Organic NZ

Organic NZ is filled with info to live a healthier lifestyle - for you and the planet! Published by the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand, working since 1941 for sustainable organic agricultural and good health. Topics range from home garden to large-scale success stories; eco-building; urban organics; genetic engineering & chemical issues; food matters & natural health.

Behind our cover

Organic NZ

Rabbit Hole

Community garden

Walking the walk Celebrating organic champions at the OrganicNZ Awards • The room was abuzz on Thursday 4 May as the organic sector gathered to celebrate the growing success of organics in New Zealand.

Your Feedback

The soil improver WHO WANTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM • Kev Dowman tells Paula Sharp why we should be producing biochar on a commercial scale. He says it is an investment for our future, specifically the future of New Zealand’s land quality and how we can contain carbon.

Get ready for spring SEASONAL GARDENING TIPS AND TASKS • Winter reserves and preserves are still holding up for many, but Diana Noonan says if we are to eat through the lean months of spring and into summer, now is the time to prepare.

Cosmic rhythms for gardening • More than a moon calendar, Monique Macfarlane includes the influences of the moon, sun, planets, and constellations to set her gardening rhythm. She explains why, and provides an easy-to-follow seasonal schedule to align gardening tasks with the cosmic influences.

WIN this issue! • Look at these great prizes on offer to subscribers and readers.

Japanese raisin tree Hovenia dulcis • It looks like a fruit from another world, brown and knobbly and forked like a twig. The Chinese have long known of its restorative power on the liver and used it as an antidote for alcohol. But best of all it belies its looks and tastes just like it sounds – sweet and tasty with the slightly chewy consistency of a raisin.

Diversity, diversity, diversity RE-IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF PERENNIAL CROPS • Monoculture crops are high input, high risk, high profit, and a death zone for our soil and biology. Charles Merfield says there’s a better alternative for the future.

Vitamin C • Fresh and raw foods contain the most nutrients. Heat (cooking) reduces over a third of vitamins by three-quarters or more. But, as David Whyte describes with this example of vitamin C, even how we grow, harvest, store, and prepare fresh fruit and vegetables affects their nutrient levels.

Supplementing for health • Supplements provide the body with concentrated doses of nutrients and antioxidants to support good health. Laura Hett guides us through why we should supplement, and what to consider.

The little box of veg • Inspiration and 100+ recipes for vegetable lovers from Alice Zaslavsky

Explaining organics one term at a time

Is your best friend EATING THE BEST FOOD? • The marketing might say ‘Complete and Balanced’, ‘All you Need to Feed’, ‘Natural’ and ‘Grain Free’ but is it really what your dog needs? Animal naturopath Sarndra Urwin gives some guidelines on how to choose the right food to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Kombucha SLOW FOOD IN A BOTTLE • Kombucha has become a popular source of gut probiotics but not all kombuchas are created equal. Theresa Sjoquist talks to one of New Zealand’s leading organic kombucha makers about the difference.

Investing for good • Money is what makes the world go round and who we invest with determines which direction it goes. Whether it is KiwiSaver or an investment fund, Mindful Money provides the information to make a choice for good.

Natural funerals • As any organic farmer knows, dying and decomposing is an important part of the life cycle. Here Lynda Hannah outlines pragmatic and organic options...