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The dark days and rain of winter are receding, with the extra light and warmth of spring starting to kick in. I love getting stuck into the māra at this time of year; getting it ready by clearing away the winter weeds, digging in the lupin cover crop, and fertilising the soil with dolomite lime and compost in anticipation of the food delights to come.
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Winter is a time of rest for both the māra and the gardener. There are, however, still tasks that need to be carried out in preparation for the growth and abundance of spring and summer. The winter vegetables need to be kept an eye on to ensure that the weeds don’t take over.
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The recent discovery by the technocrats in the Christchurch City Council that some of our water supply infrastructure could lead to contaminants getting into the public water supply is rather surprising.
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Summer is a great time to relax in the māra enjoying the fruits of one’s mahi, and leaving the worries of the world behind. In this issue, I discuss recent research showing an insect Armageddon (Insectageddon) in progress, primarily driven by massive pesticide use. On a positive note, lemongrass is a great herb to grow that can naturally help relieve feelings of worry and stress. Unfortunately, the herb most successful at relieving stress, Cannabis sativa, is still not currently able to be grown legally. However, there is some light at the end of a very smoky tunnel for this king of all herbs.
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The sun is currently going through its usual decline in sun spots as part of its 11-year solar cycle of increased and decreased sun spot and solar flaring activity. Some scientists now speculate that the sun has entered a prolonged period of very low sun spot activity which will lead to a mini ice age like the “Maunder Minimum”.
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My favourite part of winter is looking at the empty spaces in the māra and planning for the coming spring growth. Even though we had a cool spring and summer, my strawberry patch was incredibly productive this year and rewarded my whānau for their foraging efforts. Having berryfruits in the māra is a real treat not just for one’s taste buds, but also for one’s health.
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In my summer holidays I was fortunate enough to read two new books which opened my eyes to the power of the old saying of Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” While this concept is nothing new to me, the books have led me to a new level of understanding of the saying. They have informed the ways I can use this information for my health and that of my whānau, and apply it in my māra.
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For this article I thought it would be a good idea to focus on herbs that are incredibly beneficial for your health. What follows is a list of my favourite herbs, ideas on how to grow them, and their potential beneficial health properties. I am a recent convert to herbs after years of having a very restricted plain diet. However, as I am not dying of cancer this means that I can eat a much broader range of foods than I have been able to since being diagnosed with terminal cancer in July 2012 .
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The reality is that the research necessary to explore all of the potential benefits (and any side effects) from marijuana has only just begun in earnest in recent years, with increasing legalisation around the world.
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During Waitangi weekend I was fortunate enough to attend a two-day workshop in Christchurch entitled the “Six Figure Farming NZ Tour”. Two Canadian micro-market gardeners shared their stories and skills on how to successfully run two very different yet very profitable small-scale organic vegetable growing operations. The term “Six Figure Farming” comes from their realisation that it’s possible to make more than $100,000 per acre in gross income with a general profit margin of around 40–60%.
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