Families farming organic meal

Press, 9 June 1986, Page 8

Families farming organic meal

When lan and Gita Henderson took over the family sheep farm at Scargill, north of Christchurch, in 1978, they had already decided to convert it in to an organic farm. lan had seen biodynamic farms in Germany and England, some of them run for 20 years without artificial fertilisers, and was convinced the method was viable and sustainable.

A second family, Willem and Thea Kloppenburg, soon joined them. Willem trained in biodynamic agriculture in the Netherlands.

Then began the long and difficult process of dispensing with all artificial aids and building up the soil’s fertility, naturally.

“At first, the land seemed to be struggling. Now, seven years later the soil is alive and the plants and animals strong and healthy,” says Gita.

Because diversification is an important part of organic farming, the two families introduced cattle and cereal crops. In 1981 they bought a stone grinding mill from Germany and now mill their wheat and rye into flour, sold through health shops in Christchurch. Oats and barley are also grown and sold.

Finding an outlet for their chemical-free meat hasn’t been so easy. None of the butchers approached were prepared

and resource centre for human rights and antidiscrimination work. A wide selection of educational videos is available from the commission, most of them held at the Auckland office, although some are kept in Christchurch. Over the next two months, some of the videos normally held in Auckland will be screened at the Christchurch office for anyone interested.

They are: Space Invaders, an Australian film on sexual harassment at work.

Women in Management, a 30-minute video on the effect of women moving into management positions. Working up and There’s Always a First (made by the New Plymouth Y.W.C.A.), two videos on women working in non-traditional roles. Women in the Workforce, an Australian film on the barriers professional women encounter.

It’s Not Your Imagination, a Canadian film on sexual harassment.

All videos are designed to stimulate discussion and are especially valuable for management, training personel, school counsellors, vocational guidance staff and women’s groups. They will be shown at set times from June 16 to 20 and July 14 to 18, but the commission is also prepared to come and show them to groups and

work commitments permit. But more demand for our input recently — especially for human relations courses in schools — has meant we haven’t been able to respond to requests,” says member and mental health social worker Richard Stewart. The group would like to

reading incorporated into the lectures and made available to participants.

The six-week course will be held on Tuesdays (excluding mid-term break) from 10.30 a.m. until 12 noon. The fee is $l7. Applications should be made to the Department of Extension Studies, University of Canterbury, phone 482-009. Domestic violence Domestic violence is the subject of a panel discussion at the Home and Family Society’s annual general meeting next Wednesday, June 18. The panel will be Ken McMaster from the Selwyn Centre, Anne Caseley from the Family Court, Inspector Brady from the police and a representative of the women’s refuge. The Home and Family Society is an independent group which offers free counselling to families in distress. It is not aligned to any church.

Anyone wanting to attend the meeting is welcome. It will be held at 2 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce Building opposite Noahs. Women’s House Anyone wanting to know what the Women’s House is all about is invited to a public meeting this Wednesday, June 11,

at 7.30 p.m. at Aldersgate, 309 Durham Street. The Women’s House is a planned drop-in and resource centre for women in central Christchurch. All new ideas and energy are especially welcome. Enquiries can be telephoned to 67-725 during working hours. Compiled by Glenys Walker. Items for this column should be sent one week ahead of publication to Glenys Walker, Making It Happen, Home and People Page, The Press, Box 1005, Christchurch.