August 21, 2010
With the vote for District Health Board representatives just around the corner now is the time to have a public debate about the direction in which our health leaders are taking us. The DHB Healthy Populations Plan addresses five health priorities: children, youth and family; mental health; older people; cancer; and chronic diseases. Immunisation, hygiene, [...]
June 28, 2009
Consumers – Know Your Brix! Phyllis Tichinin On average, the vitamin and mineral content of our food has declined 60% in the last 60 years of chemically oriented farming.* All the supplements and nutriceutals we’re taking are meant to be in our food, not something we have to pay extra for. This lack of nutrition, [...]
June 28, 2009
District and regional councils are taking an active role in shaping our environment, and agriculture is so closely linked to our environment in Hawke’s Bay. Biological farming can rapidly address many of our environmental challenges like water quality, soil collapse and nitrate and phosphate leachate. To facilitate environmental regeneration with biological farming, our Councils could [...]
June 28, 2009
The most crucial aspect of biological farming is the creation of humus. Humus is the dark brown, biologically rich earth that healthy soil microbes create. It improves soil water holding capacity, provides a home for microbes and a savings account for soil nutrients. Without humus we have degraded soil that cannot support healthy plants. Building [...]
June 28, 2009
Forty percent of the economy of Hawke’s Bay is based around agricultural production. But agriculture is (deservedly) getting a bad rap these days. We are contributing to fertiliser and pesticide pollution of water, and aquifer drawdown. We’re burning up soil carbon and contributing to green house gasses. Production seems to be slipping compared to inputs, [...]











