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Best Bones

Best Bones

Nourish your Body and Soul with Organic Bone Broth

100% Certified Organic NZ Ingredients

“Here at Best Bones Broth, we source the Best, New Zealand, Certified Organic ingredients to bring you the highest quality Bone Brothpossible. We use grass fed, organic beef and free-range organic chicken as well as wild and sustainably caught NZ snapper.

We’re all about Gut Health and it shows in our gelatinous, collagen-rich broths. Clean and fresh with no added preservatives, salt, or other nasties.”

bestbonesbroth.co.nz

Hohepa Cheeses and Yoghurt

Hohepa Cheeses and Yoghurt

From hohepahawkesbay.com/hohepa-cheese

Introducing Hōhepa Dairy
Our organic cheese, yoghurts and biodynamic milk is produced locally in Hawke’s Bay at our boutique Cheesery.

All land is DEMETER CERTIFIED which means it is managed on biodynamic principles as an essential basis for the nutrition of people and animals and the responsible stewardship of the land.

Biodynamic agriculture is a spiritual – ethical – ecological approach to agriculture which has much in common with other organic methods. It uses manures and composts and excludes the use of harmful artificial chemicals on soil and plants. It emphasizes the use of an holistic understanding of the living processes of soil fertility and plant growth.

Introducing Hōhepa Dairy
Our organic cheese, yoghurts and biodynamic milk is produced locally in Hawke’s Bay at our boutique Cheesery.

All land is DEMETER CERTIFIED which means it is managed on biodynamic principles as an essential basis for the nutrition of people and animals and the responsible stewardship of the land.

Biodynamic agriculture is a spiritual – ethical – ecological approach to agriculture which has much in common with other organic methods. It uses manures and composts and excludes the use of harmful artificial chemicals on soil and plants. It emphasizes the use of an holistic understanding of the living processes of soil fertility and plant growth.

Winter Handcraft Evenings

Winter Handcraft Evenings

Winter is here! It is a beautiful season for handcrafts to enjoy the long night! I am hosting a “winter handcrafts with tea” evening on every Tuesday on
14th, 21st, 28th June,
5th, 12th, 19th July.

5pm-7pm

I want to share a Japanese mending techniques with you! Please bring your favourite clothes, bags, knitwear or kids toys to mend! Also I’m happy for other options ex.embroidery, sashiko stitching etc.

$35 for drop in
$160 for all 6 classes

contact Hana 020 4187 2251, eftpos available at the event

facebook.com/events

Fresh this week – 7 June

Fresh this week – 7 June

swiss brown mushrooms, bananas, kiwifruit gold and green, mandarins, oranges, broccoli, beetroot, green and red cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, parsnip, granny smith and nz queen apples, bosc pears, red capsicums, agria potatoes, fresh ginger (not certified), nz garlic, beauregard and red kumara, butternut and buttercup pumpkin, fresh turmeric

Tui Balms

Tui Balms

Bee Balm, The Original Everything-Balm.
An excellent all-natural healing, soothing and barrier salve. For cuts, scratches, burns, sunburn, chafing, cracked skin, grazes, rashes and scar tissue. 85g cardboard pot.

Baby Balm, Soothing skincare for baby.
Especially made for baby’s delicate skin. Great for all-over and for baby’s bum! Formulated with natural moisturizing oils and soothing herbs to nurture and protect sensitive skin. 85g cardboard pot.

Urban Hippie Miso

Urban Hippie Miso

“Miso is one of Japan’s traditional fermented soy bean pastes. You may have tried miso soup as it can be found at Japanese restaurants or sushi take away shops in New Zealand. Traditionally the Japanese begin their day with a bowl of homemade miso soup.

Miso soup is a very unique cloudy broth which is normally served with Tofu, sea weed, and spring onion. But you don’t need to stick with these ingredients, you can put anything you want in it. For example potato, onion, cabbage, mushroom, radish, mizuna, spinach, kumara, egg, fish, pork…. never ending.

Urban Hippie Miso paste is hand made in New Zealand with local and imported quality ingredients: GMO free soy beans, GMO free rice, organic sea salt, and Koji( a type of culture for making Sake).

Our miso is then fermented for more than 6 months and unpasteurized. The mass-produced miso pastes you see at supermarkets or Asian shops are not fermented for long, and are also pasteurized, so do not contain any beneficial micro organisms.”

miso.co.nz

Dark Mountain Project

Dark Mountain Project

How do you build a culture
which sees the world as
a living sacred community
of which you are a part?

— Paul Kingsnorth

I first came across Dark Mountain through the work of Charlotte Du Cann, a writer who opened me to this world of animistic possibility through her book 52 Flowers That Shook My World, which I asked the Auckland Public Library to purchase. You’re welcome.

Mason’s Mushrooms

Mason’s Mushrooms

“A super-blend of nourishing medicinal mushrooms hand-picked to support immunity, gut health, hormonal function and the nervous system. Revered in ancient herbal traditions, these potent adaptogenic herbs boost vitality and encourage longevity.”
from the SuperFeast page on Mason’s Mushrooms

SuperFeast herbs are traditional medicinals, sourced ethically and sustainably, and packaged in beautiful reusable violet glass containers, offering the best protection from light and humidity for the herbs in storage. Use quarter to half a teaspoon per day – add to a smoothie or hot drink or food.

“Benefits may be felt immediately or it may take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month for you to feel the shifts within your body. We’re all about consistent action taken with intent, with space left for your health to unfold in a way that is unique to your own individual life path. Tonic Herbalism is all about consistency, with medicinal benefits accumulating over time. Longevity in the practice cultivates longevity in the body, and as long as you are taking the herbs they will be working their magic for you.”
SuperFeast FAQs >

The 8 Most Powerful & Potent Mushrooms >

Candida… Can Medicinal Mushrooms Help?!

Herb Pairings: Our Favourite Herbs Play Together >

Medicinal Mushrooms: 4 Super Simple Ways To Use!

Podcast on autoimmunity and mushrooms >

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha

“Ashwagandha (an Ayurvedic rasayana) has been treasured for its ability to revitalise and rejuvenate for more than six thousand years. It helps down-regulate the body’s stress response, promote restorative sleep, calm the mind and support healthy ageing.”
from the SuperFeast page on Ashwagandha

SuperFeast herbs are traditional medicinals, sourced ethically and sustainably, and packaged in beautiful reusable violet glass containers, offering the best protection from light and humidity for the herbs in storage. Use quarter to half a teaspoon per day – add to a smoothie or hot drink or food.

“Benefits may be felt immediately or it may take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month for you to feel the shifts within your body. We’re all about consistent action taken with intent, with space left for your health to unfold in a way that is unique to your own individual life path. Tonic Herbalism is all about consistency, with medicinal benefits accumulating over time. Longevity in the practice cultivates longevity in the body, and as long as you are taking the herbs they will be working their magic for you.”
SuperFeast FAQs >

Overview of the benefits of ashwagandha root >

Ashwagandha: The Amazing Benefits of The Ashwagandha Adaptogen >

Herb Pairings: Our Favourite Herbs Play Together >

Ashwagandha – Your New Best Friend To Beat Stress >

Podcast around lore, traditions and health benefits >

Everything Ashwagandha on SuperFeast >

Wholegrain Organics

Wholegrain Organics

Wholegrain Organics – bread
We are a registered charity which operates like a business. Any profit made is used to sponsor the Hands-On Food educational program for 12-19 year-olds.

Hands-On Food provides a framework where good memories are made through the combination of joy and service. Young people learn to cook and serve nutritious and mindfully prepared meals benefiting body and planet.

Hands-On Food is also a wholesale food production, as young people team up to hand make and distribute quality products throughout New Zealand.

Our stockists and customers play a direct role in the education and support of our youth.

wholegrainorganics.co.nz

The Organic Farm Butchery

The Organic Farm Butchery

We started as one Hawke’s Bay farm with a mission: to make organic meat available to as many people as possible. Alongside this mission, we also wanted to encourage other farms to take up Organic Certification. People are becoming aware that organic foods are just better for you because they don’t contain any synthetic additives, growth hormones, GMOs, chemicals, or antibiotics. Simply put, you are what you eat, so it pays to know who grows your food and what it contains.

Over a decade on, we now have a group of Organic Certified farms supplying us with beef, lamb and pork. They work cooperatively to raise the best animals possible by sharing resources and knowledge of organic farming practices. For you, this means you get year round access to the best organic meat Hawke’s Bay has to offer from our retail store. With the move to becoming online butchers, we can now send meat boxes anywhere in the North Island.

theorganicfarm.co.nz

Trade Aid

Trade Aid

Trade Aid is a social enterprise helping talented people around the world improve their lives through fair trade. Est.1973, New Zealand.

We’re all about change. From small beginnings in Christchurch, New Zealand, where Trade Aid was founded by Vi and Richard Cottrell, to an organisation today with a network of shops throughout the country, it’s fair to say we’ve seen a lot over the years. But some things haven’t changed, we’re still 100% committed to a way of trade which helps improve the lives of the talented producers and artisans we work with.

We source our handmade, fair trade products from more than 65 trading partner organisations, which represent hundreds and thousands of small-scale farmers and artisans in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Palestine and the Pacific. We work to change the lives of these producers through an alternative way of doing business – a fair way.

tradeaid.org.nz

Self Heal

Self Heal

NZ Bush Bitters was created after being Inspired by the success of Self Heal’s European formula, Swedish Bitters. The pharmacological components of Swedish Bitters were analysed and a herbal combination based on NZ bush plants was created.

Extensive tests were carried out on over 350 participants to find out the differences in action of the two herbal tonics.

Added to this, our clinical experience has shown that Swedish Bitters supports normal liver function while Bush Bitters supports normal kidney function.

Both tonics support healthy digestion and respiration.

Bush Bitters is useful for menopausal women and mildly depressed, exhausted or stressed people.
Swedish Bitters is an old European herbal formula made popular through the well-known Austrian herbalist Maria Treben in her book “Health through God’s Pharmacy”.

It is well proven over the years to be an outstanding liver and gallbladder tonic. It is capable of supporting a huge range of body systems.

It assists healthy immune and digestive systems. It supports healthy kidney and hormonal function.

It can be used as a mouthwash.

For people familiar with iridology: Swedish Bitters tends to suit people with blue or dark brown eyes. (Self Heal’s NZ Bush Bitters tends to suit people with green, hazel or yellow-brown eyes.)

selfheal.co.nz

Seleno Health Maca

Seleno Health Maca

Seleno Health is a New Zealand company that specialises in Peruvian maca and antioxidant enzyme supplements. In Peru we ethically source authentic maca direct from the farm and assist with socially responsible development projects with our farmer and his community. In New Zealand we make a 100% natural and GMO free nutraceutical solution for stress, inflammation and fatigue.

Our vision is to educate on the importance of good health and well-being and to assist and inspire everyone with achieving their health potential. We offer natural health solutions and tools to improve your own self-health management and a volunteer program in Peru to bring you closer to your food and the people that produce it. As a socially responsible company we give back to our farmers and community through developmental projects and fund-raising initiatives that aim to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

selenohealth.com

Bento Ninja

Bento Ninja

Are you sick of your kids breaking the precious plastic bento boxes? Not enough room for a banana or kiwifruit? How many lunchboxes and how much money do you have to spend on broken lunchboxes for all the school years? Only to end up in the landfill?

I’m Noriyo aka Bionic Ninja, a mum of 2 boys. Originally from Japan. I have come up with this fabulous stainless steel bento lunchbox system with my husband. To be able to use from toddler to adult life. Versatile and adaptable lunchbox for your whole family and lifestyle.

‘Bento Ninja’ came from my origin, Japan. Bento means food containers in Japanese, Ninja is Japanese spies who are swift, changeable and strong. Also I play roller derby and my roller derby nickname is Bionic Ninja. Friends call me Ninja. Hence our brand name is ‘Bento Ninja’

I’m also conscious about environment, health and our future. We grow a lot of vegetable, fruit and of course flowers. We don’t grow just easy maintenance evergreen, everything needs to be edible or pretty. We try our best for the sustainable living making all the compost by ourselves, have pet silkie chickens for our eggs and manure, buy local organic raw milk and organic vegetables from the market, most meat comes from the local butcher who sells free-range meat and makes nitrate-free sausages and ham. I also like to bake, make jam with homegrown fruit, brew kombucha, kefir yogurt, bake our bread, even to make own butter with raw cream.

Mr. Ninja is a skillful fabricator, who modifies our lunchbox. You can find mostly mini Ninja 2 in our how-to videos and mini Ninja 1 helps with all the Origami craft in our picture, he is an Origami master!

Let’s save our earth together, start plastic-free life now
Love,
Ninja family

bentoninja.co.nz

Sabun

Sabun

Sabun (Savon D’Alep) – An Ancient Tradition

The original olive oil soap. Sabun Olive and Laurel oil soap is a totally natural soap which has been produced for centuries in the Middle East and is still used in the Hammams (traditional bathhouses) today.

In fact Sabun Olive and Laurel soap from Syria is believed to be the first Olive oil soap which was later introduced to Europe through the trade routes. In French it is known as Savon D’Alep and in Syria as Sabun Ghar.

Sabun Olive and laurel oil soap has endured centuries without change to its ingredients and is still produced by traditional methods.

The soap is only produced once per year in the olive season – It is cooked for 3 days and then allowed to set and then cut and stacked and left for 9 months to dry until it is ready to use. This produces a very hard soap which lasts a long time.

Benefits of Sabun Olive oil soap

Traditionally this soap has been recommended for many skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and dandruff due to the ingredients and their benefits.

The high olive oil content of Sabun (more than 80%) forms an invisible, non-greasy, breathable skin barrier that does not block the skins pores while also serving as a humectant drawing moisture to the skin.

Medicinally, olive oil is anti-inflammatory, making it a good skincare oil for sensitive or irritated skin.

The humectant (moisture-drawing) quality of sabun makes it useful in the treatment of chronic dry skin. It has some natural disinfectant properties and also tends to rev up cellular activity, making it useful in assisting the skin’s healing processes.

Laurel Oil (oil of bay laurel berry) is also a natural ingredient which is antibacterial so helps to thoroughly cleanse the skin.

sabun.co.nz

Weck glassware

Weck glassware

At the beginning of the last century, the J. WECK Company was founded in Oflingen Germany, at this time they developed and introduced the home-canning method for glass jars. Since then, WECK has made this method popular not only in Germany and Europe, but worldwide.

WECK is continually working in the field of home canning research. Specializing in all problems and questions concerning home canning, WECK has continuously developed and improved home-canning methods with the aid of its long experience as well as the constant ideas and innovations of the canning experts at WECK

Not all the canning jars and canners on the market are WECK jars and WECK canners. The brand name “WECK” on Weck jars, canners, rubber rings or other WECk canning articles therefore may be applied only to products manufactured by WECK and carrying the strawberry trademark or the trade name WECK.

weckjars.com

 

Bee Green

Bee Green

A few years ago now, I bought a reusable beeswax wrap for my cheese, I thought it was such a fantastic idea but after about one month I was left very disappointed when it no longer stuck, and wasn’t doing the job of keeping my cheese fresh.

I got together with my mum and hatched a plan to try and make some ourselves but to make them better! We started researching and with a lot of trial and error we kept testing different methods until we got the wraps just right.

Our first customers were family and friends who gave such positive feedback that we felt we had something worth sharing and we started doing markets and expos and now we are selling online.

I love helping people reduce their waste and live more sustainably, and I’m constantly learning ways I can make small changes too. I love being able to work from home in my little workshop, around the kids routine.

 

What are the reusable beeswax wraps made from?

We use 100% cotton for our wraps and then infuse them with a tried and true combination of NZ beeswax, tree resin and organic jojoba oil, making them naturally anti-bacterial.

 

How many times can I reuse my beeswax wraps?

As long as our care instructions are followed you can use your beeswax wraps time and time again. Most of our customers get at least a year of use out of each wrap!

beegreenfoodwraps.co.nz

 

 

 
 

SuperFeast

SuperFeast

SuperFeast Tonic Herbs are super top quality, packaged in Miron violet glass, beautiful containers you want to keep using forever.

“At SuperFeast we find potent tonic herbs and mushrooms, grown in the wilds of China, and from their original source. Understanding the methods and practices of our suppliers is our mission. We want only the best herbs for our families and for yours – and we’re willing to go the extra mile for it!

Tonic herbs, my how we love them. Our Taoist tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms have emerged from a system that is thousands of years old. Di Tao is how we source; we only gather our herbs from their spiritual homeland. Our Di Tao herbs are high quality adaptogens and medicinally-dense herbs, grown in their natural habitat. Used for centuries in herbal medicine, our herbs are potent, rooted in history and lore. Using these medicinal mushrooms and tonic herbs, we potentiate the function of our entire being, leading us down a path of extreme health and longevity. So what are medicinal mushrooms? How do you make a tonic? What is Di Tao and why do we uphold it with such high regard? What are the Three Treasures? How can you cultivate your Jing essence? Join us on this exciting herbal journey, as you dive into the wonderful world of tonic herbalism.”

superfeast.com.au

Waiheke Herbs

Waiheke Herbs

Wendy from Waiheke Herbs has created a beautiful range of herb spreads & beautiful skincare.

“Nourish yourself both inside and out with our range of delicious herbal spreads, aioli and salts, and our luxury skin cremes, balms and sprays. Our ingredients are sourced locally and organic where possible. We try to grow and produce most of our own ingredients from our organic herb gardens here on Waiheke Island, and source the rest from local and national growers.”

waihekeherbs.co.nz

Kerikeri Organic Tea

Kerikeri Organic Tea

Kerikeri Teas have a loyal following for their quality and freshness, as well as coming in a nice tea caddy for the shelf.

“We source our tea directly from premium organic tea estates around the world and have it shipped straight to Kerikeri for custom blending. We also source our tea seasonally just after each estate picking, so that our stock rotates faster and our tea remains fresh throughout the year. Because we import directly from tea estates, and not through tea brokers in Europe, we believe we offer the freshest tea in New Zealand.”

kerikeritea.co.nz

Weleda

Weleda

Weleda is a classic brand for natural medicine and beautiful bodycare.

“Weleda’s goal is to maintain, enhance and restore the health of people.
What started in 1921 as a pharmaceutical laboratory, with its own medicinal plant garden, is today a world-leading manufacturer of holistic natural skin care as well as natural anthroposophical medicines.”

weleda.co.nz

Dirty Hippie

Dirty Hippie

Dawn from Dirty Hippie produces lovely shampoo bars & body care products, and is always super mindful with ingredients and packaging.

“I started by making for myself and then for friends. They encouraged me to make more, so I did. I started in the kitchen, then quickly took over our caravan and a few months later I had to get serious and we got a loan to buy a cabin. I now have a huge cabin with a kitchen that has all the room for my products and supplies and making. It’s my little sanctuary, it smells amazing and I have full rights over the music.

I love my little business and my awesome customers, it’s all been word of mouth and it’s thanks to all of you Dirty Hippie lovers that Dirty Hippie has grown to be what it is today. I am grateful to everyone who spreads the word about how much they love the products with the awesome reviews they place, sharing in facebook groups, telling friends and buying Dirty Hippie goodies for gifts. My aim is to provide products that you love to use, all natural, as organic as possible and affordable.”

dirtyhippie.co.nz

Ceres

Ceres

Ceres has done so much for organics, it’s amazing to have the variety and consistency they offer.

“In the early 1920s, the first of the organic movements to reverse the industrialisation of food. Rudolf Steiner introduced a group of farmers in central Europe to a scientific way of working with nature that he called ‘biodynamics’. Other movements began soon after.

In the 1970s, a cultural movement among consumers began to take root. Strands from earlier in the century came together and the consciousness of seeking natural food began. The movement widened, branching out towards organics and biodynamics. Other movements began to gain momentum as groups formed vegetarians, vegans, the fair trade movement and later on the slow food movement. It gave rise to support for local food, seasonal food, fresh food, ethnic food and an appreciation of food from around the world. These movements all together signal a reawakening awareness of a food culture, still amongst a minority of people but with the new found interest in cooking as seen in television shows the idea of finding a new food culture is beginning to spread.

Ceres was founded by people with common interest in the work of Rudolf Steiner. Our story began in 1982, when a biodynamic and organic fresh produce stand run by Juliet Lamont premiered at the Michael Park School fair in Auckland. As a mother, Juliet wanted to feed her two boys organic food, but it wasn’t readily available in stores at the time. So she took the initiative to find others wanting organic food and called on organic farmers she knew to supply what they produced. The stall was so successful that Juliet began a weekly organic co-op out of her garage in Mt. Wellington.

This later became the first urban organic vegetable co-op in New Zealand and included four of the current founders of Ceres: Elaine Beadle, Noel Josephson, David King and Rodnie Whitlock.

By 1984, the weekly co-op had grown so much that David King worked with Juliet to transform the co-op into a shop in Ellerslie, Auckland. It was the first organic food store in New Zealand, sparsely stocked, but full of enthusiasm and it made a connection with customers. The store was given the name Ceres, after the Roman goddess of the harvest. Rodnie Whitlock had a business specialising in anthroposophical books including those about biodynamics and in 1986 this became part of Ceres. The demand from other stores and co-ops began to come and our wholesale division was started.

Juliet also worked with the organic certification groups in New Zealand representing the trading side of what were mostly grower organisations. A teacher at heart, Juliet returned to her first love in 1990, handing Ceres over to Noel and Rodnie as directors.

Through the 1990s, Ceres began to grow rapidly making the transition into an efficiently operating company with standards recognised by our suppliers and customers. In 2001, Ceres became the first BioGro certified organic distributor in New Zealand. Work towards obtaining HACCP Food Safety certification began in 1985 and we received full certification in 2009. That year we also became the first EcoSocial certified company in New Zealand, a certification that recognises an ethical and socially responsible sourcing philosophy based in the company’s operations. EcoSocial is a fair trade certification based on organic principles and social justice headquartered in Brazil alongside the Brazilian biodynamic movement.

“WE BELIEVE IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY OF THE EARTH AND THE PEOPLE ON IT”

This means that as a company, we strive to make organic, biodynamic and GE-free food available to all. We source only quality products that are sustainably produced by organic or biodynamic methods, thereby creating a distribution chain that is both ecologically and socially responsible. Our status as a founding member of the GE-Free communities and general support of the GE-Free movement attest to our social responsibility.We were also the first New Zealand company to become IBD Fair Trade certified, an organic fair trade certification. We endeavour to run the company in a conscientious way, believing that each person who works with us has specific abilities to contribute that are required to help the company survive and grow.

As merchants we work with products that enliven and bring healing to the earth and humankind. From our hearts, we consciously share this enterprise with those we serve, and acknowledge in turn our responsibility to society. We welcome each individual’s creative contribution as essential to fuelling the growth and success of this venture.”

ceres.co.nz

Absolute Essential

Absolute Essential

We love the quality and integrity of Absolute Essential, based in Muriwai on the West Coast of Auckland.

“Providing 100% organic, premium quality essential plant oil products of the highest therapeutic value, sourced and processed sustainably and expertly crafted with your health in mind. Absolute Essential plant oils are the best you will find because they are a product of a blanket policy for full natural integrity. No secrets, no shortcuts. Every ingredient we use in our products is listed on the label, because to us, transparency is paramount.



Our point of difference is that we personally manage every step. From the relationships we have with our artisan growers, to the specialist crop selection, to overseeing the harvesting times and extraction methods (low and slow), right through to the final crafting and packaging – we’re there. Hands on. Safeguarding the integrity of our product by adhering to meticulous quality standards.”

absoluteessential.com

Chantal Organics

Chantal Organics

Chantal is one of our main suppliers, consistently producing top quality fresh produce and pantry basics & treats.

“We believe that organic is a holistic way of life, nurturing not just our land, but ourselves, our families and the wider community.

Choosing organic and whole food supports our health, the health of our farm workers and their families, the health of our waterways, our ecosystems and the sustainability of our environment.

Our natural resources are finite, which is why sustainability is much more than a trend – it’s the essential daily practice of mindful consumption and conservation so that future generations can enjoy the benefits of fertile soil, abundant agriculture and a healthy way of life.

We are committed to these principles, and to looking after our people and the planet with care and responsibility.”

chantalorganics.co.nz

Products, plastic-free & the fast life

Products, plastic-free & the fast life

It’s Plastic-Free July. And I’ve got my reusable cup, but it’s just a jar.

One of the traps I think we can fall into is productising the fast life, just with nicer materials. What I want to do in the shop is turn back time about a hundred years in terms of understanding our role as consumers. A hundred years ago, not everything was available all the time and we didn’t have a dedicated product for each of our fast life habits. International trade was well in place, but it was more of a trade in treasures, less in cheap disposable commodities.

“Life has become too easy to do the things that once had to be worthwhile.”
– Kara Veugelers

We are consumers. We are top puppy in the food chain and we use the resources around us to survive and to enjoy our lives. To own this aspect of ourselves without eco guilt and shame, we can start to look more deeply into what we need and what we love.

I do love picking up my barista coffee, and my favourite reusable cup so far is this lovely jelly jar. Not too big, with clean lines, and a fully sealable lid, this baby fits more sweetly in my bag than any other cup I have had, feels good to drink out of, and gets compliments wherever I go. I do like a nice accessory compliment.

What I am ignoring for the moment is that it’s made in China in factory conditions that are possibly horrendous. But referring back to rule #1 – start where you are.

The general awareness of our impact on the environment has gone pretty mainstream in the last few years, but a lot of the changes we are making are still tied to products that in the end have a finite life and will end up in landfill. Silicone is one that tricked me initially – I thought it was silicon, the element, but in fact it’s a blend of silicon and plastic polymers that can’t break down in the environment.

Greenwashing: pretending something is environmentally friendly without looking at the whole story. In my twisted way, I always thought this was at least a step in the right direction, an acknowledgment that these things matter. But let’s look a little closer, think a little more deeply, slow down and enjoy the jam jar.

My pledge for Plastic-Free July is to remember to take my cup with me. A good tip I was given is that if I don’t have the cup, I don’t get the coffee. A little shiver of fear ran through me, and I realised that if I make that rule for myself, it’s a real commitment. That might just be enough for it to become an everyday habit.

Radial structures

Radial structures

St John’s wort, plant of light – we think of it as a remedy for depression, but how much more poetic and inspiring is Charlotte Du Cann’s description, from her book ’52 Flowers that shook my world’ – “St. John’s wort is one of the great sun plants: a supreme universal connector” – and if you want a cup of St John’s wort tea after reading, I am open Wed-Sat 10-4…

“St John’s wort is a major herb of the European pharmacopoeia. It has been used for centuries as a nervine, as a sedative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory, a powerful tonic for the whole nervous system, for those suffering anxiety and hysteria. Recently it has been extensively employed as a herbal remedy for depression. Before industrialisation St John’s wort was understood as a plant of the spiritual realms. Its Latin name hypericum means “over an apparition” referring to the flight of spirits who found it obnoxious. It was used in exorcism, to chase ghosts and malignant spirits from the possessed and the “mad”. Even though most people don’t “believe” in spirits anymore, it is still used to calm those suffering from nightmares and for frightened children who wet their beds in the darkness of night. One of the main properties of St John’s wort is that it blocks the actions of certain conventional chemical drugs. It was this quality of preventing the conventional and the artificial in ourselves, in order that the intelligence of the sun may properly shine through, that formed the basis of the plant card:

“St. John’s wort is one of the great sun plants: a supreme universal connector. If mugwort is the doorway for the moon or intuitive, oracular self, St. john’s wort is the doorway to the sun or radiant self. This radiance may illumine and release even the darkest conundrum within yourself and by extension bring lightness and a sense of liberty to everyone you meet.

The radial structure of this plant is a clue to its effect upon the energy body: a sort of inner “architectural” expansion. Its own energy is extremely fast and dynamic and can accelerate the frequency of whomsoever comes within its field. From this perspective it is easy to understand why St. John’s wort is used by herbalists for depression. However if you wish to go deeper, to work at the root cause of this depression – rather than just “fixing” its symptom by giving yourself a sunshine boost – you will find it is related to a lack of interconnectedness with the living beings of the sun and earth, and the alienation and isolation felt by most human beings when cut off from this primal relationship.”

https://charlotteducann.blogspot.com/2010/07/flower-15-st-johns-wort.html

https://dark-mountain.net/author/charlotte/

https://www.resilience.org/resilience-author/charlotte-du-cann/

Feet

Feet

[Foreign Correspondent Penelope Brown reporting from the sunny south]

Hello dear readers…

I too have joined the MWM2M (Mass Waiheke Migration to Motueka). And like many
people who uproot themselves from a familiar and loved place I was in a sorry state upon
arrival to the mainland. My nervous system was shattered from stress, my back was out
and sinus problems plagued me.

Thankfully 8 months later we’ve found our new sanctuary here at Mountain Valley farm at
the top of the Brooklyn Valley. I’ve had a chance to stop and listen to my poor tormented
body ravaged from eight years of parenting and give it some proper love and attention!
After doing my usual self-care routines and still feeling average I sauntered to the local
library.

Don’t you love when the perfect book just leaps out at you from the shelf?
Well, I found one written by nutritious movement expert Katy Bowman called “Move your
DNA”. I do believe her theories on movement are the missing link in my health puzzle.
Bowman advocates (among many things) walking barefoot on varied terrain, preferably on
an incline, wherever possible.

So here I am, two weeks later, walking my driveway barefoot daily in the middle of winter
for half an hour. Bizzarely it has become my relaxation, so great do I feel afterwards. I’m
waking at 5am most days, my stiff ankle that I sprained 7 months ago is now limber and not
sore. I’m also a much kinder mother and partner – result!

And the icing on the cake? Sleeping with no pillow (another Bowman recommendation).
Anything that gives this ole brain a boost I had to try and it’s awesome.
Now to get rid of my armchairs and dining table… On that note, I shall leave you and
continue this story another time.

Until then, I strongly encourage you to also free your feet and find some nice poky stones!

Peace,
Penelope

Starting Where You Are

One of the wisest things we can do in our day is to meet ourselves where we are. Not in the past, not in the future, but here and now. What do I need today? What can I do today?

I remember many years ago when I started buying ecostore products, my partner saying to me, Well, it’s not going to save the world is it? And it’s true, it’s not going to save the world. But, it’s going to poison the world a little less than the more chemically alternatives. So that’s where I was, and it’s what I could do. Not much, but a little something to live my day more in alignment with my values.

When I started stocking Greenspace, I agonised about my cleaning products. I am still happily using ecostore products for now, but I am starting to feel that I might be able to take on the Zero Waste challenge, and their packaging is really not in alignment with this. And it’s not just the packaging, but the whole productised version of cleaning, and the whole productised version of life that our culture has created… but heading into that territory is going too far. It’s not where I am. I am a mostly regular weirdo living a fairly typical semi-conscious life, making the best choices I can as a fairly thoughtful consumer in a fairly busy day.

So right now, Greenspace has the three main ecostore products that I use – laundry liquid, dishwash liquid, and multi-purpose concentrate – in twenty litre plastic containers. Life will shift and change and new versions of this may come soon, but today, I am meeting myself here.