The Experts

The halal effect

15 February 2021

I am often asked about halal processing in New Zealand, and why, as a small nation in the South Pacific, we have invested in developing processing expertise and practices in line with specific religious requirements.

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The Experts

Elementary essentials #3: Potassium (K)

15 February 2021

The metallic element potassium (K) is the 19th element in the periodic table and is one of the 19 elements essential for life in all higher plants and animals on planet Earth. Potassium makes up about 2.6% of the earth’s crust and is the seventh most abundant element in the crust. The human body contains about 0.2% K, the eighth most abundant element in the body.

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The Experts

Your soils – a cornucopia of nutrients?

15 February 2021

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the soils on your farm provided an endless supply of nutrients that you never had to supplement with any fertiliser? Imagine your farm was a highly productive and resilient enterprise producing highly nutritious, healthy plant and animal products, with little environmental impact, while profitably sustaining your family and local community. Unfortunately, this utopian vision and reality do not always align.

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The Experts

Nitrate poisoning: What not to do

15 February 2021

I often get asked the question, how do you prevent nitrate poisoning? My answer is always the same. Don’t wait until you see the signs, it will be too late. Nitrate poisoning can happen within one to two hours after eating excessive plant nitrates and once poisoned it’s really hard to reverse the problem. That’s why prevention is the key.

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