Soil & Health National Council

The Association's governance body is called the National Council (NC). It consists of seven members who are appointed by the membership. NC members are elected for a two-year term.

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Steffan Browning
Re-elected 2009

As Association spokesperson and Co-chair for several years, I would like to maintain our significant current growth in membership and build our Association into a larger campaigning, educational and advocacy force.

My passion and experience for organics and ecological sustainability has included 17 years of BioGro certified vegetable growing as New Zealand’s largest organic glasshouse vegetable growing business, an organic retail shop, and leadership in environmental organisations.

For several years I have been in the BioGro Council and Certification Committee, and Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) Council positions. As your Soil & Health representative at the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, ERMA, MfE and many other organisational forums I have been promoting genuine environmental sustainability and organic production while working hard against genetic engineering and food and environmental poisons. I am working to create an organic nation!

Elvira Dommisse (PhD, BSc(Hons), Mus B, LTCL, AIRMTNZ)

First elected in 2007, re-elected for the 2009-2011 term.

I grew up in a family of growers. My father was a gardener by trade and a grower in his spare time. He grew many different cultivars of fruit trees, including heirloom ones. He also provided the family with vegetables, using essentially organic methods. As a result of this my family are all keen organic home gardeners.

My interest in growing plants led to an honours degree in botany at Otago University. Following this I was employed by DSIR/Crop & Food Research from 1985-1993 and during part of this time I completed a PhD in the genetic engineering (GE) of onions. The GE work was, however, unrewarding and I could not see it being the answer to plant breeders’ problems or food shortages. I also had concerns about the lack of research on biosafety.

After leaving Crop & Food Research I completed a music degree and now teach music and accompany choirs. I have been involved in raising awareness of the risks and problems of GE crops in New Zealand and worldwide and have been an active submitter against both the GE onion and Brassica field trial applications to ERMA by Crop and Food. In addition to these submissions, I have made submissions to FSANZ (Food Standards Australia NZ) opposing the introduction of new GE foods into NZ. As well as working for the Soil & Health National Council, I have been a trustee for PSGR (Physician and Scientists for Global Responsibility) for several years.

Although my focus has largely been that of campaigning against genetic engineering (GE) in the environment and in food, other issues are equally important and I have also been involved in helping our spokesperson Steffan Browning with press releases on different issues ranging from the artificial sweetener aspartame to methyl bromide fumigation at New Zealand ports.

I live in Christchurch with husband Steve, who works for Landcare Research on the Carbon Zero project and our two children. We are very aware that the world currently faces an urgent battle against excessive levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and see organic agriculture as the answer to sequestering this carbon in the soil. Other forms of agriculture are not as effective at doing this, as toxic sprays and synthetic fertilizers do not foster the proliferation of beneficial soil- and plant-dwelling organisms.

I hope to use my expertise in GE whenever I can to assist Soil & Health.

Holger Kahl

Contributor of Organic NZ’s moon calendar, Holger Kahl has served on the Soil & Health Association’s National Council since 2002, and is a long-time member of the Bio Dynamic Gardening and Farming Association.

Originally from Germany, Holger has an MSc in biology, and worked on organic farms and visited organic research institutes in the US. He came to wwoof in New Zealand and ended up staying.

Holger taught organic horticulture at Christchurch Polytech for many years, and co-founded the Organic Garden City Trust in Christchurch and the Southern Seed Exchange. He helped set up the Organic College at the Biological Husbandry Unit (Lincoln University) and has taught there.

From 2007–2009 he was the southern coordinator for the OANZ Organic Advisory Programme. During 2009/2010 he is on long-term sabbatical leave exploring the organic scene in northern Europe.

Matt Morris - Chairperson

Matt Morris is president of the Canterbury branch of Soil & Health, a trustee of the Organic Garden City Trust, organic consultant for South City New World, and was on the founding national coordinating committee of Organic Farm NZ.

He was the first coordinator of Canterbury Organic, and has worked as manager of the Organic Garden City Trust and Advocate for the Christchurch Community Gardens Association.

He was organics columnist for the Christchurch Press for more than three years and is now a local body politician with a particular interest in Transition Towns initiatives.

Mike Palmers (M Appl Sci; PG Dip; NDH; Dip Hort.)

In Havelock North Mike started gardening at a young age, growing vegetables and looking after the family garden. He has been professionally involved in horticulture, both amenity and commercial growing, since 1978 being awarded the David Tannock Prize by the RNZIH.

Then Mike pursued postgraduate studies, Lincoln University, in applied ecology and resource management prior to establishing a landscape design and urban planning consultancy business in Christchurch in 1996.

He managed the Opawa community garden, believing that organics is an essential component to sustainability and healthier living.

Mike has served Soil & Health National Council since 2003. Elected to the inaugural board of OANZ, then re-elected in 2008. Mike designs and project manages, the organic sectors exhibition at Mystery Creek, attaining the Premier Site Award in 2007. Mike is a current director of BioGro.

Today Mike, lives in Carterton, and owns Lifestyle Landscapes Ltd providing landscape design services and Terra Verde Consulting Ltd with a focus on organic and environmental consultancy. Mike writes for the Organic NZ queries column.

Mike brings a strong business focus to the Soil & Health Association underpinned with a passion for organics and building capacity within the organic sector.

Dee Pigneguy

I have had a long involvement with Soil and Health, including writing for the magazine over many years, serving on the National Council and working in the Auckland Office. As a result I have a good understanding of the principles of the association and how it works on a daily basis.

My organic backyard garden including fruit and vegetables, chook and bees provides us with much of the food we need.

My garden is the inspiration for the Organic Gardening classes I run throughout the year, as well as the professional development workshops for teachers.

I am in the process of working with schools in helping them to establish and maintain organic school gardens.

I believe organic gardening is the single most effective action you can personally take to help the planet and much of my work as well as the two latest books published, Growing Gardeners and Feed Me Right, is directed towards establishing the long-term actions that are necessary for a more sustainable lifestyle.

As a National Council representative I will continue working to build an Organic Nation from the grassroots.

Marion Thomson

Greetings all, I consider it an honour to be involved with Soil and Health Association of NZ through the National Council and I welcome the opportunity to continue my work with an organisation that has such an inspiring vision. Organic Aotearoa by 2020. Imagine that!

I am involved on many levels with individuals, groups, schools and communities who are all on the pathway to achieving this vision. People that are working to become more self reliant, growing their own organic food, supporting organic growers, buying local, and working towards a lower carbon economy.

I manage the Sustaining Hawke’s Bay Trust Environment Centre, an initiative that is part funded by MfE, Local Territorial Authorities and from our activities. Here we promote a vision of a Sustainable Hawke’s Bay in its rural and urban land use and in everyone’s daily lives!

I promote ecological sustainability on a daily basis through many different projects including: information and education, green waste and food waste recycling, organic certification (OFNZ), organic gardening, green building, restoration projects, working with adults and children, organising seminars, workshops and field-days for farmers and growers, facilitating and supporting other great community initiatives.

I look forward to continuing my work with the priorities of the Association: growing the dedicated membership base, producing Organic NZ, providing essential advocacy on behalf of S&H members and the public on issues of food safety and security.

The Soil and Health Association has the potential to improve and strengthen not only the environmental but also the social and economic framework of Aotearoa.