May - June 2022

Organic NZ

New Zealand’s organics and sustainable living magazine

Organic NZ1 min read
Meet Our Cover Artist
Vasanti Unka is one of Aotearoa’s best children’s book illustrators. Her vibrantly illustrated multi-award-winning titles include I Am the Universe, Who Stole the Rainbow, Hill and Hole and The Boring Book. She also conceived and compiled With a Suit
Organic NZ2 min read
Better Together
I have been reading my great-great-grandmother’s letters, written more than 100 years ago, during the First World War, and they are all about growing food. After immigrating here from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in her sixties, her letters to her son ba
Organic NZ1 min read
Organic NZ
Marion Wood Monique Bartosh, Jodie Bruning, Barbara Collis, Jenny Lux, Bernie Mabbs, Mike Palmers Soil & Health Association of NZ Inc Postal: PO Box 9693, Marion Square Wellington, 6141 Email: info@organicnz.org.nz Phone: 09 419 4536 Website: organic
Organic NZ2 min read
Things We Like
Wellington-based social enterprise Nisa has launched a new limited-edition floral Meadow print to their range of organic cotton underwear. The fabric was printed in Auckland, then sewn in Nisa’s Wellington workshop by women from refugee and migrant b
Organic NZ6 min read
Feedback
FOLLOW US Facebook @OrganicNZ | Instagram organic_nz I loved the question in “Digging up the Past” in your last issue as to whether “taking one or two teaspoons of filtered seawater at each meal will heal rheumatism, a goitre and ‘listless children!”
Organic NZ1 min readChemistry
From The World Of Organics
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is proposing changes to the way New Zealand manages chemicals to make sure their environmental impacts are not overlooked. This follows the publication of the report, Knowing What’s Out There
Organic NZ1 min read
Get A Wriggle On
Citizen scientists, get out your spades because The Great Kiwi Earthworm Survey is on! You can take part from your farm, backyard or anywhere you’re allowed to dig a small hole. Find out more at agresearch.co.nz/earthworms
Organic NZ1 min readInternational Relations
Yes To A Global Plastics Treaty
The United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a mandate in March to open negotiations for a treaty to end plastic pollution. "This is a significant step that will keep the pressure on the oil industry and big brands like Coca Cola to reduce their p
Organic NZ1 min read
Biodynamic Cheeses Scoop Gold
The team at Hōhepa Hawke’s Bay has won two gold medals for its artisan Vintage and Danbo cheeses at the prestigious NZ Champions of Cheese Awards 2022. Hōhepa is a not-for-profit organisation that supports people with intellectual disability througho
Organic NZ1 min readChemistry
H20 No!
Government consultation on new drinking water standards has drawn criticism from Greenpeace. A new national body, Taumata Arowai, has proposed changes to the allowable levels of hazardous substances in drinking water around New Zealand. These include
Organic NZ1 min read
Genetic Modification Regulation Due For Review, Says Government
Just as this issue went to print the NZ Productivity Commission released a major report on innovation which includes a call for reform of genetic modification (GM) regulations in Aotearoa. The report, entitled New Zealand firms: Reaching for the fron
Organic NZ6 min read
Pricing Up ORGANICS
Everyone deserves to be able to eat a nutritious diet free of nasty chemicals and spray residues, but for almost all of us, it’s out of reach. Even dedicated organic shoppers in New Zealand have to make compromises, either because of the cost or avai
Organic NZ4 min read
You Spin Me Round
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with whales and sharks. I actually have a BSc in zoology with a focus on marine biology. As I got older I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what that meant as a career. Studying zoology at uni gave me the incre
Organic NZ5 min read
To GE Or Not To GE The Vaccination Question
After two years without widespread community transmission of Covid-19, Aotearoa is now experiencing what it’s like to have the virus. A key health measure promoted by the government is immunisation, which in the case of the Pfizer vaccine is a produc
Organic NZ3 min read
Women Of Sustenance
What inspired you to embark on this road trip/book project? I trained as a photographer. I travelled extensively in my twenties, and in hindsight it’s so obvious that my love of food was always there. I went Wwoofing on organic farms and cooked in ki
Organic NZ4 min read
The Lady of Shallots
As autumn rolls on into winter, it’s so easy rest on our laurels and leave the edible beds and orchard to their own devices. But I find that activity now, brings the reward of fresh produce right through the coldest months, and healthy food-bearing t
Organic NZ3 min read
Maramataka For Haratua And Pipiri
Haratua – May/June With a bountiful harvest crop enjoyed and the excess stored away for future use, late autumn is a time to relax, visit and socialise with family and friends. The kererū too, heavy with the fruits of the forest, enjoy a relaxing tim
Organic NZ3 min read
Horopito
If you are unfamiliar with the native flora of Aotearoa’s bush and go walking with somebody who wants to treat you to a “taste of the bush” sensation, they will undoubtedly invite you to nibble on a leaf from an attractively coloured shrub. A nibble
Organic NZ5 min read
REGEN & ORGANICS WHERE DO THEY STAND ON SOIL?
In 2018, during the first Quorum Sense field day in Canterbury, two groups of farmers found themselves in a stand-off. In one group were the regenerative agriculture farmers, who were saying that the best way to improve soil health was to eliminate t
Organic NZ4 min read
DIY Skincare Recipes
I admit it. For most of my adulthood, I sneered at the thought of homemade beauty products. I also admit that, as a teenager, I tried making them, but I was soon beckoned by the world of luxurious and expensive products. Besides, why would you smear
Organic NZ2 min read
Meet The Locals
Tell us about your role. I lead a passionate, kind-hearted team, who are great at customer service. Commonsense’s shared vision is connecting people with shopping they trust in order to create a kinder, more ethical planet for everyone. What inspired
Organic NZ4 min readRegional & Ethnic
Well, Well, Well
I love the flavour combination of this easy egg-like mash, which can be put together in just five minutes. This recipe is a great one to make ahead and have in the fridge for a wholesome bite, ready to be dolloped into sandwiches or leafy green lettu
Organic NZ1 min read
Want The Dirt On Everything That’s Happening At Organic NZ?
Each month you’ll receive seasonal gardening advice, sneak-peeks of our upcoming issue, news about events around Aotearoa, cool stuff we want to share with you, and special offers – for free! To celebrate the launch, we’re offering a Relax retreat fo
Organic NZ1 min read
Explaining Organics
Pronounced “my-co-rye-za”, this word comes from plant science and describes a miraculous underground relationship. Beneath our feet, the root systems of plants form a sophisticated web of life with beneficial fungi that live in the soil. These connec
Organic NZ4 min readDiet & Nutrition
Cider House Rules
Vinegar might be one product that doesn’t typically inspire consumers to contemplate its origins. It turns out, though, that not all vinegars are created equal – and in Ōtaki, on the Kāpiti Coast, a living vinegar is brewing, with a rich organic stor
Organic NZ1 min read
Join Our Community
Subscribe to Organic NZ, New Zealand’s leading organics and sustainable-living magazine! Each issue is packed with inspiration and information on healthy organic living. Subscribers receive six issues of Organic NZ delivered to their door each year.
Organic NZ2 min readDiet & Nutrition
WIN This Issue!
Win a little something for everyone with three bundles from It’s Organic Darling! The first prize is a Wellbeing Bundle, containing an Aroma Cloud diffuser and essential oil set, the second prize is a Care Pack of organic food and drink from brands l
Organic NZ2 min read
Latest Reads & Films
Kirsten Parkinson and Kitty Brown Te reo Māori translation by Kiringāua Cassidy (Allen & Unwin, $22.99) How will your whānau celebrate Matariki? With 2022 being the first year this festival will be marked with an official public holiday, this picture
Organic NZ3 min read
Community Garden
● Small events fund Are you a Soil & Health member involved in community work or events? Soil & Health has launched a small events fund for organisations and events that share our values and relate to our strategic themes: climate change, healthy foo
Organic NZ1 min read
Digging Up the Past
You’re holding one of New Zealand’s longest running publications. Our first issue was released in March 1942 under the title ‘Compost Club Magazine’. The magazine launched during a global conflict, at a time when people were looking to self-reliance

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