Our Land

The world wants our freshwater crayfish. Now there’s a practical guide on how you can farm them and get a bite of the juicy price tag.

During the week Jason Price is a management consultant and efficiency expert. At the weekend he has an odd fascination with doing things by hand, like baling hay.

Installing a rainwater-collection system makes the most of this natural resource and cuts down on water bills.

If you’re a romantic at heart, turning your land into a wedding venue might be an opportunity to earn some extra cash.

Most people avoid getting into hot water, but the creator of a Coromandel resort spent two decades, and many millions of dollars, drilling for it.

These are tasty foods you typically can’t get in supermarkets but are easy to grow on your property.

They’re the alternative grape of the garden, can be sweet or sour, and have nothing to do with geese, but gooseberries are one traditional kitchen garden berry that will liven up your cooking.

Moisture and sunlight have a good and bad effect, depending on what you’re growing.

One man’s vision for protecting an unspoiled Coromandel Peninsula is shared by family and friends who count themselves lucky to holiday there.

The January guide to livestock and pasture care.

Rangitoto, Auckland’s most familiar landmark, harbours unexpected reminders of less-complicated times.

Meet the scuba diver on a mission to clean up Wellington’s ocean floor.

What does an official-sounding word like biosecurity have to do with your small flock of chickens or ducks?

The only human residents of a thriving Great Barrier Island wildlife sanctuary are fiercely protective of their native neighbours.

We need a break beyond our boundaries sometimes, and that means making sure animals, gardens and your home are safe and secure without you.

Japanese moss balls- kokedama- are an art form that’s easy and cheap to make, but there are a few secrets to their success.

Burning is an ancient, organic way to clear land of undesirable plants, turning them into fertiliser. But a good burn takes planning and timing, so think about the following before you strike a match.

It takes a village to create a thriving business for one Southland couple. Or in this case, several very small villages, a railway, and a real church.

New Zealand cranberries can be planted any time of year and are best eaten fresh and fully ripe.

A novice gardener's flower growing efforts have bloomed into a home-based business.

If you like the long green cucumbers, you're going to love these extraordinary orbs.

The summer garden will be growing in earnest, but keep up the sowing.

Why native trees and shrubs, pasture plants and weeds are especially important for bees when pollen is scarce.

Blueberries can make a lovely edible hedge, and with the right care one bush can provide eight kilos of berries.

Give your tastebuds a treat and plant rhubarb. This herbaceous perennial grows in all parts of the country, including cool spots, for much of the year. It dies back in winter and re-emerges in spring, once the weather has warmed up.

A group of innovative thinkers has been given top honours at the prestigious NZI Rural Women Business Awards.

If you love daylilies, you’ll be delighted to know they’re a delicious option in the kitchen too.

A unique opportunity to own a fairy tale property in Central Otago.

When you’re a long-time traditional sheep farmer, it’s a big step to growing one of the most glamorous flowers in the business.

Build this smart stand-alone ‘gutter garden’ to grace a deck, patio, courtyard or an external wall. It has a shallow base and best suits shallow-rooted plants.

Maximise space in a small garden by growing plants vertically. These climbing vine vegetables can be trained to grow up walls, fences or stakes.

Permaculture is a fancy name for all the things many of us are already doing in our orchards. Ben Gaia shares tips to get you growing more food using fewer chemicals.

Brooke and Maggie Noonan left jobs at Auckland Zoo to build an off-grid, eco-friendly house in the Far North.

A book argues New Zealanders are already starting to make a living out of the natural world in new ways based on “value” rather than “volume”.