Apr 1, 2009
ORGANIC GROWING NEWS
Levin Branch, NZ Soil & Health Association
Patron Fay Te Kira 364 5168 President Ian Sheen 364 3299 singa@xtra.co.nz Treasurer Liz Baucke 368 0009Minute Secretary Val Nicol 367 8320 Secretary Annmarie Coote 367 3753
Committee Emily Williams 362 6684 Barbara van der Valk 364 3244 Jill Scott 363 7567 Michael Hunt 364 8053
Ambassador at Large: Winifred Bourn, 23a Fairfield Road, Levin Fax 368 6271, ph 368 6701
www.organicnz.org/page/Levin
Newsletter 259 – April 2009
Soil & Health
The Soil & Health Association of NZ is the world’s oldest organisation dedicated to organic production. Since 1941, we have led the debate on issues surrounding health, sustainable development, safe food, pesticides, GE and organic food production. We rely on the generosity of members to continue working on your behalf.
By subscribing to the Association’s magazine, Organic NZ, you also become a member of the Association. Subscription costs $40 for one year (six issues) or $70 for two years (twelve issues). Family memberships, allowing two votes, are available for an extra $5 per year.
Send your subscription, or gift a subscription to family or friends, to Soil & Health Association of NZ, PO Box 36170, Northcote, Auckland, or via the website www.organicnz.org. You can pay by cheque, Visa, Mastercard or Amex.
Visit to Common Property, 123 Hautere Cross Road, Te Horo Sunday 26 April at 1.30pm
Permaculture, weed identification and growing garlic, with Singa
Look for the yellow letter box. No dogs please. Common Property’s seedlings and produce will be available, as well as our own sales table. There will be no cancellation so bring gumboots, coats etc if necessary.
Our next meeting:
24 May - Emily Williams, 107 South Manakau Road. Vegetable and seed storage, and an introduction to local wheat and flour production
Soil and Health March meeting: Talk by Tony Robinson
Tony has a long background in growing, first chemically before converting to organics about fifteen years ago. In recent years he has had an interest in making compost teas inoculated with bacterial and fungal biology. He has now found a commercial product, BioAg, which is very similar to what he had been making himself.
Tony said that there are two components to a healthy, fertile soil. Much attention is already given to the nutrients in the soil, like nitrogen and potassium. More attention needs to be paid to the other half of the equation, the soil biology or life. The soil biology needs to be working well to allow the plants to take up nutrients. There are often large amounts of particular nutrients in the soil, but they may not be available to the plants. For instance, Tony’s property has high readings for phosphorous, from regular superphosphate applications many years ago. But the phosphorous is not all available - a large amount is locked up due to imbalances and other factors. Soil biology, together with sufficient calcium, helps to make the locked-up nutrients available. By getting the biology working well in the soil, nutrients become more available to plants, the soil structure improves, and the whole system becomes easier and more workable. Calcium and biology are the two things most lacking on most properties. For calcium, apply 100g of flour lime per square metre in the autumn, and 50g/m2 in the other seasons. Beware of dolomite which contains high levels of magnesium and can lock other nutrients up. Only use a small amount, or better still use Epsom salts. A desirable ratio in the soil is seven parts carbon to one part magnesium.
Making compost is one way of introducing beneficial biology to the soil. Compost should have a good balance of woody and green materials. Most piles do not have enough woody material, and the end product has less fungi and actinomycetes as a result.
Tony showed us some slides of properties around Mildura, Australia where BioAg products had been used and where severe water restrictions are in place. The properties included vineyards, citrus orchards, onions, carrots, dairy, soya bean, parsnips (in 35C heat), and a seedling nursery. In all cases, the plants looked vibrant and healthy, and the soil was dark and crumbly. Neighbouring properties had dry, cracked soil with dying trees and vines.
Another set of slides showed the effects of BioAg in treating cowshed effluent in Otaki. We saw an effluent pond that was so encrusted a dog could run across the top. The pond was treated with “Digest It”, a biological solution which changed the anaerobic conditions to aerobic. Within three weeks the crust softened and started to become liquid, with patches of bubbles clearly visible. The product continued to act on the effluent until all solid matter had been digested and the pond was functioning perfectly. - Singa
Kapiti Sustainable Home and Garden Show
The show was a great success, with about 6,000 people attending over the weekend. There was a large number of very interesting stalls covering all aspects of sustainable living. Our stall was quite busy, especially on the Saturday. Many people stopped for a chat and to ask questions about organics and Soil and Health. We had good sales of the Organic Garden Calendar and the Starter’s Guide to Organic Growing. We also sold about 50 back issues of Organic NZ and handed out over 100 copies of our newsletter to interested people.
Other Future Meetings
28 June – Heather Watson, Fantails Organic B&B, 40 Macarthur Street, Levin
26 July – Amor Walter Shiatsu healing, Thompson House, 4 Kent Street, Levin
Aerosols May Be Major Driver Of Arctic Warming: NASA
Interesting new research from NASA shows that aerosols play a much bigger part in Arctic warming than was previously thought:
Though greenhouse gases are invariably at the centre of discussions about global climate change, new NASA research suggests that much of the atmospheric warming observed in the Arctic since 1976 may be due to changes in tiny airborne particles called aerosols.
Emitted by natural and human sources, aerosols can directly influence climate by reflecting or absorbing the sun’s radiation. The small particles also affect climate indirectly by seeding clouds and changing cloud properties, such as reflectivity.
Since decreasing amounts of sulfates and increasing amounts of black carbon both encourage warming, temperature increases can be especially rapid. The build-up of aerosols also triggers positive feedback cycles that further accelerate warming as snow and ice cover retreat.
In the Antarctic, in contrast, the impact of sulfates and black carbon is minimized because of the continent’s isolation from major population centers and the emissions they produce.
There’s a tendency to think of aerosols as small players, but they’re not. Presently in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere and in the Arctic, the impact of aerosols is just as strong as that of the greenhouse gases.”
This new research points to a man-made pollutant that is both much easier to do something about, and which can have an impact on our perilous climate change trajectory.
The Local Government and Environment Select Committee has received over 1000 submissions on the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill. It’s great to see the public willing to get involved with environmental protection.
New Zealanders have a right to know about proposed developments in their neighbourhoods, and a right to have their say and access the Environment Court. If the bill goes through as it stands, fewer consents will be notified resulting in less public say. The bill also makes it harder for community and environmental groups to get involved in the RMA process and these are the people that are defending the environment!
The Government has set an ambitious report date of June 19 for the Bill – it’s unlikely they will meet this having received so many submissions. The first submissions will be heard this week, and the public can attend some sessions. Green Co-Leader Russel Norman will be the Green member on the Committee for this Bill.
APRIL and May IN THE ORGANIC GARDEN
from the Organic Garden Calendar by Kath Irvine
April:
- Onions can be sown now- Direct sow broad beans – wood ash is an important addition to the broad bean bed
- Burn codling moth cardboard traps
May:
- Plant out garlic- Cover over your winter garden beds
- Make sure no spoiled fruit have been left in your stored harvest
- Spray with Bordeaux mixture if you had trouble with brown rot, curly leaf or blight
MOON PLANTING GUIDE – late April
29, 30 – Harvest crops (except for root crops)
18, 19, 27 – make and apply compost, harvest root crops
20, 21 – late transplanting of broccoli and cauliflower
23, 24 – transplant leafy crops
The next committee meeting will be held on Monday 4th May at 10am with Liz Baucke at 169 McLeavey Road, Levin. All members are welcome to attend.
Yoga Horowhenua
“Sunday Brunch” Yoga Classes for Men & Women (Beginners welcome)
· Increase your flexibility ·. Promote your own health & wellness
. Learn to relax
9.30 -11.00am Sundays
Classes underway now. New students can start on any Sunday
More Dance Studio, 268a Oxford St, Levin
10 classes for $80/$10 casual class
Phone Peter Macdonald: (06) 3681454 or (0274) 418358
EM (Effective Micro-organisms)
- EM 1 available in 750ml, 2 litre and 20 litre containers.- Bokashi Zing Compost Buckets and Bokashi Zing.
- Full range of EM Ceramics and EMX.
- EM Practical Workshops..... to be advised.
Dave Johnston, 39 State Highway 1, Otaki, ph 06 364 6101, email lao@ihug.co.nz
A1 SHELTER BELT TRIMMERS for all your shelter belt and hedge trimming. Height reduction and decrowning now available. Competitive prices, prompt service. Phone Marty (06) 362 6737
MAWHENUA FARM - organic since 1986. Beef, hogget & lamb processed & packaged under MAF licence. Craft & knitting wools available. For price list and inquiries contact Warren and Trish Gilbert, RD 7, Dannevirke (06) 374 8281.
AGRISSENTIAL NATURALLY BETTER FERTILISERS BIOGRO certified Rok Solid and Organic 100, available from IMAGO ORGANIC ORCHARD For information phone Ann (06) 368 3858
World’s first fully certified organic SKINCARE, BODYCARE AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS. 100% free of synthetic chemicals. Discount and free shipping available.
Order on-line www.organics4you.net.nz or phone Louise (06) 364 2190
