was led by whaea Maikara Ropata, and kaumatua Eugene Behan-Kitto, a master kūmara grower who learnt his growing skills from the late Kato Kauwhata (Ngāpuhi), kaumata and inaugural chairperson of Piritahi Marae. The hope is to grow enough tipu this kōanga, for both the marae māra and other community garden groups, and activate island wide uptake of growing kūmara.

Growing stories and kākano (seed) for the hue (gourd) were also shared in an informal kōrero about this treasured plant – another early arrival bought by the tipuna of tangata Māori. When young, the fruit of this plant can be eaten but as a dried mature fruit it was used a storage vessel, musical instrument and taonga. The day finished with a kōrero given by Mike Smith, a climate activist who has recently won the right to take several large companies in New Zealand to court for failure to curtail their carbon emissions.

Kūmara was the first cultivated crop grown in Aotearoa. Its legacy as a primary food source of the people of this country stretches back several hundred years. The māra kūmara falls under the domain of Rongo-mā-Tāne, the atua of cultivated food and of peace.

October: Pumpkins, corn, tomatoes and more 

Our second event was held on the grounds of another of our community gardens – the Surfdale food forest – on 20 October. The programme included a talk about growing tomatoes with one of our green-fingered gurus, Eddie Welsh, seasonal kai ideas from the Waiheke Home Grown Trust, a spring posy competition, egg decorating and plant giveaways for the summer garden.

The focus was on two plants in particular: pumpkins and corn. Both plants originate from the Americas, their cultivation extending back thousands of years.

There are lots of traditions and stories associated with corn. In Europe, a ‘corn mother’ or ‘the old woman’ or ‘corn dolly’ was made out of corn (though corn was a generic word used for grain). The corn dollies were kept in the barn to protect the crops during winter, and then ploughed into the ground come spring to ensure a good harvest.

This tradition resonates strongly with another story of corn, which is told by a number of North American First Nations people from the eastern and south-western areas, where from the first mother’s body grew the first maize plants.

Attendees were given free pumpkin seedlings and corn seed, accompanied by a story and a song and were encouraged to bring their harvests to the Autumn Kai for Community Waiheke Food Festival in April 2025. The pumpkin seedlings were germinated by the students of the Waiheke Primary School’s Garden to Table programme. This programme was also the source of the pink popping corn seed that will be distributed for growing over summer, again culminating in a island-wide ‘pop-a-thon’ in autumn.

A primary focus of the Kai for Community programme is to excite and support families to grow food at home, fostering the green hearts and fingers of young children. Both Spring into Kōanga events have been generously supported by the Waiheke Local Board and are part of the Waiheke Island Climate Action plan.

The relationship we have with the land we live on, the food we grow and eat and each other are the cornerstones of wellbeing. Celebrating our seasons brings these three important things together and helps create healthy and happy hapori (communities).

Hollie Pierson with a Kai for Community tea towel
Opening ceremony, Kai for Community Harvest festival in April

Tanya Batt is a word warbler and seed sower living on Waiheke Island. Her two passions – storytelling and gardening – have found a happy union in the work she does as a storytelling gardener at a local school and through her role as creative director of the Once Upon an Island Charitable Trust’s Kai for Community (KFC) projects.

www.imagined-worlds.net

ABOVE: Tanya Batt with Chinese cabbage

Shai Magic

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Raglan organic grower, compost maker, gardening educator and permaculture landscape designer Shai Brod shares his compost-making and spring gardening tips with Mynda Mansfield.  

Shai Brod

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Mynda Mansfield is a writer and long-time organic gardener who lives in Raglan. She runs a homeschool group for 12 children using Waldorf education principles, and has published a book called A Eurythmy Teacher’s Handbook.

www.myndamansfield.com  

Sliding into Spring 

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By Setha Davenport

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.  

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What is a sliding scale? 

If you have not come across this beautiful format for allowing people to pay what they can afford for a product or service, it is worth looking into. Some might say that surely this isn’t a sound business decision? Won’t everyone simply choose the lowest price and leave you short-changed? Well, after a month of implementing this concept for our business, I can simply say, “No they won’t!”  

What we have found so far, is quite the opposite, and it is heartwarming to say the least. Before we go into the results we are witnessing, let me explain a bit more about the concept, and why we have chosen this for our business. Last year we DROPPED our seed packet prices across the board. What?! Why would we do that? We took all our seed packets and made them all $1 less overnight. That doesn’t sound like much, but when the total cost of a seed packet had been $4.00 that is a ¼ of the full price. The envelope printing and packing costs us $1.00 each so this was not a logical decision. It was one made from the heart.  

Photo: Felix Steckenborn, @phoenix_risenow

Deep connection with life 

We made this conscious choice after Cyclone Gabrielle, when we were clearly shown the power of community and our deep connection with all life and we wanted to give back. Give back for all the help we received then, give back to people who were struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living. We wanted to be part of the solution. Find a different way, a new model.  

I am indigenous. I am a seed keeper, I live with Nature, I am a part of her and I love her. I grow seeds and I sell them. I live with the land; I am part of the land and I own land.  

Merging Mother Earth’s teachings into business 

How can I take this bond with Nature and try to make a livelihood from her bounty? How can I be in these two worlds and find a way to blend them harmoniously? These are questions I often find myself pondering in the quiet and stillness of the night or while carefully tending a plant I want to see flourish. When I sit at my desk and tap on the computer keys to create ‘products’ for sale, I can feel very far away from the soil and seeds and the open air.  

I wanted to find a way to bring the reciprocity of nature into our business. I have long been inspired by my indigenous Cherokee ancestors and the way they lived for so long in harmony with Nature. How could I be profiting off Nature and still sustain this harmony? I see money as a resource, like compost or seeds. It is something we have created and when kept in circulation can help all. If we are open to a constant ebb and flow of money much like the tides or breathing and can trust that as it goes out into the world, it will flow back to us, I can see a more heart-centred, holistic approach to sharing the seeds. And that feels harmonious with Nature, with all Life.  

Photos: Setha Davenport

Making our seeds accessible 

We ultimately wanted anyone who desired access to high quality seeds for their garden to have them. This is very important to us. Always get in touch if lack of funds is standing in the way of accessing our seeds.  

So why have some of our prices increased this year? Well, we listened to some feedback. From customers, “your prices are too low! We know how hard you work and how much time, energy and money it takes to produce all the beautiful seeds. Don’t sell yourself short, invest in the seeds and your future.”  

So, we sat with that, and we talked more about having different prices for the same product. How we wanted people to be able to choose what they can afford. And despite having offered seeds at a reduced rate to low-income families over the years in our newsletter and mentioned on our website, we have not had a single enquiry.  

How does our sliding scale work? 

So please spread the word to anyone you know, who is struggling to afford seeds for their garden. The sliding scale is our updated take on helping to make seeds available to all, and at the same time allowing those who are more financially fortunate to support us and our small family seed business. Here is how it works. For seeds that we have a lot of or are easy for us to produce, we are offering multiple prices depending on what our customers feel they can afford: 

  • Low-income Price – Feeling strapped for cash, we’ve got you. Please pay this lower rate to make these seeds available to you and your family. ($3.00) 
  • Sustainability Price – This is the true cost to produce this packet of seeds. If this is what you can afford, please choose this price. In reciprocity there is balance. ($4.00) 
  • Support Price – Pay it forward. Are you secure in your income? Pay the price of 2 seed packets to offset those who are less stable financially. Thank you kindly. ($6.00) 
  • Generosity Price – Feeling flush, love what we do and want to give back to help us grow and flourish? Thank you very much, we are truly grateful. ($8.00) 

And the results?  

It is early days, but I can say with confidence, the majority of people pay the Sustainability Price. And I have seen enough people to put tears in my eyes, pay the Support and Generosity prices.  

It is a funny feeling to have that direct feedback that someone is choosing to pay more for a product and choosing to support you and your work. It puts a pep in our step and makes the long, sometimes gruelling days of self-employment seem more worthwhile.  

Interestingly, the same feeling can be had when someone chooses the Low-income Price. The feeling that we are helping someone gain access to high quality seeds for their garden to grow healthy food for their family is a very good feeling!  

This is the beauty of the system. When people rise to the challenge of choosing a price that works for them, and being honest with themselves about what they can afford to help the business they are purchasing from flourish, that is what happens.  

Photos: Setha Davenport
Photo: Kiersten-Anna Fletcher-Zirke
Photos: Setha Davenport

Opening to reciprocity 

I encourage any business contemplating a sliding scale pricing system to give it a try. It can be scary to make the shift, and fear or scarcity thinking can get in the way. Opening to the possibility of reciprocity in your work, your income, your livelihood… there is magic in this. It is the way forward to shift to away from scarcity to reciprocity and trust. Trusting that cooperation, not competition will make a better world and that people have big hearts and generally want others to succeed has been our experience thus far.  

I am feeling uplifted and supported heading into this new growing season, knowing we are growing more than just seeds, we are growing compassion, community and new possibilities. 

Setha Davenport has been growing food and seeds commercially for over 20 years. Featured in NZ Gardener, Good, Kiwi Gardener, Organic NZ, and Grow – Wāhine Finding Connection Through Food, she co-founded Setha’s Seeds in 2013 with a mission to see New Zealand heritage seeds flourish in Aotearoa and help gardeners and producers rediscover their magic, taste and health benefits. 

www.sethasseeds.co.nz  

Neurotoxic Pesticide in our Food

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New Zealand children are being exposed to a brain-damaging insecticide, chlorpyrifos that’s banned in at least 39 countries. Alison White of the Safe Food Campaign investigates. 

In June 2024 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.   

A 2022 study found that New Zealand school-age children had levels of chlorpyrifos metabolites between two and seven times higher than their peers in the USA, Canada, Spain and Thailand.  

Very low levels, such as are found in food, can irreversibly harm the pre- and post-natal brain and pubertal development. Low-level exposure to chlorpyrifos has many persistent adverse effects on people’s health.  

We are what we eat 

Dietary intake represents the major source of pesticide exposure for infants and children. A number of intervention studies around the world have measured children’s urine, usually for organophosphate metabolites or breakdown products, before and after eating organic food over a period of time, and mostly the results have been dramatic and immediate. A useful example of this is a short video on YouTube about a Swedish family: The Effect of Organic Food. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency concluded in 2016 that chlorpyrifos in food is unsafe for all populations. They calculated the highest risk is for children aged 1–2 years old, with exposure levels 14,000% above the safety threshold for food. At least 39 other countries have banned this pesticide, including the UK, Canada and the 27 countries in the European Union. The UK made it illegal to use chlorpyrifos on any crop in 2016. The US eventually banned its use on food crops in 2021. There are safer alternatives.

Long-lasting and widespread harm 

The United Nations international review committee classified it as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) in 2022 because of its persistence, bioaccumulation, potential for long-range environmental transport and adverse effects, particularly on young children at low levels. It is a signal to all countries to no longer use this pesticide. 

New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has not prioritised the reassessment of chlorpyrifos, in spite of well-documented evidence of its neurotoxic properties showing persistence and harm, not only in children’s bodies, but also harm to the New Zealand environment. Adverse effects have been found in bees, for example. It has also been found in our water, soil, sediment, crops, air, and in remote areas like the Southern Alps, Antarctica and Arctic. 

What can we do? 

The obvious choice is to buy organic food, and even better, grow some of your own food. Eating organic and homegrown means we lessen our exposure to the cocktail of chemicals that are frequently present in non-organic food grown in a system of industrial agriculture.  

This chemical cocktail may include substances that cause cancer and endocrine disruption (have an effect on the hormones in the body). No safe level for these effects has ever been scientifically established, and very little is known about the impacts on health of consuming multiple pesticide residues.  

By choosing organic food you are also supporting a system that does not pollute the environment. It is well established that organic agriculture helps to mitigate climate change, and is more resilient in droughts and floods. 

Who’s most at risk? 

We are all at risk of harm from chlorpyrifos, but particularly at risk are babies in the womb, infants and children right through puberty.  

Which foods have chlorpyrifos residues?

A number of recent New Zealand government surveys have found this insecticide in a wide range of food, including: 

  • Raisins 
  • Peanut butter 
  • Anything containing wheat 
  • Frozen mixed berries 
  • Grapes 
  • Tomatoes 
  • Avocados 
  • Pears 
  • Mandarins 
  • A range of summer fruit 
  • Broccoli  
  • Various green vegetables
  • Baby food.  

Safe Food Campaign 

For more information, including references, download the Safe Food Campaign’s full submission from this page on their website. 

Sign up to the Safe Food Campaign’s newsletter via their website.  

Alison White is co-convenor of the Safe Food Campaign and a life member of the Soil & Health Association.  

Photos: iStock/Liudmyla Lazoryshyna/merc67

Tribute to Hazel Berryman

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Soil & Health would like to honour and thank the late Hazel Berryman (1922–2023) for her generous bequest. She was a life-long gardener and a member of the Soil & Health Association for decades. Her family has supplied the following tribute.

In Memoriam Hazel Rachel Berryman 1922–2023 

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.   

As a committed gardener, Hazel believed in composting and the importance of healthy soil. In her 20s she was an early member of the Auckland Compost Society [later it became the Soil & Health Association].  

From the knowledge gained, Hazel and her late husband David turned the clay of their West Auckland home into a small Garden of Eden, growing copious flowers, fruits and vegetables. At the same time, they transformed the barren landscape through many plantings of native and some exotic trees, creating a refuge for many birds.   

Hazel won many awards for her flower arranging at the annual Auckland Floral Shows, and took part in many community tree-planting events, particularly in Auckland’s Grafton Gully and Mount Smart Domain.  

The Compost Society magazine, later Soil & Health magazine, and more recently OrganicNZ, always held a prominent position on her reading couch, and it is for that reason that Hazel wished to leave a small legacy to the Soil & Health Association.  

Facts About Flour – The Grist On Wheat Flour

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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.

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Theresa Sjöquist is an author, speaker and freelance writer based at Port Albert. www.theresasjoquist.com