Organic NZ

Regardless of who you voted for in the general election, the most powerful vote you have is your dollar vote. If you buy this magazine, subscribe/join Soil & Health NZ, advertise with or sponsor us, you strengthen the voice advocating for a sustainab

Soil life, sequestering greenhouse gases, community connection…, composting offers an infinite number of benefits, enhancing not only the health of our soil, therefore our food, but also our mental wellbeing. Composting can bring people together, but

Summer is such a waiting and watching period. All the hard work of spring is about to come to fruition – if we protect and nurture our precious plants and their ground crew. Diana Noonan shares her experience of growing food organically and reminds u

We've been doing soil tests on our Nelson market garden for the last seven years utilising the skills of a local consultant, Sjef Lamers, from Sustainable Nutrition. Sjef’s been constantly promoting the benefits of green crops, even sending us resear

Wētā may be the best known native insects of Aotearoa-New Zealand, largely because when they are encountered it is usually with some surprise. Most of these interactions involve the fairly large, sturdy beasts with stout leg spines that are tree wētā

Nothing is free, and foraging is no exception. Though the food we gather is without a cash price, there are still costs. The cost of hours spent learning, observing, and searching for new plants in new areas. The cost of books, equipment, bags, and f

This outlandish berry-that-grows-on-a-full-size-tree is hugely popular across the ditch in Australia, but barely gets a look-in in Aotearoa. A trip to any Middle Eastern grocery yields a trove of mulberry jams, syrups, and even mulberry molasses (mov

Some people choose plant-based diets in the belief that it is better for the environment. The idea that all we need to do is eat more plants and less, or no, meat is overly simplistic. Problems like biodiversity loss, soil erosion, deforestation, che

If you have ever purchased or used a cosmetic product that claimed to be sweat-proof (think antiperspirants), water-proof (think mascara), long-wearing (think make-up, lip gloss), durable, or one that promised glowing skin or shiny hair, chances are,

What is the best food we can eat for good human health? How is it grown and produced? What connections do New Zealanders make between the food they eat and how it is grown? Many growers and their customers believe biodynamic and organically-grown foo

• The precursor to BioGro - the Biological Producers and Consumers Society is founded by Soil & Health NZ, the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association in NZ Inc., and the Henry Doubleday Research Association • The Biological Producers and Consum

The reluctant decision to leave the 10-hectare farm at Lincoln University early next year marks the end of an era dating from 1976 when organics visionary, Bob Crowder, set up the farm. The Lincoln academic imported the ‘biological husbandry’ term fr

Palmy Homegrown is being championed by mother-daughter duo Bronny Ferry and Kaydee Zabelin. “We’re huge fans of the bi-annual RECAP Permaculture Tour, and the Taranaki Sustainable Backyards Tour, and we thought the time was right to shine some light

Kia ora. I grew up in Rotorua, and in the last few years I have come to find my love for growing food organically/biodynamically, especially for community wellbeing. I have been fortunate to find my ikigai (my reason for being) early on in my life. M