Traditional Māori Agriculture and Biodynamics

By Tyne-Marie Nelson

In 2015, Tyne-Marie Nelson undertook a research project to identify resonances between biodynamic farming and traditional Māori methods of agriculture. The project was supported by Taruna College and funded by Te Kete Ora Trust. Sections of that work are reprinted by permission here.

In the foreword to her full research paper, Tyne explains her motivations for the project:

During my time studying the Certificate of Applied Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture at Taruna, I was simultaneously reconnecting back to my whenua (after being away from home for some time) and becoming familiar with my whakapapa. Knowing who you are, and where you come from, is of utmost importance in Māori culture, and it brings its own reward – a strong sense of identity and belonging.

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Botany Spot: Birch

Harvest Article – Summer 2015

By David Millin

Birch is a thin-leaved, deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula. It is closely related to alders, hazels, and hornbeams. There are over 30 species of birch, most of which are native to Europe and Asia, with the remainder native to North America. Here at Weleda, we use the European white birch (Betula alba) medicinally. Related species include silver birch, which has become naturalised in New Zealand, and downy birch, which is able to grow farther north into the Arctic than any other broadleaf tree.

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So far, so good

Harvest Article – Summer 2015

Clos Henri’s quest for wine quality led them to biodynamics. By Fabiano Frangi

We first talked about the possibility of going organic in September 2009, shortly after I had joined Clos Henri.
It was my first time being employed as a vineyard manager. I remember Lionel Bourgeois, our owner and viticulturist, telling me that if we couldn’t succeed growing organically in Marlborough’s climatic conditions, we didn’t deserve
to be winegrowers.

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My Biodynamic Journey

Harvest Article – Winter 2015

A Chinese immigrant takes naturally to biodynamics

Hongze Yao (known as Yao to friends) was born in a small region in Fujian Province. With a warm and humid maritime subtropical climate, agriculture in Putian has been very popular since the 1950s.

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Circle or Square CPP at Pyramid Valley

Harvest Article – Winter 2015

Claudia Weersing of Pyramid Valley Vineyards explores the effect of shape

As children, we all played with blocks. Some of us had the joy of blocks with numerous shapes – circles, triangles, squares and stars – and you would learn to find a matching cut-out shape for the block to fit into on another piece of wood.

The circle was for most of us the easiest, and it is still to this day the one that children reach for first.

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The Cow and The Vine

Harvest Article – Winter 2015

By Shane Livingston

We all know about the important role cows play in biodynamics. Cows gift us horns and other body parts to be used as sheaths for the making of the preparations. They also give us dung for use in preparation 500, compost and barrel compost.

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Small School Starts Biodynamic Journey

Harvest Article – Winter 2016

Motueka Steiner School’s dream of schooling children on a farm is being realised. By Peter Garlick

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Biodynamics in the Greenhouse

Harvest Article – Winter 2015

Growing vegetables using biodynamic methods can create gardens of extraordinary health and productivity. Living soil, nourished by regular applications of compost, careful plant rotations, and the biodynamic preparations, can steadily improve in structure and health. The daytime sun, nighttime moon, rain, wind and all the life within the garden offer challenges and opportunities for the grower to insert themselves within this seasonal dance and emerge with edible crops.

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Botany Spot – White Horehound

Harvest Article – Autumn 2015

Botany Spot by David Millin

Marrubium vulgare (white horehound) is a common pasture weed of the Lamiaceae family native to Europe, west and central Asia, and North Africa. It was introduced to Australia and New Zealand in the nineteenth century as a medicinal herb.

It is a woody-based perennial with multi-branched stems and grey green leaves that resemble mint. It can grow to be 80 cm tall. The flowers are white and grow in dense whorls in the leaf axils. Post-flowering there is significant dieback after setting seed, and the flowers turn to burrs that are spread in the wool and fur of grazing animals. It spreads easily in disturbed or overgrazed pasture and due to its bitter taste is unpalatable to livestock. In southern Australia it is considered a noxious weed.

It has been used since ancient times as a remedy for coughs and sore throats and as an expectorant. It has been listed as a remedy for expelling worms in farm animals, and modern scientific studies have been conducted on the usefulness of horehound. For example, a 2011 study concluded that the essential oil of M. vulgare contains potent antimicrobial and anticancer properties, while a 2012 study found marrubiin, one of the primary active compounds found in horehound, to possess “antidiabetic, anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.” It is also used in the manufacture of horehound candy and horehound beer.

At Weleda, Marrubium is used to produce our Cough Elixir remedy. We harvest the leaf and soft fleshy stems prior to flowering in the spring, when leafy growth is at its maximum. These are then dried and stored until needed. In the manufacturing process, Marrubium leaf is decocted in boiling water, along with various other herbs that are useful in treating cold and flu symptoms, such as plantain and thyme.

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The Human Touch – Biodynamics at Seresin

Harvest Article – Autumn 2015

Biodynamics and intention on the Seresin wine-farm. By Daniel Honan

“There’s something we don’t talk about, which I think is the most intriguing thing about wine,” says Colin Ross, Estate Manager at Seresin in Marlborough. “We ignore the alcohol, the 12.5%, which is a spirit, and not all alcohol has the same effect, so, as potential drug growers it’s something we should all be conscious of.”

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