Sprout Organic

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Benefits of growing

your own foods

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Organic Farmers cope

better in drought

Why Eat Local?

Zespri Kiwifruit

Marlborough goes organic

Gardening with kids

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Organic farmers cope better in

DROUGHT

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"The recent suggestion from Federated Farmers vice president William Rolleston to allow genetically engineered ryegrass into NZ to alleviate the drought is outrageous and factually inaccurate," says Debbie Swanwick, spokesperson for Soil & Health—Organic NZ."Rather than going down the risky GE path, farmers will do better using sustainable organic practices," Swanwick says. A 2007 study led by Ivette Perfecto, of the University of Michigan, showed that in developing countries where the chances of famine are greatest, organic methods could double or triple crop yields. This is also supported by a similar study conducted by the United Nations in 2010."To take advantage of farmers in their time of need by force feeding them incorrect science is not protecting the interests of those who you are supposed to represent—it is betraying them," Swanwick says.GE crops have no proven resilience in drought conditions but instead introduce multiple risks and problems. Last year the failure of the genetically engineered Bt corn crop put over 70% of America’s corn at risk. The rootworm, now resistant to the Bt protein, prevents corn roots from absorbing water. “The situation

became agricultural suicide in the middle of last year’s drought in the US," says Swanwick.By contrast, Soil & Health—Organic NZ is getting reports that organic farmers in the North Island are generally doing better in the drought than their conventional counterparts. Armed with better soil structures and water–holding capacity, the use of a diversity of pasture species including deep–rooted species like chicory that withstand drought better, and tree crops and shelter–belts, they have been able to protect their animals and their incomes. Some are even capitalizing on their investments by selling baleage for additional stock feed which is now in high demand."In the absence of Federated Farmers giving their members all the facts, we will. The success of NZ internationally is built on farming and our farmers and to undermine them and their investment is scandalous, especially when your remit is to protect this sector," says Swanwick.Soil & Health is one of the oldest organic organisations in the world and advocates for the consumer's right to have fresh, healthy, organic food free of GE, pesticides, additives and their right to know what is in their food.

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Eating local foods is better for you, for the environment, and (most importantly) for your taste buds.


Local foods are fresherLocal food is fresher and tastes better than food that been trucked or flown in from thousands of miles away. Think you can't taste the difference between lettuce picked yesterday and lettuce picked last week, factory–washed, and sealed in plastic? You can.And fresh food? It lasts longer too.

Local foods are seasonalIt must be said: Deprivation leads to greater appreciation. When does a cosy room feel best? When you've come in from out of the freezing cold. Fresh corn in season tastes best when you haven't eaten any in 9 or 10 months–long enough for its taste to be a slightly blurred memory that is suddenly awakened with that first bite of the season. Eating locally means eating seasonally, with all the deprivation and resulting pleasure that accompanies it.

Local foods usually have less environmental impactThose thousands of miles some food is shipped? That leads to a big carbon footprint for a little bunch of herbs. Look for farmers who follow organic and sustainable growing practices and energy use to minimize your food's environmental impact.

Local foods preserve green space & farmlandThe environmental question of where you food comes from is bigger than its "carbon footprint." By buying foods grown and raised closer to where you live, you help maintain farmland and green space in your area.

Local foods promote food safetyThe fewer steps there are between your food's source and your table the less chance there is of contamination. Also, when you know where your food comes from and who grows it, you know a lot more about that food. During the e. coli outbreak in spinach in 2006 I knew the spinach in my refrigerator

was safe because I knew it was grown in Yolo County by a farmer I knew, and, as importantly, that it didn't come from Salinas County where the outbreak was. (The knowledge would have worked in reverse too: if the outbreak had been in Yolo County instead, I would have known to throw that bunch of greens and scrub down the fridge!)

Local foods support your local economyMoney spent with local farmers, growers, and artisans and locally–owned purveyors and restaurants all stays close to home, working to build your local economy instead of being handed over to a corporation in another city, state, or country. Since the food moves through fewer hands, more of the money you spend tends to get to the people growing it.To make the biggest local economic impact with your food budget, seek out producers who pay their workers a fair wage and practice social justice in their business.

Local foods promote varietyLocal foods create greater variety of foods available. Farmers who run community–supported agriculture programs (CSAs), sell at farmers' markets, and provide local restaurants have the demand and the support for raising more types of produce and livestock. Think Brandywines, Early Girls, and Lemon Boys instead of "tomatoes."

Local foods create communityKnowing where your food is from connects you to the people who raise and grow it. Instead of having a single relationship—to a big supermarket—you develop smaller connections to more food sources: vendors at the farmers' market, the local cheese shop, your favourite butcher, the co–op that sells local eggs, a local café that roasts coffee.Eating locally? It connects you to a larger world.

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World’s first compostable fruit label


Zespri will introduce the world’s first and only fully compostable fruit labels on all Zespri Organic Kiwifruit next season.Zespri’s Global Marketing Manager—Organic, Glen Arrowsmith, explains this initiative is part of Zespri’s leadership role and ongoing commitment to improving the environmental credentials of its products.“Our international customers—retailers, wholesalers, consumers and governments—are increasingly interested in the sustainability of products arriving in their markets and we’ve invested in research and development to continue to lead the market in this area.”Zespri has worked closely with US–based label manufacturer Sinclair Systems for the past four years to overcome the significant technical challenges involved. This launch builds on a large–scale trial this year of five million of the compostable labels on Zespri Organic fruit sold across Europe, North America and some Asian markets.“Making a premium Zespri brand label stick to hairy kiwifruit skin, hold together under the high humidity and cold temperatures in storage, and then break down reasonably quickly when thrown out with the fruit skin—it was a big challenge. But we’ve done it.“The large–scale label trial we ran this year showed the compostable labels could be applied at speed in the packhouse and performed well through the supply chain to the retailers around the world which stock our fruit,” says Mr Arrowsmith.Manufacturer Sinclair tested the degradability of the labels to international ASTM standards (American Society for Testing and Materials) and found they degraded within 22 weeks with less than ten percent of the original dry matter

remaining—well within the agreed specifications, with home compost trials to follow. The labels meet all relevant food safety regulations for direct food contact in the markets in which Zespri operates.“We are extremely happy with the capability this compostable label brings to Zespri and the alternatives it represents to their customers. Sinclair continues to focus on new ways to provide value for the industry. Zespri’s collaboration in this project was key in bringing this initiative to fruition,” says Bill Hallier, Sinclair’s CEO.Zespri’s standard labels are made of polyethylene and—like all Zespri packaging materials—are 100 percent recyclable.“We believe our current labels are also environmentally responsible. Our customers can stick them on a drink bottle or any other PET (polyethylene terephthalate) product and put them out in the recycling,” says Mr Arrowsmith.Through its partnership with Sinclair and investment in R&D, Zespri will lead the world with the first kiwifruit to have a compostable label. “We’re sure other fruit marketers will also be keen to use this new environmentally–friendly technology in the future,” says Mr Arrowsmith.Zespri is committed to providing sustainable products in an environmentally and socially responsible way. This labelling initiative is part of a range of initiatives including comprehensive measurements of industry carbon and water footprints; an extensive three–year study on the effect of growing kiwifruit on soil carbon levels; and trialling measures to reduce waste, including developing a bio–spife (combination spoon–knife for cutting and scooping kiwifruit) made from bioplastic which contains eight percent fruit waste.

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Marlborough goes organicOrganic wine growing in Marlborough is reducing significantly the amount of dangerous pesticides used in the region. With 1400 hectares either BioGro certified organic or in conversion, that equates to a full 1000 hectares of land no longer herbicide sprayed.“In September 2007, 70% of Marlborough vineyard area was herbicide sprayed, anything from 100% blanket coverage to various width spray strips, and a range of dangerous pesticides used the rest of the year,” said Soil & Health–Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.“With 6% of Marlborough’s grape growing area under management to BioGro organic production rules, the Marlborough community and environment is spared drift from numerous very toxic sprays.”“Organic standards are very strict about what chemicals can be used in organic production and both workers and neighbouring communities benefit from this.”“The reduction of effectively 1000 continuous hectares from herbicide use, also benefits carbon sequestration and increases soil structure and soil life significantly.”

To 100 field day attendees, Organic Winegrowers New Zealand yesterday launched an Organic Focus Vineyard project in Marlborough. Over the next three years, the project will follow prominent vineyards in three wine regions as they are converted to organic production. As part of the project, Wither Hills are converting a portion of their Taylor River vineyard (Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir) to certified organic management.Wither Hills already have 40ha in conversion to BioGro certified organic production. Mission Estate in Hawkes Bay and Gibbitson Valley Wines in Central Otago are the other focus vineyard participants, with Mission already reporting satisfaction with the organic regime, including economic gains, over conventional, from its first year pilot study.“Conversion to organic viticulture in Marlborough follow early successes such as Seresin’s in Marlborough and a rapidly building international demand,” said Mr Browning.The theoretical economic convenience of harmful herbicides and pesticides has created areas such as Hawkes Bay and Marlborough as potential health risks, and anecdotal evidence points to increasing

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levels of cancers in both areas, so the very rapid shift to organics is good for communities and wine consumers.Endocrine disruptors are also involved with the sprays and in Marlborough the main population areas of Blenheim, Renwick and Seddon are surrounded or downwind of the dominant spray zones.The spray drift problem extends nationwide with a slow uptake of technologies that can restrict spray drift or recapture and recycle unused airborne sprays. These however do not address the blanket herbicide use on land.The organic options not only reduce frost damage, but improve soil health and carbon sequestration.Herbicide use is proven to reduce vine health through protein disruption and increases susceptibility to pest and disease. It also reduces grape storage life, and natural flavours appear to be rounder without herbicide use.Clean organic alternatives to massive herbicide and pesticide are in keeping with New Zealand’s best brand, 100% Pure New Zealand, our clean green image, and Soil & Health’s vision of an Organic 2020.

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Getting startedThere is no ‘right’ age for children to start gardening. When they are toddlers, they will naturally want to be with you outside and will join in with your activities—digging, helping to push the wheelbarrow, watering crops, adding weeds to the compost, and so on. If you give them their own–sized tools, they will enjoy their time in the garden even more.

Give them space of their ownChildren need a safe place to play, but you can also set aside an area (maybe a small raised bed) for them to grow flowers and vegetables of their own. A packet of nasturtiums is a good starting point—the seeds are chunky and the results are satisfying and colourful. Painting a bright sign to show it is their area or building a scarecrow can help foster a sense of ownership.

Point out the wildlifeHelp to make your children aware of the wildlife in the garden. Point out how a robin hops in to catch the insects and worms that you disturb, how bees and insects pollinate flowers, how frogs eat slugs and snails and how ladybugs keep down aphids which would otherwise spoil the flowers and vegetables.

Young childrenYou can involve young children and toddlers by appealing to all of their senses.Smell: Encourage them to smell flowers and herbs. Get them to rub in their

fingers and smell thyme and rosemary or lemon verbena or garden mints of all varieties.Taste: If you grow vegetables, you have the ideal opportunity to let children sample the exquisite taste of freshly–picked produce. What is sweeter than peas straight from the pod? Let them be the first to pull up young carrots or pick raspberries and strawberries.Sight: There is so much for children to see in a garden. As inspiration for pictures it provides the perfect palette—where better to find a buttercup yellow, a rose red, a cornflower blue?Sound: Out in the garden, your child will hear the birds singing and the buzz of bees as they visit each flower in turn. Get them to listen for less obvious sounds like the wind in the trees, grasses rustling, or the rasp of grasshoppers.Touch: Children reach out to feel what they see, so encourage them to experience different textures outdoors. Let them handle runner beans and other seeds. Digging soil and getting their hands dirty is a great lesson in itself. Finding homes for any worms you dig up gives them a worthwhile task, especially when they learn how beneficial they are for the soil.

Teenagers can be temptedEnticing older children away from their computers is not as hard as it might seem. Introduce an element of competition and they will soon become keen horticulturists.

Gardening with kids


When Jack sows a magic bean that disappears up into the sky in the traditional story of Jack and the Beanstalk, children are transported into a world of giants and fantastic adventures. Sharing a passion for gardening with children has a magic of its own.

Local produce shows invite entries for the largest pumpkins or squash, or the longest carrot.Schools often challenge their pupils to grow the tallest sunflowers, which can be started in yoghurt pots and then planted in the garden as soon as they reach about 15cm in height (making sure they do not become pot–bound).

Year–round activitiesWinter is the time when gardeners plan for the year ahead. Involve your child by looking through seed catalogues together. Cut out pictures from magazines to stick in a scrapbook of ideas for your garden. On mild days, you can get out to dig and rake over the area you plan to cultivate.Spring is the time to get planting. You could start with fava beans, which are one of the easiest vegetables for children to grow. The dwarf varieties can be grown in small gardens or even in containers.Fill a large pot with a multi–purpose potting compost and distribute a dozen beans evenly over the surface. Show your child how to use a finger to push each seed down into the compost to about 4cm deep and then how to cover the hole with soil and firm the surface, before watering well.Another simple idea is to grow mustard and cress on a sheet of wet kitchen paper on saucers on the windowsill. The results are very satisfying. The cress needs to be sown a few days before the mustard seed so that it is ready at the same time. (Keep the paper damp at all times.)

In summer, you can admire the fruits of your labours. Get your child picking flowers and harvesting crops, as well as helping with watering in the morning and evening.Show how important it is to remove weeds—to give your plants a chance to grow—and to pick the caterpillars and slugs off your new lettuces.Apart from the vital business of jumping into piles of leaves, fall is generally a clear–up time. If you have the space, plant a fruit tree for your family to enjoy. Making homes for wildlife to over winter can be very rewarding and a nesting box can provide added excitement for next year.

It really is magicOf course, the one plant your child must grow is a beanstalk. It may never reach the sky, but seeing a strong shoot emerge just two weeks after poking the seed into a pot of compost should have your budding gardener hooked for life.

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The cost of everything seems to be higher these days, especially at the grocery store, a trip you can’t skip. Maybe you can skip it, or at least drastically slash your bill, by growing your own food.

The benefits of


Enjoy better tasting foodFresh food is the best food! How long has the food on your supermarket shelf been there? How long did it travel from the farm to your table? Comparing the flavour of a home–grown tomato with the taste of a store–bought one is like comparing apples to wallpaper paste. If it tastes better, you’ll be more likely to eat the healthy, fresh produce that you know your body needs.

Improve family healthEating more fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the most important things you and your family can do to stay healthy. When they’re growing in your backyard, you won’t be able to resist them, and their vitamin content will be at their highest levels as you bite into them straight from the garden.

Reduce food wasteAmericans throw away about $600 worth of food each year! It’s a lot easier to toss a mouldy orange that you paid $0.50 for than a perfect red pepper that you patiently watched ripen over the course of several weeks. When it’s “yours,” you will be less likely to take it for granted and more likely to eat it (or preserve it) before it goes to waste.

Get outdoor exercisePlanting, weeding, watering, and harvesting add purposeful physical activity to your day. If you have kids, they can join in, too. Be sure to lift heavy objects properly, and to stretch your tight muscles before and after strenuous activity. Gardening is also a way to relax, de–stress, center your mind, and get fresh air and sunshine.

Build a sense of prideWatching a seed blossom under your care to become food on your and your family’s plates is gratifying. Growing your own

food is one of the most purposeful and important things a human can do—it’s work that directly helps you thrive, nourish your family, and maintain your health. Caring for your plants and waiting as they blossom and “fruit” before your eyes is an amazing sense of accomplishment!

Save money on groceriesYour grocery bill will shrink as you begin to stock your pantry with fresh produce from your backyard. A packet of seeds can cost less than a dollar, and if you buy heirloom, non–hybrid species, you can save the seeds from the best producers, dry them, and use them next year. If you learn to dry, can, or otherwise preserve your summer or fall harvest, you’ll be able to feed yourself even when the growing season is over.

Reduce your environmental impactBackyard gardening helps the planet in many ways. If you grow your food organically, without pesticides and herbicides, you’ll spare the earth the burden of unnecessary air and water pollution, for example. You’ll also reduce the use of fossil fuels and the resulting pollution that comes from the transport of fresh produce from all over the world (in planes and refrigerated trucks) to your supermarket.

Stop worrying about food safetyWith recalls on peanut butter, spinach, tomatoes and more, many people are concerned about food safety in our global food marketplace. When you responsibly grow your own food, you don’t have to worry about contamination that may occur at the farm, manufacturing plant, or transportation process. This means that when the whole world is avoiding tomatoes, for example, you don’t have to go without—you can trust that your food is safe and healthy to eat.

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