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The coolest tangi

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Malcolm Murchie was a long-time Soil & Health member who passed away in June 2017.

National Council member Moko Morris encouraged the whฤnau Murchie to share the beautiful journey of their fatherโ€™s tangi with Organic NZ readers, in the hope it will inspire others to maintain rangatiratanga over their loved oneโ€™s final journey.

Three of Malcolmโ€™s children, Oriwia, Rehu and Winsome, shared these thoughts.

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First published in Organic NZ Jan/Feb 2018. Photos: Murchie whฤnau

Malcolm Murchie (front), with his son-in-law Hori, daughter Oriwa and son Rehu

Dad left instructions in his will:

  • Procedures described in Living Legacies by Linda Hannah
  • No funeral director
  • Wrapped in a sheet and buried on the Rehu-Murchie Whฤnau Trust property.

Having now read the Living Legacies information on the internet we understand why Dad chose this book. As a whฤnau we managed to achieve his wishes in an organic process, which developed in a natural and flowing way.

Dad died on 21 June 2017. He was placed in a lounge in his whare for the night. First thing was to wash and dress him. The close contact with our loved one at this time was a healing moment. He was given an overall wash and then rubbed with Skin Kai (a blend of rongoฤ and oils). Nappies were put on to contain any bodily excretions (there were none during the entire period he was with us). A rolled scarf was used to hold his chin up. The last ritual for the first three nights was to tie the scarf around his head to keep his chin in place and two coins were placed on his eyes to stop them opening.

We knew we had a long journey ahead of us, from ลŒtaki to Arowhenua (in South Canterbury). The next day we visited various funeral directors to purchase a body bag to use during the trip. We were informed that:

  • what we were doing may be against the law, and
  • no cemetery would allow us to inter someone without a coffin.

Finally we were able to source a body bag with handles from an understanding undertaker in Levin, IC Mark, who were non-judgmental and provided us with a body bag, total cost $75.00.

Dadโ€™s mokopuna were taken to ลŒtaki beach where they found two driftwood poles that became the handles for the body bag. This became Dadโ€™s vehicle when he was to be moved.

Contact was made with the Arowhenua upoko to ensure that what we planned, a natural burial, was acceptable.

Dad lay at home in ลŒtaki for two nights. Manuhiri commented on how natural it was to sit right beside him, and pay their respects with no coffin in the way.

Stage two of the journey was from ลŒtaki to Christchurch. We crossed Raukawa Moana on the ferry. They were very accommodating and allowed for whฤnau to sit in the car with Dad during the crossing. Once we arrived in Picton we checked to ensure everything was in place. The ope split at this time with one group staying with Dad, the other travelling ahead to whakapai te whare in Arowhenua. Dadโ€™s next stop was in Leeston. Whฤnau had prepared his room for the night by placing ice under a marble slab.

On the morning of 24 June we left for Arowhenua, arriving to a haka powhiri performed by his mokopuna mฤ. He lay in the whฤnau whare, Te Wairua Kaimarire, surrounded by his whฤnau. At night he was placed in the back room of the whare on a camp stretcher that had chilly bins of ice underneath it. Some whฤnau slept with him there. Each morning he was moved back to the main whare where a blend of coconut, lavender and tea tree oil was rubbed on him. A few drops of tea tree oil were placed in his mouth prior to his scarf being repositioned under his chin to hold his jaw shut. The rubbing on of the oil was an activity shared by whoever was present. His great grandchildren watched and also helped. Any questions they asked were answered openly and honestly.

On 25 June a group of his mokopuna went to dig his grave. Instructions were that the hole was not to be too deep, as Grandad wanted the worms to have easy access. The plan was to have a service followed by the nehu the next morning.

Rest in peace, Malcolm

The decision was made to have the service on June 26 at our wharenui, Te Hapa o Niu Tireni. Prior to moving there the last physical process was completed. Dad was oiled and wrapped, mummy style, in two old sheets that had been torn in strips โ€“ Dad saw no need for new material to be bought and then wasted. He was then placed on a Pasifika whฤriki that had been given at the time of Mumโ€™s takiaue. This whฤriki was supposed to go down with Mum but didnโ€™t. It was obviously meant to be used at this time instead.

We gathered at Te Hapa o Niu Tireni, welcomed by whanauka mฤ ki Arowhenua Pฤ. More stories were told and waiata sung. Dadโ€™s final journey down the Pฤ road was assisted by many, who took turns at holding the handles of the body bag. He was lowered down without the body bag, to lie with his wife, Erihapeti Rehu-Murchie in the Arowhenua urupฤ. The whฤnau filled the hole in. There was only a slight mound where he was buried. Four months later I have been informed that this mound has since disappeared and the ground is now level.

Dad had a natural burial. The purchase of the body bag was done due to lack of preparation. In future a stretcher, woven from harakeke, will be used. The use of natural oils replaced the need for embalming. He was returned to Papatuฤnuku with minimum environmental impact. The cost for his burial was $75.00. Burial on the Rehu-Murchie whฤnau whenua was unable to be done as the property is criss-crossed by underground streams.

The process from beginning to end was open. Everyone was given the opportunity to ask questions and receive open and honest answers. His many mokopuna had the opportunity to play an active part in caring for their loved one. The fact that death is part of life was made more obvious as each person contributed to the process.

The healing part of the process started at its onset. Through holding, washing, oiling, travelling with Dad and final preparations for burial, everyone involved was able to grieve whenever they needed to. The right thing to do seemed to materialise along the way. Stories shared and waiata sung were also part of the healing process, and allowed us to honour our father in the way we loved him. One of his mokopuna said it was the โ€˜coolest tangiโ€™ and we agree.

Whanauka mฤ pitch in to return Malcolm to the earth.

Ngฤ kupu Mฤori โ€“ Mฤori words

  • manuhiri โ€“ visitors
  • mokopuna mฤ โ€“ grandchildren and others
  • nehu โ€“ burial
  • ope โ€“ group
  • rangatiratanga โ€“ sovereignty
  • Raukawa Moana โ€“ Cook Strait
  • rongoฤ โ€“ medicine; healing herbs
  • takiaue โ€“ funeral
  • tangi โ€“ funeral
  • whakapai te whare โ€“ prepare the house
  • whฤnau โ€“ family
  • whanauka mฤ โ€“ relatives and others
  • whฤriki โ€“ woven flax mat
  • whenua โ€“ land
  • upoko โ€“ head
  • urupฤ โ€“ cemetery

Photos from Jennyโ€™s garden

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Soil & Health member Jenny Williamson shared some photos from her garden near Feilding, taken in February 2025.

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Jenny Williamsonโ€™s favourite vegetable is beetroot, which grows extremely well in her garden. She grows two varieties: Detroit Dark Red (pictured) and Monorubra (a cylindrical variety).

The green leafy plant is Daubentonโ€™s kale, a perennial plant that Jenny grew from a cutting planted in the spring. Itโ€™s growing well even in part shade. Read more about perennial brassicas here.

ABOVE: Left – Detroit dark red beetroot
Right – Daubentonโ€™s kale, grown from a cutting

The silverbeet pictured is Rainbow Lights, and the pumpkins Jenny is growing this season are Queensland Blue and โ€œjust the usual supermarket greyโ€. Jenny saved seeds of both of these from the previous season.

โ€œI have had tomato blight and have not been able to solve it, unfortunately,โ€ says Jenny. โ€œIโ€™m not keen on spraying. I grew the tomatoes from saved seed from last year so Iโ€™m disappointed in this result. Others I got from a friend are looking all right, and of course the cherry tomatoes donโ€™t seem to be bothered by anything.โ€

Sometimes success comes unexpectedly. โ€œI have also had a great crop of bok choyย (or maybe itโ€™s pak choi) which I did not sow. It just came up and must have been in my compost, although I have not had this vegetable in my garden for several years!โ€

ABOVE: Left – Rainbow Lights silverbeet; Right – Queensland Blue pumpkin

Cultivating Change

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Organic NZ interviews Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

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. Youโ€™ve had quite a diverse career journey. 

Iโ€™ve had an unconventional path, to say the least. I was an actor for over 20 years, from the โ€™80s 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 wasnโ€™t 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

Youโ€™ve 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 โ€˜The 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 theyโ€™ve gained through workshops and projects of their own.

ABOVE: Pลwhiri 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?

Iโ€™ve always believed in learning from those who are actually doing the work. Thereโ€™s 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 youโ€™re starting out in regenerative farming, so many questions arise in the field. Without proper support, itโ€™s 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. Thatโ€™s why we integrated post-course mentoring into Earthworkers Hort 101.

The idea is that students donโ€™t 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 healthโ€”the 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 itโ€™s not just about theory โ€“ itโ€™s 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 siteโ€™s condition and only make the amendments it needs, with a less-is-more approach.

Most importantly, after the course ends, we donโ€™t 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, Pลneke Wellington, 2021

โ€œTrue 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. Thatโ€™s why education and support are critical. Weโ€™re now seeing larger-scale growers becoming interested in regenerative techniques, and we believe itโ€™s 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

Whatโ€™s next for you and For the Love of Bees?

Separating the farm (OMG) from the Earthworkers educational pathway was a tough decision, but itโ€™s 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. Weโ€™ve 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, weโ€™ll 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 laboratoryโ€”a place where mistakes have become lessons, and experiments have shaped my evolving understanding of ecosystems.

One of my greatest teachers has been the land itselfโ€”specifically, 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 hereโ€”first 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, Iโ€™ve 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 wouldnโ€™t feel confident teaching Earthworkers Hort 101 without Danielโ€™s 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, 21โ€“25 July 2025, Pลneke/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 regionโ€™s growers biology-first regenerative methods.

Find out more andย ENROL HEREย by 7 July 2025, 9pm

Sri Lankan pulled jackfruit curry

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By Kelsi Boocockย 

I tried jackfruit for the first time when I was in Sri Lanka a few years ago and it got me completely hooked. This is a deliciously unique curry and if you havenโ€™t cooked with jackfruit before, this is probably one of the easiest ways to start. Theย green beans work perfectly to add a little freshness and crunch to the dish.

Images and text from Healthy Kelsi by Kelsi Boocock, Bateman Books, $39.99

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Ingredients 

Serves 4  

60 minutes

Jackfruit curry

  • 1 tsp ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  homemade curry powder (recipe also in the book Healthy Kelsi)
  • 1 ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  red chilli, halved and deseeded, plus extra to serve
  • 1 ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  shallot, finely chopped
  • 20 ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  curry leaves
  • 1 ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  cinnamon stick
  • ยฝ tsp ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  ground paprika
  • ยฝ tsp ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  ground turmeric
  • 400 g can ย ย ย  jackfruit
  • 400 ml canย ย ย coconut milk
  • 3 T ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  coconut yoghurt

Sweet and spicy beans

  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 400 g green beans
  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ยฝ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

To serve

  • 2 cups brown rice
  • Large handful of fresh coriander

Method

To make the jackfruit curry

  1. Dryย roast the coriander, cumin and curry powder in a frying pan and stir until they turn dark brown.
  2. Addย chilli, shallot, curry leaves, cinnamon stick, paprika, turmeric and jackfruit to pan, making sure everything is covered in the spices. Addย coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Addย coconut yoghurt and continue simmering over a low heat until jackfruit is tender (should take around 20ย minutes).
  4. While the jackfruit is softening, cook the brown rice.

To make the beans

  1. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan. Addย ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1โ€“2ย minutes.
  2. Addย beans, coconut sugar and lemon juice and cook for 3โ€“4 minutes, until beans are tender but still slightly crunchy. Addย almonds and cook for 1ย minute more.
  3. Serve curry and beans with brown rice and fresh coriander.

Hot tip: Addย any vegetables you have on hand. Broccoli or cauliflower work beautifully.

From paddock to plate and back again

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As he deepens his knowledge of organic and regenerative horticulture and the links with soil, food and health, Chris McIntosh has found his life journey coming full circle.

Sarah Smuts-Kennedy finds out more in this second article about participants and alumni of the Earthworker Regenerative Horticulture course. 

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Seeds planted in childhood 

Raised on his grandparentsโ€™ farm, Chris McIntosh had a childhood steeped in traditional practices. โ€œThey cooked everything from scratch, preserved food, and had animals,โ€ he recalls. His grandfather, a market gardener from Holland, unknowingly planted the seeds of horticulture in him. These experiences became his happiest childhood memories and set the foundation for his later passion for growing food.

As a chef, Chrisโ€™s approach to food was always health-driven. โ€œMost chefs focus on flavor. My first question is, โ€˜Is this healthy?โ€™โ€ 

Health challenges forced him to scrutinise ingredients and their sources. โ€œWhen you start asking where food comes from, it becomes pretty scary.โ€ This curiosity and necessity drove his journey into horticulture.

ABOVE: Left – Chris is well pleased with the corn crop at Ethos in January 2025. Photo: Wade Aukett, Anglican Action
Right – Chris in the Ethos kitchen

Starting with Earth Stewards

Chris found the culinary industry to be a toxic environment, so he left, and took a leap of faith. He had no job but had always dreamed of starting a farm. A friend introduced him to Warwick Hutchinson, who offered him land to begin Earth Stewards, a certified organic urban farm project in Hamilton inspired by North American regenerative farming pioneers like Curtis Stone and Jean-Martin Fortier.

โ€œI approached the farm with methods I learned online,โ€ Chris explains. But the labour-intensive practices of broadforking and double digging werenโ€™t sustainable. He pivoted to no-till horticulture, laying heavy compost directly on the soil, which worked well initially. Over the years of growing Chris has realised that one size does not fit all in horticultural practices.

ABOVE: Chris (centre, arms folded) with a group visiting Earth Stewards in 2019. Photo: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Ethos: A new chapter

Chrisโ€™s second urban farm project reflects his deeper understanding of horticulture. Itโ€™s a cafรฉ called Ethos, located within the social enterprise of Mahi Mihinare โ€“ Anglican Action farm, also in Hamilton. 

โ€œStarting another growing project gives me a chance to apply everything Iโ€™ve already learned. But it also makes me realise there is so much more I want to know about regenerative horticulture.โ€ 

From creating his own potting mix to understanding soil chemistry, he emphasises the importance of getting it right from day one. โ€œIf you donโ€™t get a good start, you donโ€™t get a good outcome.โ€

Soil testing has become really essential, something he has learnt from the mistakes he has made which have taught him valuable lessons. โ€œThis season for example, one bad input material has affected all our growing beds, and Iโ€™ve had to spend months trying to recover from it.โ€ This was bought-in compost that turned out to be very poor quality.

The Ethos project also gives Chris the freedom to explore the connection between food culture and horticulture. โ€œFood culture is born around what we can grow in season locally, not what we can import. Iโ€™m trying to find my identity within the food industry and our culture.โ€

The integration of this new urban farm with the Ethos cafรฉ means he is focused on using surplus produce to create preserves adding value to their produce. โ€œThis way, we make the most of what we grow, while educating customers on seasonal, local food.โ€

Lessons learned

Key takeaways from Chrisโ€™s journey include:

  1. Observation is a horticulturistโ€™s greatest tool: โ€œNature is always speaking to us. Everything in nature is perfect. Why am I so arrogant to think I know better?โ€
  2. Holistic thinking: Health, soil, and community are interconnected. โ€œYou canโ€™t just focus on one aspect and hope the rest falls into place.โ€
  3. Importance of systems: โ€œAs a chef, Iโ€™ve learned the value of good systems. Without them, nothing flows, whether in the kitchen or in the garden.โ€

Hosting the Earthworker Course

Chris is extending his learning, connection and growth not only by participating in the Earthworker Course, but at the same time by offering to host the course coming up in late March at the Mahi Mihinare conference facilities where Ethos is located.

โ€œI want to be part of the biology-first regenerative horticulture movement and learn from others on this path. I already have a few years of urban farming under my belt, and I recently completed the Nutri Tech Solutions course in Australia with Graeme Sait, but I know Daniel [Schuurman] has more to teach me here on my own site, and I also sense being part of the Earthworker network will be invaluable for growing my confidence and ability as a horticulturist.โ€

He sees this as an opportunity to refine his skills and contribute to a broader community of regenerative growers. โ€œI hope to support other projects and participate in further education opportunities to become an agronomist like Graeme Sait and Daniel.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve spent years practicing, but now I want to understand how the system works beneath the soil. To become a good steward of it.โ€ โ€“ Chris McIntosh

ABOVE: Spring garden at Ethos Cafe gardens. Photo: Wade Aukett, Anglican Action

Mentorship: Daniel Schuurmanโ€™s support

A key figure in Chrisโ€™s journey has been Daniel Schuurman, the lead teacher and mentor for Earthworkers. Daniel has over 45 years of lived experience as a grower, giving him a long-range perspective as an agronomist and consultant. He began supporting Chris during his time at Earth Stewards and has continued to guide him through the challenges of his new project at Ethos. 

โ€œDanielโ€™s depth of knowledge and ability to connect science with lived experience have been invaluable,โ€ Chris says. โ€œHis mentorship has helped me navigate complex challenges and saved my arse a few times. Slowly his support is helping me build necessary foundational knowledge. โ€

ABOVE: Chris and Daniel at the vege gardens at Ethos discussing how to remedy the impact of the poor quality bought-in compost. Photos: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

A transformative opportunity

The Earthworker course will be a transformative opportunity to deepen his understanding and connect him with like-minded growers. โ€œI have a million questions a week, and being part of the Earthworker Alumni network will allow me to tap into a growing community of regenerative practitioners who prioritise ecosystem and community restoration.โ€ For more information about the Earthworker Alumni network, see the first article in this series here. 

Chris is excited to learn specific practical skills, including:

  • Making his own biological inoculations for seeds and brewing applications for soil and foliar use.
  • Understanding the nitrogen cycle and how minerals like phosphorus interact with fungi.
  • Improving his composting techniques to prepare for creating his own seed-raising mix, inspired by Earth Stewards manager Coral Ramiro.
  • Developing effective mulching strategies to improve soil health and water retention.
  • How nutrition affects plant health, impacts on a plantโ€™s ability to photosynthesise, be pollinated effectively, and encourage its relationship with soil microbes.

The five-day immersion into the chemistry and biology of thriving horticultural systems is particularly exciting for Chris. โ€œIโ€™ve spent years practicing, but now I want to understand how the system works beneath the soil. To become a good steward of it.โ€

Chris feels passionate about making biology-first regenerative horticulture his lifeโ€™s work. Heโ€™s especially eager about the prospect of joining a small cohort of Earthworker Alumni in 2025, participating in a research group that will receive expert coaching to achieve a higher level of mastery. โ€œThis is an incredible opportunity to deepen my expertise and contribute to the future of regenerative horticulture.โ€

The bigger picture

Chrisโ€™s vision extends beyond his garden. He dreams of a world where people reconnect with the land and embrace community living. โ€œEveryone has moved away from horticulture because of the materialistic dream of city life. Weโ€™ve lost our connection to the very thing that sustains us.โ€

By hosting the Earthworker course and sharing his journey, Chris hopes to inspire others to return to the land and take responsibility for their food and health. โ€œIf we work with nature instead of against it, we can create a sustainable future for ourselves and our communities.โ€ 

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. 

Earthworkers Hort 101

24โ€“28 March 2025, Hamilton

Hosted by:

  • Coral Ramiro and team at Earth Stewards
  • Brit and James Stembridge of Tomtit Farm
  • Chris McIntosh at Ethos Cafรฉโ€™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 whatโ€™s possible using biology-first regenerative methods.

Find out more and ENROL HERE by 9 March 2025.

Easy peri chicken dish

Easy peri peri chicken

/in ,

By Scott Gooding and Matilda Brownย 

This recipe gets rolled out a lot in our house. The little kids havenโ€™t taken to it just yet, but they will in time โ€ฆ and while we wait, thereโ€™s more for Til, Tashi and me. We also sell this as a ready-to-use marinade at The Good Farm Shop โ€“ itโ€™s just so versatile.

Images and text from The Good Farm Cookbook by Scott Gooding and Matilda Brown, photography by Cath Muscat. Murdoch Books RRP $45.00

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Easy peri chicken dish

Ingredientsย 

SERVES 4

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2โ€“3 cm (3/4 โ€“ 1 1/4 inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • juice of 1 lemon, plus extra for drizzling
  • 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) boneless, skin-on chicken thighs charred
  • lemon halves, broccolini and radicchio wedges, to serve

Method

  1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chicken, lemon halves, broccolini and radicchio.
  2. Mix thoroughly. Add the chicken thighs and mix to ensure they are well coated with the sauce.
  3. Preheat the oven to 190ยฐC (375ยฐF). Heat a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken.
  4. Cook the fillets for 3โ€“4 minutes, or until the chicken is caramelised, before turning over and cooking for another 3โ€“4 minutes on the other side.
  5. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5โ€“7 minutes until cooked through.
  6. Transfer the chicken to a chopping board. Allow to rest for 3โ€“4 minutes before roughly chopping.
  7. Drizzle with some lemon juice, season and serve with charred lemon halves, broccolini and radicchio wedges.

Mushrooming with next-gen homesteaders

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Lenny Prinz and Jodi Collins are next generation homesteaders living in ลŒpลtiki, Eastern Bay of Plenty. In 2009, Lenny started as a fungiculturalist: growing mushrooms and cultivating their spawn. Jodi is a potter and artist, committed to growing the coupleโ€™s children with the principles of sustainability and child-led learning.

Lenny has expanded the utility of farmed mushrooms by developing compostable packaging using mycelium, as an alternative to polystyrene. Jodi also works using zero-waste principles. In her creative work she upcycles and recycles to produce art with humour and meaning, and more formal pieces.

Nutritional therapist Paula Sharp met Lenny and Jodi at an oyster mushroom workshop, and tells their story here.

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Organic lifestyle 

ลŒpลtiki, gateway to the East Cape, has become home for Lenny and Jodiโ€™s family. Their homestead was built in 1907 and now boasts a huge spray-free vegetable garden using agroforestry methods. There are ducks, young chickens turning over the compost heap, while mature hens roam and lay their eggs (unpredictably at times) near their mobile coop.

Three generations live here: Lennyโ€™s father, Lenny and Jodi, and their three children, Juliana (10), Albaer (7) and Iver (2). Life is hectic as they balance planting, growing and harvesting with hunting, home schooling, creativity, mushroom cultivation, the science of mycelium, and agroforestry education.

Lennyโ€™s parents emigrated from Germany in 1990 in the wake of Chernobylโ€™s creeping contamination concerns. They chose to settle in Whakatฤne and later Pikowai, near Matatฤ, in order to provide an organic lifestyle for their family. Lenny, now is his 30s, is doing the same thing for his family. Lenny and Jodiโ€™s ethos is multi-layered: to connect people with the land and growing, to invest in the future of their family and community, and to live a sustainable and honest life.

Jodi is an advocate for homeschooling, and can offer advice for parents and carers in the homeschooling network, or considering being part it.

ABOVE: Left – Jodi at work on her art
Right – Some of Jodiโ€™s playful creations

Spawning and supporting

In his small sterile (and mobile) laboratory, Lenny grows mushroom spawn. Fourteen years of experience, previously in Raglan, mean that Lenny is an expert in his field. Pink and grey oyster and native tawaka (poplar) mushrooms are currently his most popular.

It takes approximately 14 days to grow Petri dish spawn to colonised substrate ready to fruit. The substrate is a carrier product (for example straw or sawdust), and itโ€™s colonised when the spider web strands of mycelium grow through it. One of Lennyโ€™s business activities is to send spawn and colonised substrate around New Zealand to different growers. They fruit the mushrooms and sell them or use them within their own businesses.

Lenny is driven to support regional growers, particularly now as many small entities have suffered in the post-covid period. Many business costs are increasing, but Lenny is reviewing how to make his products cheaper and more affordable so they can reach more people and help the survival of small businesses. He also coaches and mentors start-up growers to be fully functioning businesses, teaching people how to grow from spawn to then market mushrooms and/or grow their own spawn for marketing purposes.

ABOVE: Left – Lenny Prinz with his compostable packaging made of mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms.
Right – Close-up of oyster mushrooms.

Native mushrooms

Lenny is successfully experimenting with native edible mushrooms in order to supply spawn or mushroom fruit to the New Zealand culinary market. He spends time foraging, on the hunt for endemic species that he can replicate as spawn, picked from local surroundings. New Zealandโ€™s strict biosecurity laws mean thereโ€™s no opportunity to import different mushroom varieties, but this doesnโ€™t faze him in the least. โ€œWe just need to eat closer to home. I want to make our native mushrooms available to Kiwis.โ€

Native edibles that Lenny cultivates besides the tawaka and oyster varieties are the New Zealand native shiitake, pekepeke-kiore (New Zealand lionโ€™s mane), enoki, hakeke (wood ear), garden giants (or wine caps because of their colour), turkey tail and the New Zealand reishi (of the Ganoderma family).

Lenny is interested in the nutritional and medicinal value of mushrooms. His most popular medicinal varieties are turkey tail, reishi and hakeke. Turkey tail is a tough, leathery mushroom that is best brewed as a tea or tincture and supports immunity. New Zealand reishi is renowned for its immune-boosting qualities too and supports sleep. Wood ear or hakeke is used to treat colds, reduce fevers, and to strengthen the cardiovascular system. (If youโ€™re new to medicinal mushrooms, always consult a professional before use).

Soil health, mycorrhiza and carbon sinks

The link between mushrooms and other produce is very clear to Lenny; itโ€™s soil health. Good quality soil produces nutrient-dense vegetables, fruit and animals. Mushrooms, specifically mycorrhiza fungi, have a big part to play in soil quality.

Most mushrooms (button, oyster, reishi etc) live and feed on dead matter, whereas mycorrhizal mushrooms grow in close, symbiotic relationships with the living roots of plants or trees. Mycelium strands of the fungi attach themselves to the root of the host, expanding the reach of the root to absorb and transport nutrients and water to the tree. In return, the tree provides the mycorrhiza with sugars and starches produced through photosynthesis.

We would recognise mycorrhizal fungi as the edible fruiting bodies of mushrooms such as truffles, chanterelles and porcini. There are many more which are not edible. Edible mycorrhiza are notoriously difficult to cultivate, but all grow well in the wild. There is even more magic to this relationship: these fungi act as natural carbon sinks. They can hold carbon produced by the host in their tissues and the surrounding soil. Like biochar, mycorrhizal fungi have a part to play in our carbon solution.

ABOVE: Left – Lenny was involved in the installation of this no-dig vegetable garden at the McKenzie family’s home as part of Te Pฤtaka Kai a Toi mentorship project

Right – Globe artichokes at Jodi and Lenny’s family farm

Sharing the knowledge

Lenny shares his knowledge as a sustainable gardener and mushroom educator. He supports regional growers, and coaches start-up enterprises to fully functioning businesses.

On his land he runs mushroom growing workshops and shares sustainable gardening tips with curious people. He doesnโ€™t keep secrets around his growing techniques but shares his knowledge and experience so others can try it out in their own gardens or with their mushroom growing. For example, after years of using different activated straw as his growing compound for the mushroom mycelium, he has found a soya and pine pellet mix which is affordable, less time consuming and more sustainable.

Gardening and community food sovereignty

Similarly, he shares his version of food forestry, using his land as his example; it works for him. Lenny and Jodi use a variety of growing practices. Theyโ€™ve created a vegetable garden using companion planting, organic matter, no-till farming practices and agroforestry (larger plants sheltering vulnerable leafy greens and providing pollinating insect food). And itโ€™s working to keep the soil healthy and crops abundant โ€“ last season the kลซmara patch produced some tubers weighing as much as six kilos each!

Lenny and Jodi have planted a fruit orchard and sell spray-free seedlings cheaply. Theyโ€™re always thinking of how to give back to the land and its people. More recently Lenny has worked with Ihi Kura Gym to create a garden supplying food to its members, and with Te Ao Hou Trust to project manage local growing ventures. Lenny is helping to grow growers, using the foundations of food sovereignty.

ABOVE: Left – the beginnings of a food forest at Ihi Kura Gym, as a border around a childrenโ€™s play area
Right – raised beds at Ihi Kura Gym, ลŒpลtiki

Compostable fungi packaging

Over the years, Lenny has immersed himself in the science of mushrooms and the various uses for mycelium and mushroom compounds. Perhaps the cap on the top of his fungi is that heโ€™s part of a team spearheading compostable packaging.

As chief technology officer for the company BioFab, Lenny has been instrumental in developing an alternative packaging material made from agricultural waste and mycelium, aimed at replacing polystyrene. This multi-use product can be domestically or commercially composted within 30 days.

BioFab recently located its operations to Australia in order to broaden its reach in the Australasian packaging market. Its mission is โ€˜to significantly reduce the harm toxic materials are causing to the planet and encourage a world where waste streams regenerate, rather than destroy our natural environment.โ€™ www.biofab.bio/

ABOVE: An example of the compostable mushroom packaging from BioLab

Growing humanity

Perhaps even more important than growing mushrooms, fruit and vegetables is that Lenny Prinz and Jodi Collins are growing humanity. Theyโ€™re focused on the health and wellbeing of their family, their community, New Zealanders and making change globally. And thereโ€™s no doubt this inspiring couple are making a positive difference.

ABOVE: Jodi and Lenny with their children Iver, Albaer and Juliana PHOTO: John Bell

Contacts

Lenny Prinz Mushrooms 021 063 8463 prinzmushrooms@gmail.com

Jodi Collins: misspopinjaycreations@gmail.com Instagram @happybonesart Facebook @misspopinjay

Do you speak mushroom?

  • Cap: The top of the mushroom, gills underneath.
  • Casing layer: A layer of water-holding material, layered on top of a substrate to promote mushroom growth.
  • CO2: Carbon dioxide gas is exhaled by mushrooms.
  • Colonise: Mycelium is grown from one substrate to the next. Once the intended substrate is completely dense with white, it is fully colonised and ready to produce mushrooms or be transferred onto the next substrate.
  • Culture: A pure mushroom strain.
  • Flush: When mushroom substrates produce mushrooms.
  • Fruit-body, fruiting body, mushroom: The edible part of the mushroom
  • Gills: The underside of the cap, thin lines
  • Incubation: Period of time between substrate inoculation to mushroom.
  • Mycelium: This is the bulk of the mushroom; it is a fine root like structure that secretes enzymes digesting material externally.
  • Mycology: The study of fungi.
  • Pasteurisation: Process that kills most spores and other non-beneficial organisms in bulk substrate.
  • Spawn: Sterilised grain or sawdust with a selected mushroom culture grown through it.
  • Spores: Mushroom โ€˜seedsโ€™. Tiny microscopic single celled reproductive product that are dropped from the gills of the mushroom.
AUTHOR BIO: Paula Sharp is a nutritional therapist working globally via Zoom to support womenโ€™s health, restore gut health and digestion, hormonal balance, skin and hair, sleep, shifting weight and health pre- and post-surgery. www.paulasharpnutrition.com
She is also  a guest speaker, giving talks to companies on nutrition and mindset. In London she worked in the organic fruit and vegetable industry, and now she is based in Whakatฤne, growing her own extensive spray-free garden.

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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Coralโ€™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.

โ€œMy journey into regenerative farming began far from the soil and was an unexpected turn,โ€ says Coral. โ€œI 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.โ€

So when the opportunity arose to volunteer at one of Londonโ€™s educational farms, Coral joined the team.

โ€œI 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.โ€

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.

โ€œI 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,โ€ 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

โ€œThe course really opened doors for me,โ€ says Coral. โ€œIt helped me become an informed decision-maker. I need 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.โ€

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

โ€œIt 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.โ€

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

โ€œI 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.โ€

โ€œI need to understand the why behind what we doโ€”why we grow in ways toย protect the soil and the whole ecosystemโ€ โ€“ 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.

โ€œThrough the course, I met Jenny Lux of Lux Organics and Brit from Tomtit Farms, and weโ€™ve formed a lasting, supportive connection. Our farms collaborate by sharing produce, seedlings, and knowledge, and weโ€™ve visited each otherโ€™s farms, like Jennyโ€™s in Rotorua. Itโ€™s been a reminder that weโ€™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.โ€

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.

โ€œHaving access to the post-course WhatsApp group has been vital. Itโ€™s reassuring to see other growers experiencing the same challengesโ€”it makes you feel better about the difficulties youโ€™re facing.โ€

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 โ€˜flipping bedsโ€™ with no-till systems. Photos: Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

Stepping up to share knowledge and innovation

โ€œBrit 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.โ€

Coralโ€™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 farmโ€™s innovations with course participants in March.

Enhancing soils with compost and cover crops

โ€œOne of the things weโ€™re really proud of is our ability to grow all the inputs we need to produce high-quality compost. Weโ€™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.โ€

โ€œWeโ€™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.โ€ โ€œThis 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.โ€

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.

โ€œWe started out doing farmersโ€™ markets and had just started implementing the CSA (community supported agriculture) model as Covid started,โ€ Coral recalls. โ€œIn 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.โ€

โ€œOn 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.โ€

The importance of a sense of community in organic regenerative farming is huge. Farming can be isolating, especially when youโ€™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.

โ€œTogether, weโ€™re learning, growing, and turning our farms into models of biology-first regenerative practice.โ€

Earthworkers Hort 101

24โ€“28 March 2025, Hamilton

Hosted by:

  • Coral Ramiro and team at Earth Stewards
  • Brit and James Stembridge of Tomtit Farm
  • Chris McIntosh at Ethos Cafรฉโ€™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 whatโ€™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 โ€“ 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 Tฤmaki 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. 

Dark chocolate crunch bars (aka โ€˜healthyโ€™ protein bars)

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By Dr Linia Patel 

Many shop-bought protein bars hit your protein numbers, but they come with so many other sweeteners and additives that arenโ€™t great for you to be eating habitually. With this recipe I tried to create a protein bar that was healthy.

Images and text from Food for Menopause by Dr Linia Patel, photography by Clare Winfield. Murdoch Books RRP $45.00

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Clients (especially those who are on the go a lot) are always asking me to recommend a protein bar. To be honest, there isnโ€™t one that I would recommend for regular consumption! Theyโ€™re okay as an occasional get-out-of-jail card, but not for regular consumption.

Many shop-bought protein bars hit your protein numbers, but they come with so many other sweeteners and additives that arenโ€™t great for you to be eating habitually.

With this recipe, I tried to create a protein bar (without using protein powder) that was healthy. One that I would be happy to recommend my clients eat regularly. Each bar gives you about 5 grams of protein โ€“ perfect for a snack. They are high in healthy fats, so, as yummy as they taste, keep it to one per snack!

Makes 10-12 bars

Ready in 20 minutes, plus chilling

Vegan

Gluten free

Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 4 tbsp almond or peanut butter
  • 60g (scant ยฝ cup) dark (70%) chocolate chips
  • 200g (7oz) cooked quinoa
  • 70g (ยฝ cup) whole unpeeled almonds, chopped
  • 30g (1oz) whole linseeds or flaxseeds

Method

  1. Line a small loaf, baking or cake tin with parchment paper.
  2. Either in the microwave or in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt the tahini, nut butter and chocolate together until smooth.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
  4. Tip into the prepared tin and chill for at least 1 hour, then cut into 10โ€“12 small bars.

Tips

These will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days. If you like, you can drizzle with extra melted chocolate before slicing (as per the photo).

gardening calendar 2025 fundraiser

2025 Calendars for Sale

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Our Calendars are back by popular demand. We have the sought after โ€˜N*de Gardeningโ€™ calendar, as well as a requested โ€˜Beautiful Gardensโ€™ calendar (for those who prefer to hang a calendar that doesnโ€™t get so much attention!). Both calendars include the moon phases.

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