Jane NeesBOP Regional Councillorwww.janenees.co.nz Last week, I visited Whangamata and saw its attractive civic gardens, filled with spinach and parsley, where local residents are encouraged to harvest produce for their own use. What a great idea,... Read More

Dazz SwitallaFlavour SecretsNo.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz The rain is here along with the cooler temperatures but I am not bringing out the soup recipes just yet. There are many fruits and vegetables that haven't had any coverage... Read More

John ArtsAbundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz Today, we want to look at the importance of maintaining good circulation by ensuring the walls of your blood vessels allow for good blood flow at normal levels of blood pressure. If blood vessels lose... Read More

It's been called our 'competitive advantage” or 'blue gold”. By any name, freshwater is the basis of our agricultural production. But it's under increasing pressure. Summer droughts, seasonal water shortages and competing demand for the... Read More

Financewith Don Fraser Fraser Farm Finance On the farm interest rates are now linked to your balance sheet results. It has become clear that banks are now completing a risk assessment on every farming business. I have identified the following four... Read More

Mike ChapmanNZKGI Chief Executive Every industry needs to identify and nurture its future leaders. Most industries do very little to make this happen. Horticulture is fortunate that HortNZ, our industry organisation, runs and supports many leadership... Read More

Brent TrailManaging DirectorSurveying Services Ltd When proposed changes to rural subdivision rules were announced more than two years ago I was not surprised at the tightening of the rules in an attempt to slow down the number of lifestyle blocks.... Read More

Wendy MacphailEmployment Law Services Change is hard. Our brain resists change. Understanding how our brain reacts to change is helpful not only in our work environment, but also in our personal lives. When anything tries to change us we push back... Read More

Sonia LyndsRecreation Team LeaderSport Bay of Plenty Anxiously I headed for the hills on Saturday with my one year old - and the kitchen sink. Friends had invited us to a lodge swet allin the Kaimai Ranges. I'd been to the lodge a few times before,... Read More

Sideline SidSports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz There will be hundreds upon hundreds of Western Bay youngsters up bright and early on Saturday morning, with the junior rugby season kicking off. The most excited of the myriad of the... Read More

Pete MorrisArt blogger www.sunlive.co.nz Papamoa painters Jos and Hilly Coufreur are currently having a joint art exhibition at the Creative Tauranga Community Gallery that began on the 26th April. Jos and Hilly arrived in New Zealand 25 years... Read More

Dennis McMahon McMahon Commercial mcmahoncommercial I write on behalf of over 600 commercial property owners whom entrust Property Managers Limited to manage their commercial property interests on their behalf. Our concern is driven from a recent... Read More