Ooooby Blog

Navigating the Hunger Gap: Your Guide to Local Food in Spring

As we shake off the chill of winter and welcome the fresh blooms of spring, many of us look forward to the vibrant produce that will soon grace our farmers’ markets.

However, there’s a little-known phenomenon that can put a damper on our local food enthusiasm during this transitional season: the hunger gap.

Let’s dive into what this means for you as a consumer and how you can navigate it with ease!

How to eat tangelos

Organic tangelos are a delicious and refreshing alternative to oranges, perfect for adding variety to your fruit intake.

They’re naturally sweet, with a juicy, easy-to-peel skin that makes them ideal for snacking on the go.

When sliced, tangelos are simple to eat, making them a fantastic option for kids’ lunches or a quick energy boost during sports. Packed with vitamin C and fiber, they support a healthy immune system and digestive health.

Here’s how:

Safe and effective? EPA allows banned sprays, FSANZ fast-tracks GMOs

On 22 August 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in New Zealand issued an alert about the herbicide DCPA. They’ve formed a working group to investigate concerns about its effects on unborn children.

This follows a recent emergency ban by their US counterpart stating that it can cause irreversible damage to fetuses, even at very low exposure levels. In the EU, it has been banned since 2009!

Meanwhile, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) appears to be fast-tracking legislation to reverse a decades-long ban on genetic modification of food (GMOs) in New Zealand. And to do so without consumer labeling requirements.

This seems reckless and counterintuitive. Below I summarise these issues and suggest what you can do to keep toxic sprays and potential frankenfoods out of your kitchen.

How to buy healthy food if the internet goes down

In July 2024, we witnessed the largest IT outage in history. It’s a wake-up call about how much we rely on technology, even for the local organic food on our dinner tables.

I live off-grid, give food security courses and I have a background in IT. I think about this a lot.

How can we buy high-quality, organic food – even when the shiitake hits the fan?

I will go over some basics and tell you how to get an Ooooby box even if we’re without internet and electricity.

How we make homemade granola

It’s kinda ‘nuts’ paying up to $20 for a bag of healthy breakfast cereal.

Especially when this is such a fun (and educational) thing to do with the kids at home.

It’s not hard and doesn’t take long either.

So here’s how to make organic homemade granola at home. The amount of variations are limitless, so have fun with it!

How we afford organic food

It’s June 2024 and I just learned that my house insurance is going up 40%.

It seems like the cost of everything is going up.

My family feels it. Ooooby feels it.

You’re probably feeling it too.

In this environment, the number one thing on my mind is how can I keep my kids healthy, happy and thriving?

We are what we eat, so I’m not gonna sacrifice my kid’s nutrition just because the economy is in a slump.

Fortunately, a few simple changes to our lifestyle have made a huge difference.

And you know what?

We’re healthier and happier as a family for it.

I’d like to share this with you as well as some tips to save on organics.

How to deal with pests in your garden (and life)

You’ve been inspired to grow your own food, started your first garden and get hit with your first obstacle.

Pests.

What do you do? Are there organic alternatives to chemical sprays?

In this article I’ll cover a natural approach to managing insects and pests in your garden that is effective for all types of invaders.

In my experience, this method can also be applied beyond gardening to improving our lives, businesses and relationships.

Let me explain.

What’s the best type of garden bed to grow your own food?

You might be wondering what kind of garden bed you should make to grow food at home.

Do I need to build or buy a raised bed?

Will a simple plot on the ground work?

What’s the best?

As a permaculturist, busy parent and working professional, I have a few favourites that are easy to setup, cheap and low maintenance.

Let’s have a look.

How to make compost at home (the easy way)

If you are going to grow your own food, you need to grow your own soil.

If you are going to do so without sprays and fertilisers, then you need to know how to make compost yourself.

Good compost.

Compost with worms and microbes that your plants will love.

The quality of your compost will be the quality of the food you grow.

It’s that simple.

But so many people get it wrong and struggle or give up entirely.

I’m telling you it’s easy and I’m going to show you how.

I’ve even put together an explainer video for you made right here on our off-grid permaculture farm.

Let’s have a look.

NZ ‘Fart Tax’: Here’s why the government’s plans are full of hot air

Today farmers are protesting across New Zealand.

The NZ government is pushing forward with its unpopular plans to tax farmers for livestock “emissions”.

Farmers are already struggling as the costs of agricultural inputs, labour and energy go through the roof. Forcing them to pay more tax would be a knockout punch.

Food prices will certainly increase – possibly quite dramatically.

The government claims it is doing this because they say they need to prevent the next global emergency: climate change.

They admit it will cause a “reduction in quality of living” and “increased stress and mental health issues” (Section 4.4).

As co-CEO of Ooooby, a certified permaculture teacher and someone who lives on a sustainable farm, I can confidently say this:

It will be a disaster.