Bay Harbour: December 05, 2018

PAGE 12 BAY HARBOUR
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday December 5 2018
ADverTOrIAL
Sustainability key
to organic farming
There’s something for
everyone in the realm of
organic farming but as far
as Bill Martin is concerned,
it’s all about sustainability.
The Training College
Manager at Lincoln
University’s Biological
Husbandry Unit Organics
Trust (BHU) is happy to see
a surge in enthusiasm for
organic food production
as younger generations
become more aware of
environmental concerns.
He says the growing
popularity of organic
production in recent years
means that graduates are
now taking what they have
learned into a broader
range of sectors.
“It’s not just about
growing, wholesaling
and retailing food anymore. They’re
going into schools and teaching primary
and secondary schoolers about the
importance of sustainable farming and
gardening and really starting to embed the
philosophy into the education system.”
As far as conventional agricultural
practices are concerned, he says farmers
should be encouraged to optimise their
production, rather than maximise it at the
expense of the environment.
“We need to change our agricultural
paradigm and re-evaluate our priorities.”
Mr Martin says those interested in a
career in organics should enrol in the
one-year Diploma in Agri-Food Production
course, which is open to students either
with or without university entrance.
Introduced last year, it includes Tikanga
and Mahinga Kai components and can
lead to employment in organic primary
production or other sectors related
to organics, especially education and
hospitality.
“The course offers a good grounding
in the principles of organic agriculture,
teaching the philosophies and histories
of organics and providing practical
knowledge of how they are applied,” Mr
Martin says.
Apply now for the Diploma in Organic
Agri-Food Production and begin studying
in February 2019.
Grow a career
in organics
Lincoln University’s Diploma in Organic Agri-Food Production will prepare
you for work in the organic sector or your own garden or smallholdings. It’s
a full-time, one-year programme that covers the theory and practice behind
contemporary organic agri-food production.
Join us in February to find out what growing organically on an agricultural
scale really means.
Learn more at www.lincoln.ac.nz or call 0800 10 60 10.
Santa photo will need
some crafty editing
I’M INTO week two of
my stay-at-home-dad
adventure and I’ve been
treated to another series of
firsts.
Vittoria saw her first live
crab at Waikuku Beach,
we took our first little walk
hand-in-hand (just in the
lounge) and I even got some
steps towards me.
My favourite firsts,
though? First photo with
Father Christmas and first
time going to an activity
where other stay-at-homedads
turned up.
If you have zero clue of
what being the odd one out
feels like, being a dad at a
baby activity is normally a
great introduction.
In my experience, outside
of weekends and public
holidays, dads at said events
are proverbial unicorns;
rare and naturally herd
animals.
Recently I took Vittoria
to our first Toes and
Giggles session as the
stay-at-home parent. It’s a
music and movement thing;
songs, toys, other babies
with coffee and biscuits
after.
I was pleased to see two
other dads (also in their
first couple of weeks on the
job so to speak) come in. It
will be cool to have some
contemporaries at some of
the same events to share
stories and compare notes
with.
We didn’t get much
time to chat, Vittoria
made multiple beelines for
the door, so I’m looking
forward to the next session
to talk about the stay-athome-dad
role.
As for Vittoria’s first
Santa photo, that brought
a small revelation to
light.
When I was a kid, I
remember being excited
about Santa photos and
getting a chance to get
my order in before
Christmas.
Going by Vittoria’s face
when jolly St Nick walked
out for the photo, I’ve
discovered that excitement
is something you have to
work up to.
She looked terrified and
fascinated all at once and
flat out refused to be too
close.
So for her photo, she’s
sitting on my wife Laura’s
knee, who is sitting next to
me, sitting next to the guy
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VITTORIA
& Matt
CLAWS: Vittoria and Matt on Waikuku Beach getting
up close and personal with a crab.
with the white beard
and red suit who keeps
getting unsure looks from
a baby.
I’m really looking
forward to getting the
final product when it’s
ready – apparently there
will be some crafty editing
to make it look like we’re
on the beach. However, I
don’t think they can edit
out Vittoria’s side-eye to
Santa.
•Former Bay Harbour
News journalist Matt
Salmons has become
a stay-at-home dad.
We follow his journey
weekly.
Chris Moores
Harcourts Grenadier Ferrymead
1020 Ferry Road
P: 03 384 7950 | M: 027 588 4440
E: chris.moores@harcourts.co.nz
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