What started as a simple experiment to improve soil in the direction of terra pretaโa famously fertile, friable soil that seems to sequester carbon permanentlyโhas become a national field trial for the use of biochar in New Zealand.
Betsy Kettle from Hibiscus Coast Zero Waste tells the story.
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One of the programmes of our environmental education trust is City to Farm, which involves schools, retirement villages and cafes collecting their food scraps in wheelie bins, along with bokashi to add microorganisms and biochar to control odour and build topsoil.
The bins are transported to a local farm for composting.
Jenny and Phil Grainger have been experimenting at their Waitoki farm, in Rodney district north of Auckland, creating compost swales, enriching the soil and growing bananas.
Seven years later, the results are in. The compost swales created at the Graingersโ farmโlayered with mulch, food scraps, and biochar, then planted with bananasโhave transformed from hard, lifeless clay into something resembling the black, soft soil of the Amazon. Soil tests from Hill Labs and the Bioeconomy Science Research Lab confirm it.
ABOVE: Phil and Jenny Grainger | Photo: Betsy Kettle
WHAT IS BIOCHAR? Biochar is a form of stabilised carbon that can last for decades, centuries, or even millennia in the soil without decomposing โ read more about it on the Biochar Networkโs website here.
The black gold of terra preta
Archaeologists who have analysed terra preta tell us that ancient Amazonians placed organic waste of many kinds, along with biochar, into trenches to transform their infamous clay into their famous, long-lasting topsoil.
So we followed their lead. We imitated the process by collecting food scraps from town, using donated biochar from Soil Conditioner Products (SoilPro), and keeping both the composted area and the area around it planted.
The biggest mystery, though, is this: how long does it take to make terra preta? We know there are areas of this โblack earthโ that are centuries, perhaps even millennia, old. But does it really take that long to create it? Landcare Research told us it would take at least five years before we would notice even the slightest change in soil carbon. We were a little concerned, but we carried on.
ABOVE: Paul Candy of Future Ready Farmschecks out the soil in the compost swales | Photo: Rebecka Keeling
Compost swales
Compost swales are designed especially for clay soils to catch water from above and help it soak into the subsoil. Long, shallow excavations are dug across the contours of a hill, sloping gently downhill. The excavated soil is mounded on the downhill side and planted.
The hollowed area is then layered again and again with woody mulch and food scraps with biochar, or another nitrogen source, until the desired height is reached.
After that, it is simply left to compost. The compost is not turned and not moved. Instead, the combination we used of biochar and bokashi in the food scraps keeps the heap fresh and healthy, if it is not sitting in standing water. The bokashi โzingโ (microorganism mix) in the food scraps supports some anaerobic breakdown, and worms move in once the heap has cooled. Fungal hyphae grow undisturbed.
Climate action tool
Swales are useful climate action tools because in times of drought the biochar and deepened topsoil act as a reservoir that plants can draw from. They can also help ease flooding by encouraging runoff to soak into the subsoil. And when the swales are saturated, the bunds provide a drier, more aerated area for roots.
Compost swales are also climate action because they use the stabilised carbon that is biocharโmaking it a carbon sink in its own right. But this is not the biggest carbon sink. The growth of the living soil microbiome may be much larger.
Biochar acts as a long-lasting home for soil microorganisms, giving them more surface area to colonise. Fungal hyphae also seem to be stimulated by biochar and add to the growing carbon mass. But the fungi and bacteria must still rely on a steady source of food from the starches and sugars that plants pump into the soil.
ABOVE: Banana trees growing in compost swales | Photo: Rebecka Keeling
Holistic approach
So, the swale, biochar, compost, plants, and microorganisms all work together symbiotically and synergistically to transform the soil.
Will this work in other parts of New Zealand? We may have been fortunate: we were working with the same โdeadโ kaolinite clay found in much of Rodneyโs soils, that are also found in the Amazon.
We encourage growers throughout the country to experimentโnot only with biochar, but with creating diverse living systems that work together to create living carbon sinks that are resilient to an ever-changing climate.
Betsy Kettle has been a zero-waste advocate and composter for at least three decades and is a trustee of the Sustainable North Trust. She thanks Auckland Council for their support for the City to Farm project over the past eight years.
https://organicnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Phil-and-Jenny-Grainger-with-banana-trees-grown-in-compost-swales-photo-Betsy-KettleCOMPRESSED-scaled.jpg25601920membershiphttps://organicnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/OrganicNZ-2024-Masthead.pngmembership2026-08-28 13:50:342026-08-29 08:04:06Biochar, black gold and bananas
No one asked us whether the new substance belonged here.
A parable for our times by David McNeill
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We are the ones who live beside the paddock.
We are the children breathing at the fence line, the old woman hanging washing when the wind changes, the dog nosing the ditch, the cat washing its paws after walking through wet grass.
We are the swallows taking insects from the air, the worms folding leaves into the soil, the fungi threading unseen through roots, the bees reading flowers as maps, the fish waiting downstream where every paddock eventually arrives.
No one asked us whether the new substance belonged here.
It came with a label, a number, an approval, a promise. It came as efficiency. It came as yield. It came as a solution to a problem measured in tonnes and dollars.
It came with confidence from elsewhere, from another regulator, another climate, another soil, another river system, another idea of acceptable loss.
The farmer saw a treatment. The supplier saw a market. The regulator saw a pathway. The Minister saw growth. The paddock saw a fog settle on its skin.
We do not speak in quarterly returns.
We speak in hatchings, germinations, moults, root hairs, spawning, coughing, composting, mauri and the slow inheritance of residues.
What is temporary to a permit may be permanent to a stream. What is negligible to a model may be everything to a mayfly. What is โacceptable exposureโ to an adult may not be acceptable to a child, an embryo, a wetland, or a handful of living soil.
The farmer may gain this season. The grass may stand thicker. The invoice may be justified. But the paddock is not an isolated factory floor. It is connected: to field drains, lungs, gardens, milk, birds, rain, worms, neighbours, memory, and whakapapa.
We ask for a law that hears the quiet witnesses before the loudest applicant.
We ask that novelty not be mistaken for progress.
We ask that profit not be allowed to outrun proof.
We ask that soil be treated not as a surface to be managed, but as a living community with its own right to caution, to abundance.
For once a substance has crossed the fence, entered the ditch, touched the root, settled in the silt, or moved through the body of a child, the question is no longer whether approval was efficient. The question is who was made to carry the cost.
This is kaitiakitanga.
The Soil Act — the shortest and most important act for the environment. Clause 1. No person shall do anything to harm the soil. The end.
David McNeill is a member of Soil & Health’s National Council, its treasurer, and is a Soil & Health appointee on the board of BioGro NZ.
Photo at top: Fantail – piwakawaka on a tree branch, by Lolita Alekseeva, Unsplash
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One woman. Thirty hives. Thousands upon thousands of bees. And a lifelong love affair with some of natureโs most essential pollinators. Paula Sharp interviews beekeeper Jewelle Lloyd.
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ลhope Beach in the Eastern Bay of Plenty is known for its surf breaks, salt air and sweeping coastline. But tucked quietly behind the relaxed coastal lifestyle is a woman whose life revolves around one of natureโs most remarkable creatures, the honey bee.
For local honey producer Jewelle Lloyd, bees are not simply livestock, nor merely a business venture. They are part of her family history, her everyday rhythm and deeply woven into her identity.
Jewelle laughs when she admits she may be slightly obsessed with bees. Bee earrings. Bee socks. Bee-themed gifts. Bee conversations.
โI just love them,โ she says. This is no passing hobby; beekeeping runs through generations of her family.
Her earliest memories are tied to her grandmotherโs homestead, where hives stood only a short walk from the back door. While many children kept a cautious distance, Jewelle was fascinated.
Her grandmother harvested honey straight from the hives and treated the bees with enormous respect. She spoke to them often, chatting gently as she moved around the property. To some this may sound whimsical, but experienced beekeepers understand that calm energy around bees matters. Her grandmother rarely wore a protective suit and stings were uncommon.
Jewelle remembers standing nearby, watching closely, asking endless questions and quietly absorbing knowledge through observation. โMy brothers werenโt interested in the bees at all, but I was always curious.โ
That curiosity never left. Now, decades later, the next generation is beginning to circle back to the hives as well. Her sons, now grown with families of their own, are beginning to show interest in the craft that has travelled down through the family line. A cousin is also well established in the industry, working in kiwifruit pollination.
Today, Jewelle manages around 15 hives on a coastal Bay of Plenty farm, and another 15 hives on her partnerโs property near Gisborne. The two regions provide distinctly different landscapes, climates and flowering plants, resulting in unique honey varieties and flavour profiles.
Unlike many large-scale commercial operations, Jewelleโs beekeeping is intentionally personal and hands-on. One of the most important aspects of her practice is independently raising her own queen bees, no small undertaking in the beekeeping world.
Queen breeding
The queen bee is the heart of the hive. Her genetics influence things like productivity and overall colony strength. By breeding and selecting her own queens, Jewelle maintains close oversight of the lineage within her hives. โIt means I know exactly where my queens have come from. I can monitor strength, temperament and disease resistance much more closely.โ
Each year, she introduces new queens into the hives to maintain vitality and healthy colony performance. Strong queens are essential for resilient hives, particularly as modern beekeeping faces increasing environmental pressures. Jewelleโs careful management reflects a growing movement among smaller New Zealand beekeepers who prioritise sustainability, hive health and biodiversity over mass production.
The Bay of Plenty coastline offers bees rich and varied food sources. Depending on the season, bees forage on clover, pลhutukawa, mฤnuka, wildflowers and native coastal species. This diversity contributes to the flavour, colour and nutritional complexity of locally produced honey. The Gisborne hives experience slightly different conditions, creating subtle variations in the final harvest.
Raw and minimally processed
Honey is far more than simply a natural sweetener. Raw honey contains trace enzymes, antioxidants, plant compounds and naturally occurring antibacterial properties. New Zealand honey, particularly mฤnuka honey, has gained international recognition for its medicinal properties. Traditionally, raw honey has been used to soothe sore throats, calm coughs, support wound healing and provide a quick source of natural energy. Emerging research also suggests certain honeys may assist in reducing bacterial growth due to naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide activity and other bioactive compounds.
Jewelle sells her honey raw, meaning it is minimally processed and not heavily heat-treated. This matters because excessive heating can damage delicate enzymes and beneficial compounds naturally present in honey. Raw honey retains more of its natural character, complexity and nutritional integrity.
Over time, raw honey may crystallise, something many consumers mistakenly view as a flaw. In fact, crystallisation is often a sign the honey has been minimally processed and remains closer to its natural state.
While Jewelle carefully manages the hives herself, the honey frames are sent away for extraction once ready for harvest. During extraction, honey-filled frames are spun to remove the honey while preserving the delicate wax comb structure. The honey is then lightly filtered and jarred. And nothing goes to waste.
Jewelle also sells beeswax, which is used in candles, skincare products, balms and reusable wraps. The circular nature of beekeeping strongly appeals to many small-scale producers. Bees pollinate crops and gardens, produce honey and wax, and play a vital role in biodiversity and food production systems. Without pollinators, our range of food would be greatly reduced.
Close observation
Modern beekeeping, however, is not without challenges. Across the world, bee populations face growing pressure from habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate instability and disease. In New Zealand, varroa mite management remains one of the largest ongoing concerns for beekeepers. Maintaining healthy hives requires constant observation, careful intervention and proactive management. Healthy bees are not accidental. Good beekeeping requires patience, consistency and deep respect for the natural behaviour of the hive.
Her connection to the bees also reflects something increasingly valued within the organic and regenerative food movement: relationship. Small-scale producers often know their land intimately. They observe flowering cycles, seasonal changes and environmental stressors in ways industrial systems do not. That relationship with land and environment ultimately shows up in the final product.
Outside the hives, Jewelleโs day job is teaching hairdressing at Whakatฤneโs Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. On the surface, teaching hairdressing and keeping bees seem worlds apart, but there are surprising similarities. Both require patience, creativity, steady hands and strong people skills. And while teaching may pay the bills, the bees nourish something deeper.
At local markets, Jewelle lights up when talking about hive behaviour, queen development and seasonal honey variations. Customers quickly realise they are buying from someone genuinely connected to her craft. She sells her honey at several outlets in the Whakatฤne, ลhope and Gisborne areas, as well as directly via email at iamjewelle@hotmail.co.nz or phone on 0274 260 985.
For many people, purchasing local honey is about far more than taste. It supports regional food resilience, small-scale producers and the protection of pollinator populations. In Jewelleโs case, every jar carries a story, from a grandmother chatting quietly to bees outside a homestead door, to a passionate beekeeper in ลhope continuing that tradition today.
In a fast-moving world, there is something deeply reassuring about that continuity.
If you would like my free PDF Medicinal Honey Recipes, including simple ways to use raw honey for wellness, soothing winter tonics and nourishing kitchen remedies, email me at paulasharp31@icloud.com
Want some seasonal nutrition inspiration?
Iโm Paula Sharp, nutritional therapist and founder of Paula Sharp Nutrition, supporting women to nourish their health with sustainable food and mindset habits.
If youโd like seasonal recipes, practical nutrition tips and evidence-based wellness insights delivered straight to your inbox, Iโd love you to join my newsletter. Sign up at: www.paulasharpnutrition.com
After years in Aotearoa New Zealand’s wilderness, Miriam Lancewood sets off to Bulgaria, the Himalayas, India, Turkey, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
In Alone in the World, her third book, she describes how she hitchhikes to remote locations, camps in the wild, fights off bears and unwanted men, climbs mountains and survives by eating from the land and living by her wits.
This inspiring story also includes practical advice for preparing for the unexpected, living without modern conveniences, and lists of expedition gear and food.
ABOVE: Cover image of Alone in the World, and on top of the 4000-metre pass in Kyrgyzstan
TOP PHOTO: Miriam Lancewood with sticks โ photo: Lottie Hedley
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I walked into virgin forest โ it had never been logged. The difference to regenerating forest was striking โ these trees were tall and ancient, and the atmosphere felt calm, almost serene. The air was filled with the chirping of bellbirds, and the beech trees stood proudly, their ancient trunks exuding a sense of dignity and timelessness.
Above the evergreen canopy was a bright blue sky, and the sun lit up cheerful patches on the ground. Fantails fluttered behind me wherever I went. Every now and then a curious robin dropped out of the sky to see what I was up to. Then I arrived in an open clearing and saw the Dragons Teeth. The sight both scared me and fired me up.
“Hello, Dragon, I’m coming!” I said out loud.
I laughed, hearing my own voice.
After some hours walking up the river I began to look for suitable goat country. I know these creatures well. In my bow-hunting years I became very familiar with goats by observing them almost every day. I had studied their routines, habits and patterns. I know they prefer dry, sunny places. The old male loves to sit on a lookout point to guard his harem. They like to sleep under an overhang. Goats have their own trails, which are well trodden, but sometimes they will cross near-vertical rock faces, making it hard for us two-footers to follow.
In the afternoon I found a peaceful clearing with lush grass on the banks of a stream. I was delighted to hear the ‘whio’ whistling sound of the rarely encountered blue duck. I heard the male’s warning call before I saw the dark blue waterfowls. The pair glided swiftly and elegantly over the water, diving here and there, before eventually disappearing down the fast-flowing river.
I ate some dandelion and chickweed leaves and waited for the goats with the sun on my back and the wind in my face. I knew I was in goat country because I saw their recent poo. I could almost smell their presence โ yet I saw nothing.
On my third day without food I gradually became more hungry. The hunger pangs came in two-hourly intervals.
My solution was to put in more effort. I scouted the whole valley, roamed the side creeks, combed through every bit of bush. No goats.
But I burnt a lot of calories looking for them. I was so hungry I began breathing exercises, which made my tummy feel full โ albeit for short moments. Drinking lots of water and clover tea filled the stomach but didn’t give me more energy.
Munching on edible plants, like sorrel and the tips of supplejack, seemed only to remind my stomach that more should be coming, which made me even more hungry.
That afternoon I heard a rustling through the leaf litter. It sounded exactly like a small goat that was obviously not trying to be quiet. Surprisingly, the noise seemed to come my way. I stopped in my tracks, placed the magazine in its chamber, and silently loaded a bullet. Ever so carefully I turned around, scanning the forest for the creature that approached so boldly. It sounded really close now.
There it was! Alas, a weka!
Above: Miriam’s last summer in the wilderness in New Zealand โ skinning a hare at our camp in Rainbow Valley, Marlborough. Photo: John Bozinov
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This article was first published by Earthworkers and is republished here with their kind permission.
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I have always been a details-oriented sort of person. As a child I remember planting flowers with my Mum, learning all of their names and pressing them in a flower press. I later I revelled in learning how to identify and use the three names of all our native vascular flora (Mฤori, English and scientific). My first career was in plant ecology, after I did a Masters in that area looking at the relationships between soil and the regeneration of kauri forest after fire.
Moving between the details and the big picture, I became seriously concerned about climate change around the time of my late twenties. Not just mildly concerned as I had been in my youth, but in-your-face, losing-sleep, suffering-existential-fear-and-anxiety level of concern.
Of course, this had coincided with finding a husband who was a big-picture thinker and having two wonderful baby boys. I did not end up giving up at that point, but I decided that when I got back to paid work, I would be dedicating my time to a career in climate action.
Above: Richard scything grass
Growing vegetables
I moved from field-based plant ecology work to growing and selling organic vegetables, as a home-based profession that could keep me close to our kids and our food. Richard helped me establish Lux Organics, a small-scale organic market garden on the outskirts of Rotorua. He initially kept his day job as an ecologist, but then joined me full-time in the business for three years. My parents got involved, providing a generational backbone to the business.
We grew beautiful vegetables for our community, and by the time the Covid crisis and lockdowns occurred, we were able to pivot to vege boxes, bringing them to peoplesโ doors with our electric van. We started hiring seasonal staff in 2020, which meant a succession of people learning the organic growing methods with us. By 2023 we had added solar panels to our shed, powering our household, vegetable chiller and van with the sun.
This has been a journey of creating a business that minimises carbon emissions while growing food. Hand tools, electric tools and hands in the soil have been our main inputs. The productivity of our soil has been the foundation of our business (as it is for all farming) and we have strived to care for it, taking soil tests each year, and learning about every aspect of soil health along the way.
When you grow a crop for market, and especially when you grow over 40 of them (!), there are a lot of questions and uncertainties about how to manage the soil, what might be affecting the outcomes youโre seeing, how to solve problems, and how to keep producing all through the seasons.
These veins of query are what led me to the five-day Earthworkers Regenerative Horticulture 101 course in the winter of 2021. I attended with two of my staff and I encountered a whole group of amazing people involved in different sorts of projects who were on my wavelength.
I discovered new terms which opened up my mind to the soil ecosystem in a new way. Quorum sensing, cation exchange, paramagnetism, root exudates, polycropping. I have kept in touch with the group ever since (online and in person), and this has led to multiple fertile exchanges and more farm visits, opportunities to learn and even to help others. Itโs a magic human interaction!
ABOVE: Lux Organics market garden, February 2025
In recent years, with the domestic recession, business has been tough, as local people cut their organic vegetable spending. Looking at in a big picture way, itโs a manifestation of how people cannot/do not make longer-term environmental and health choices when they are poor and worried about their daily survival. Our business relies only on its connection with the local food system, rather than export.
While we experienced a huge high after the Covid crisis, when people suddenly became concerned about the sustainability of their local food supply, we are now in a phase of relentless cost-cutting. Our customer base has concentrated to only those who value food produced in a way that is free from contamination, and which looks after land.
Now that I have been working in practical agroecology on my own land for over nine years, I am curious about taking my soil knowledge deeper and broader, to have a wider impact. It’s one of those cliches… the more you learn, the more you realise you don’t know, and it becomes impossible to give simple explanations any more.
I would now never say, “ah, just use compost and everything will be fine”. There’s a lot more to growing, and to soil, than most of us really, truly understand. Related Research News: why compost alone isnโt enough for juicy lettuce (worm juice + mycorrhizae). My curiosity burns and I want to know which levers to pull to achieve the healthiest crops and soil. Looking again to the bigger picture, how we manage soil on our productive land is the probably the most important aspect of New Zealandโs climate emissions profile.
This is why I’ve dedicated pretty much all of my market garden earnings in 2025 so far to further study and investing in my own knowledge growth.
I have taken papers at the University of Waikato in soil science and hydrological management, and I have attended specialist courses by regenerative educators (Graeme Sait from Nutri-tech Solutions, and Nicole Masters from Integrity Soils).
I am building up a research library and reaching out to soil mentors for the next step in my career. I even bought a microscope from a fellow Earthworker (thank you Coral).
All of this new learning is feeding directly into the next stage of my journey โ growing my skills, confidence, and contribution through the Earthworkers community.
Over the next few months, Iโll be deepening my learning through the new Regenerative Horticulture 201 and Future Agronomists courses, working directly with Daniel Schuurman as we develop and pilot both programmes. My goal is to grow my capacity as a biology-first regenerative agronomist โ someone who can read the soil, guide other growers, and support the shift toward biology-led farming across Aotearoa.
In 2024 I mentored for For the Love of Bees on their year-long Communities of Regenerative Learning programme, which opened a new path for me as a mentor within the sector. That experience, and my continued involvement supporting new growers through the post course Earthworkers WhatsApp network, has shown me how powerful it is when we stay connected โ helping one another, sharing knowledge, and learning together every day out in the field.
I look forward to doing Regenerative Horticulture 201 in 2026 and keeping up my active learning and practice. Growing in soil is a bit like general lifeโฆ you canโt follow one set recipe. Things keep moving and changing, and you have to be observant, responsive and kind.
Jenny Lux is a former chair of the Soil & Health Association. Find Lux Organics online here.
Earthworkers has launched
The natural evolution of For the Love of Bees, Earthworkers has a new hub to support biology-first regenerative horticulture in Aotearoa.
After a year of development they have launched a brand new website, and a full learning pathway.
Enrolments are now open for 2026:
The foundation course Hort 101 (4โ8 May, Mangaroa Te Awa Kairangi โ Wellington region)
The advanced course Hort 201 (13โ17 April, Palmerston North, in partnership with Live2Give)
Both courses come with post-course support via a WhatsApp chat network to help growers transition to resilient, profitable, biology-first regenerative systems.
Earthworkers’ first alumni blog, Cultivating Knowledge Together, features Jenny Luxโ an experienced grower and organic advocate who will be one of the first participants in our new Hort 201 and Future Agronomists programmes, designed to grow New Zealandโs next generation of biology-first agronomists.
https://organicnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Jenny-Lux-2025-low-res-scaled.jpg25602560membershiphttps://organicnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/OrganicNZ-2024-Masthead.pngmembership2025-12-19 07:41:332026-08-03 15:02:06Loving soil, but also learning soil
Our Calendars are back by popular demand. We have the sought-after โN*de Gardeningโ calendar, and the โBeautiful Gardensโ calendar (for those who prefer to hang a calendar that doesnโt get so much attention!). Both calendars include the moon phases.
โChemical poisoningโ is how a long-time cleaner describes her severe reactions to using workplace cleaning products she thought would be safe. J Simons talks with Emma (name changed for privacy) to find out more.
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Emma consciously chooses a healthy lifestyle. She has been careful about what she eats and the products she uses for around 20 years.
She prefers whole foods and items without plastic packaging that โseeps inโ, and enjoys going to local markets where the produce is mostly spray-free, some certified organic.
โMy skincare routine is organic or vegan because I am a vegetarian.โ
Like many workers, Emma trusted that the cleaners she was using, which were labelled plant-based and eco-friendly, would be safe for her health and the environment.
But her story reveals that not all โgreenโ or โnaturalโ labels mean the products are completely safe, and some of them can cause unexpected reactions, depending on individual sensitivity. Nevertheless, professional guidelines, such as those from WorkSafe NZ, recommend using top-of-the-range masks to avoid fumes.
Photo: Freepik
Allergy to work โ or chemical poisoning?
The problem began when she started using a particular cleaning product at work, although she used it for about six or seven months before realising it was making her unwell. She followed the dilution instructions on the label and even added more water than suggested. Even so, the fumes were overpowering.
โFor three or four months, I was getting sick every day before I got the actual poisoning. I got really sick and couldnโt go to work.โ Emma quietly recounts the intense gastrointestinal distress โ including vomiting and diarrhea โ that she faced daily during her illness. Unsure of what was happening at first, she even joked that she must be โallergic to workโ.
โIโd start feeling ill after about 40 minutes of starting work every morning. I couldnโt work out what it was, until one day I was so ill I was keeled over in the cleaning cupboard.โ
โThe first time I phoned in and said Iโve got food poisoning. The next day, I was still sick and felt worse than the day before. I was having brain fog, which I would not have with food poisoning. The symptoms were slightly different, but I didnโt know what else to put it down to.โ
Masking up
โI went to the doctor, and he just happened to ask what I did for a job, and thatโs when he changed direction with his questions.โ
The doctor confirmed that Emma should wear a professional chemical mask, even with plant-based products. Her workplace did not provide masks, and after asking for several months, she resorted to contacting her union and WorkSafe NZ.
Although the initially provided masks were inadequate โ the cheap, single-use blue ones โ the cleaning company has now supplied better masks (Moldex 2700 P2), but not the ones recommended by WorkSafe NZ. โThey donโt want to spend the money,โ says Emma.
Read the fine print
I looked at the details of the mask now provided. Although an improvement for chemical safety, itโs not the best professional option. Emma should likely have a 99% filter rather than the 94% that has been provided. For more hazardous chemicals, especially those that can irritate lungs or eyes, masks with replaceable cartridges would be the safest.
I checked out the label of the product Emma was using. Despite its โplant-basedโ and โeco-friendlyโ claims and use of real essential oils, it contained several chemical ingredients known to cause respiratory and skin sensitivities. In particular, the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are of concern, and the product is classified as a hazardous substance.
Health and safety in the cleaning industry
Emma has been cleaning for many years. At one stage, a colleague attempted to insist that Emma and others use a banned product.
โShe was trying to get us to use something, a product that was actually banned, for safety reasons, and she was still trying to get us to use it to get marks off the sink.โ
โI did use it once after she told us to use it. I used a little bit โ it was a powder. I had to go out of the shower cubicle, it was that strong, and I felt nauseous immediately.โ Emma has often wondered if her colleagueโs lung cancer was caused by the product that was banned.
Image: vectorjuice Freepik
โHealth and safety comes last in the cleaning industry; they have all the procedures and guides you are supposed to abide by, but at the end of the day, it is about getting the job done in the least amount of time and money.โ
Emma thinks itโs hard to educate the cleaning industry, and that there is resistance to truly green products. WorkSafe NZ has guidelines, but many cleaning companies fail to follow them, and enforcement often only occurs if a complaint is made โ which can be at the risk of a cleanerโs job.
Simple natural cleaning products
Emmaโs cleaning jobs havenโt always involved intense and harmful chemicals. Recounting a positive experience with a previous employer brings a smile: โAt one place I worked at, the owner was open to making up things like using lemon and olive oil, and things like that.โ
She reacts strongly to artificial smells on the bus or at work. โWhen there are a lot of people around with quite strong perfumes, I have always had these sensitivities,โ Emma explains.
โI donโt get my nails done because I canโt stand that smell. I do try to get out into the fresh air often. Sometimes I use baking soda at work instead of the spray or other strong products.โ
Photo: iStock/eskaylim
Contributing factor?
Emma also shared that she has epilepsy, which was diagnosed in childhood, and sheโs currently awaiting a public hospital appointment.
โIโm looking at coming off medication for epilepsy due to side effects. Iโm waiting to talk to a neurologist who focuses on using a keto diet instead of medicine.โ
A recent study found that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE) show impaired autonomic nervous system responses, which can affect digestive functions.1 The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary physiological functions like breathing, blood pressure and digestion, so Emmaโs epilepsy may have contributed to the gastrointestinal symptoms she experienced during her chemical exposure at work.
Volatile vapours
I (the author) was reminded of my own recent experience with another so-called โgreenโ cleaner. It had a strong wintergreen scent, and I react to wintergreen โ both the real thing (methyl salicylate, a plant compound) and synthetic versions. Within minutes, I was dizzy, nauseated, and had an instant headache, even through a P2 mask.
Wintergreen compounds are VOCs, and in sensitive people they can trigger severe symptoms. The Safety Data Sheet didnโt list methyl salicylate, but fragrances are often proprietary blends that conceal potentially harmful chemicals under a single โfragranceโ label.
Taking charge of her health
Now taking active steps to work on her own business, Emma allocates time every day after work to researching her business outside of the cleaning industry, educating herself in her new online direction.
She is quietly optimistic about the next steps in managing her condition, and feels more confident after being supported by her union, and about her appointment with a keto specialist. Her future is looking brighter with these things underway, and I hope to catch up with her again.
โNo job is worth putting your health at risk,โ she says.
STAY SAFE WHILE CLEANING
Always check and follow the instructions for cleaning products.
Wear suitable protective gear such as gloves and masks.
Ensure there is good ventilation when cleaning.
Workplace and commercial cleaning: follow the relevant WorkSafe NZ guidelines.
AUTHOR BIO
J Simons is a freelance writer, copywriter, and food photographer specialising in organic food, health, and sustainability. J creates compelling content and imagery that supports healthy living and ecological stewardship.
Sheryl Stivens grew up on a mixed farm in Winchmore, Ashburton. Her family were fourth generation New Zealand farmers growing a variety of crops as well as breeding stud sheep. An experience when she was a young adult set her firmly on the organic path.
Mercedes Walkham traces the life of this Soil & Health member who embodies the motto of โhealthy soil, healthy food, healthy peopleโ.
Hunting and gathering
When Sheryl Stivens was 19 years old she moved to Australia, and met her husband Hal several years later in the Northern Territory.
โIn those days we were young hunters and gatherers catching abundant fish and game in the Australian outback and sleeping under the stars,โ Sheryl recalls.
โIt was when we moved to Wagga Wagga (New South Wales) that Hal and I bought 30 acres of land, discovered the joys of growing your own food started to garden,โ said Sheryl.
A turning point came for them with the realisation that there were no freshwater yabbies or other creatures in the billabongs on their land, due to the chemical fertilisers used to grow grain on the surrounding farms. They had both grown up with families using superphosphate and like many thought it was a โbird-poo type of product that came from Nauru Islandโ and never considered it to be toxic.
This realisation made them re-evaluate all their belief systems and from that moment on they vowed that they would not use anything that would poison the soil. โIt became an unwritten law in our lives,โ Sheryl says.
ABOVE: Hal and Sheryl Stivens
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Author: Mercedes Walkham is part of a collective organic garden based in Ashburton. She is pictured here with Sheryl.
Sarah Smuts-Kennedy has dedicated her life to cultivating change โ not just in the soil, but in the way we grow, learn, and connect to the land. From her early days as an artist to becoming an advocate for biology-first regenerative horticulture practices, she has helped reshape how we view the potential of food production in our cities and its capacity to heal the soils we grow in.
Sarah shares her transformational journey, the challenges and triumphs of founding For the Love of Bees (FTLOB), their model farm OMG and the Earthworkers Hort 101 educational pathway.
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ABOVE: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy, establishing interest in the OMG farm in central Auckland, 2017
Tell us a bit about your background, Sarah. Youโve had quite a diverse career journey.
Iโve had an unconventional path, to say the least. I was an actor for over 20 years, from the โ80s through to the early 2000s. In the early 2000s I moved to Australia and became an artist and in 2005 I got to travel to India and exhibit my art in New Delhi. That experience really changed my perspective on the world. I began to use my art practice to explore the environmental issues we were facing, like deforestation and coal mining in Australia.
By 2010, I realised that my art wasnโt having the kind of impact I wanted. I was highlighting problems but not providing solutions. So, I decided to make a shift. I enrolled in a Permaculture Design Course at the same time I began an Master of Fine Arts and started working with biodynamic practices, committing myself to learning how to regenerate land I had just moved to which we named Maunga Kereru. I wanted to focus on solutions and find ways to share these practices with others.
ABOVE: Sarah in her studio at Maunga Kereru, 2023
Youโve had quite an impact in the regenerative urban farming community. How did For the Love of Bees and Earthworkers come to be?
In 2014, I worked on a collaborative artwork called โThe Parkโ, which aimed to bring bees into the city and encourage people to engage with their local food sources. Through this project, I connected with Daniel Schuurman, who introduced me to the idea of using fungi to improve plant health.
I realised that while art could bring attention to environmental issues, it was through practical action that real change could be made. This led to the creation of For the Love of Bees, a project focused on reimagining urban environments as safe spaces for bees. We wanted to build a community that would prioritise biology-first regeneration horticulture. Over the years, that vision grew into Earthworkers, an educational platform designed to equip people with the skills they need to regenerate the land and grow food sustainably.
To date, over 200 people have graduated from Earthworkers, many of whom are now working professionally in the sector, spreading the knowledge theyโve gained through workshops and projects of their own.
ABOVE: Pลwhiri for the Rongoฤ gardens at Wellesley St, central Auckland, pre OMG (2017)ABOVE: Sarah (at left, wearing a hat) with Earthworkers participants at OMG (Organic Market Garden) in 2021
What led you to focus on education and mentorship in the agricultural sector?
Iโve always believed in learning from those who are actually doing the work. Thereโs so much theory out there, but hands-on experience makes the difference. After taking various courses and learning from experts like Graham Sait and Jodi Roebuck, I realised that no one was offering an educational pathway that combined learning with ongoing mentorship.
When youโre starting out in regenerative farming, so many questions arise in the field. Without proper support, itโs easy to fall back on old habits or resort to quick fixes โ like pesticides or even organic fertilisers that may not always benefit the ecosystem as a whole. Thatโs why we integrated post-course mentoring into Earthworkers Hort 101.
The idea is that students donโt just leave with knowledge; they have a community to lean on as they continue to learn and grow. The mentorship component ensures that they implement the practices and make decisions that prioritise soil healthโthe foundation of any regenerative system.
ABOVE: Left – Sarah Smuts-Kennedy at Maunga Kereru, which she describes as a syntropic research gardening project. Right – Sarah teaching at an event at Solstice Organics, Whenuapai, organised by OrganicFarmNZ in February 2025
What makes Earthworkers Hort 101 different from other agricultural courses?
Our course is built around a biology-first approach to regenerative farming. We focus on soil remediation and fostering healthy ecosystems as the foundation for sustainable food production. Biology-first means prioritising the health of the biological engine of the soil, which leads to healthier plants and greater economic resilience for growers.
But itโs not just about theory โ itโs about learning through doing. Our five-day intensive course is split between a deep dive into soil science in the classroom, and hands-on fieldwork. We teach everything from the microbial world and mineral cycles to soil testing and plant health monitoring. In the afternoons, we take these concepts into real-world settings โ farms, community gardens, or home gardens โ where students see regenerative systems in action. We teach on model farms that actively use the principles we promote, because seeing is believing. We teach people to investigate their own siteโs condition and only make the amendments it needs, with a less-is-more approach.
Most importantly, after the course ends, we donโt just send students on their way โ we provide ongoing mentorship. Our alumni network has become an incredible resource, with experienced graduates mentoring new students and sharing their knowledge. This sense of community is one of the most valuable aspects of the programme.
ABOVE: Sarah (centre in pale grey) and participants in Earthworkers 101 at Kaicycle, Pลneke Wellington, 2021
โTrue learning happens in the field, side by side, hands in the soil.โ โ Sarah Smuts-Kennedy
Why do you believe that food biology-first regenerative production is key to addressing environmental challenges?
Biology-first regenerative agriculture is one of the most powerful tools we have to combat biodiversity loss and heal farm ecosystems. It restores soil health, which leads to better food production and resilience against climate extremes.
We see the results firsthand โ year after year, crops thrive, yields improve, and produce lasts longer due to higher nutrient density. This means healthier food for consumers and fewer pesticide residues, which is a growing concern for many. Farmers want to grow better, but they face barriers: time, money, and the risk of change. Thatโs why education and support are critical. Weโre now seeing larger-scale growers becoming interested in regenerative techniques, and we believe itโs important to offer a locally supported pathway that harnesses the knowledge of their own communities.
ABOVE: Sarah teaching her neighbour from Kauri Ora, February 2025
Whatโs next for you and For the Love of Bees?
Separating the farm (OMG) from the Earthworkers educational pathway was a tough decision, but itโs allowed us to focus fully on expanding Earthworkers. We want to develop resources to help people learn how to regenerate their land, no matter where they are, and support our alumni who are expressing a desire to train to be regenerative agronomists like Daniel.
I get excited seeing how our alumni continue to innovate and inspire others. Weโve built a strong community, and by supporting each other, we can keep growing this movement. Ultimately, my goal is to keep learning, keep teaching, and keep building a world where people are more connected to their land and food. If we can do that, weโll be well on our way to healing both our landscapes and our communities.
ABOVE: Sarah with school children in Auckland at Highwic Historical House. This was a pasture painting project, in collaboration with Auckland Council, Enviroschools, Parnell Rotary, and Newmarket and Parnell primary schools.
Any final thoughts on teaching and learning?
It has always been important to me that teachers practice what they teach. While I am not a commercial grower, I have spent the last 15 years deeply immersed in regenerative growing. Maunga Kereru, my 10-acre property just 45 minutes north of Auckland, has served as both sanctuary and laboratoryโa place where mistakes have become lessons, and experiments have shaped my evolving understanding of ecosystems.
One of my greatest teachers has been the land itselfโspecifically, a 400-square-metre food forest that I regenerated from an engineered, compacted clay driveway. Over 15 years, this hard clay has transformed into the heart of food production at Maunga Kereru, providing evidence that even the most degraded soils can be revived through thoughtful interventions and design.
ABOVE: Photos from Sarah’s land, Maunga Kereru, Mahurangi West. Left to right: establishing compost, working bee, spring blossom amidst lush growth
I began learning how to teach hereโfirst with my WWOOFers, then through workshops with the biodynamic community, and later with the FTLOB and OMG communities. For the past eight years, I concentrated my teaching at the FTLOB OMG farm, but my systems were always tested and refined here at home. More recently, Iโve returned to teaching at Maunga Kereru, where students can see permaculture, biodynamic, syntropic, raised beds, and traditional horticulture integrated side by side.
My knowledge is valuable, but I wouldnโt feel confident teaching Earthworkers Hort 101 without Danielโs 40-plus years of experience as a grower and agronomist leading us. I am still a student, and each time I participate in an Earthworkers course, I integrate more complex ideas into my knowledge base. As Daniel always says, we are all learning together.
We invite the growers who host Earthworkers Hort 101 on their farms to run modules, and we encourage students to bring their own experiences into the conversation.
After all, true learning happens in the field, side by side, hands in the soil.
ABOVE: Levi Brinsdon-Hall, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy and friend at the first working bee at OMG, 2018. Photo: Aaron McLean
Earthworkers Hort 101
In 2025 we at the FTLOB organisation are dedicating our focus on creating an educational pathway that will allow growers to journey with us from beginners to agronomists.
The Earthworkers Hort 101 March course in Kirikiriroa/Hamilton was a huge success.
With two more courses this year, growers will be able to advance their training and benefit from the ongoing post-course mentoring programme.
COMING UP: Earthworkers Hort 101, 21โ25 July 2025, Pลneke/Wellington
We are thrilled to be returning to this urban farm and community compost hub that hosted us four years ago, and being able to contribute to the regionโs growers biology-first regenerative methods.
Find out more andย ENROL HEREย by 7 July 2025, 9pm
