2tapry

Thanks for the link. The dowels that they sell might be a better method for us. Inoculate a few logs and wait 6-18 months. We can source plenty of logs and have space. Just need to research how well they survive in the cold.

Bought a medium size bag to see how it goes. The guy selling them says it's still a bit cold to grow them outside down south - frost is the main issue and they grow very slowly in the cold.

So we'll try this bag inside and see how it goes. I'm going to have a go at growing spores after we've done a third harvest off this bag. If I can get some going I'll inoculate some wood shavings. Otherwise I can buy some spores off this guy and try that.

It sounds very much like a trial and error thing until you get just the right conditions and ensure you are fastidious with cleanliness when growing spores.

I really want to try this again, but, I know it's probably just cheaper to buy mushrooms.

I've tried to continue growing my own from purchased blocks before, but couldn't keep on top of it. I am hoping to have another go this time. Can you do it well without sterilization?

Are there any good NZ based resources for 'How To' grow them fairly easily? I'm down South, so it gets cold, but the guy at the market seems to be able to do it. I'll be having a chat with him today. Any tips or links would be great.

Heading out to the Winton market today. Hoping to buy some "grow your own mushrooms".

"he does not resile from the comment because to do so would be to give currency to the idea he was being serious"

Pretty much sums up everything he says?

Labour/Greens have tried so hard, but those in the industry simply won't pay for their pollution. Time for some draconian action or NZ agriculture's value on the world stage will plummet (or perhaps that should be is plummeting) . I bet they will have their hand out then too...

I dream of a time when there is no need to own a car at all. When you need to travel, you just hail a driverless electric vehicle that transports you door to door. Good for you, I say.

Having commuted on smallish motorbikes and bicycles much of my earlier life, I can suggest two things - claim the lane when appropriate and always, always, always eyeball the driver coming the other way, particularly on a round-a-bout.

Wet and cold weather is not a problem with the right wet weather gear.

Great summary. Looking forward to part 2.

Living amongst the Southland Dairy community, I can honestly say I cannot believe the influence that they reign on Local Councils (regional and district) as well. They have repeatedly come up with schemes that delay any meaningful change and often claim best practice changes without actually measuring outcomes.

Just reading through the T&C's etc. of my bank and find the nugget below. Relevant to the discussion a little while ago:

The reason I've started going through their T&C's is because they still have not sorted around 21 small unauthorised transactions (total around $50) that occurred around 3 weeks ago. They informed me this morning that they are currently (I suspect they've just started) working through the claim, and they will be in touch in another 4-5 weeks. So much for the Visa Zero Liability guarantee...

Anyway, I won't be using POLI again!

The small amount of compost, 3-5 cm you cover with each year, is pretty much all gone by the following year. So if I understand your question, yes, no dig works on raised beds as well.

Just a quote I found of interest this morning from ABC Australia:

"Other countries, including Australia, take GST off fruit and vegetables. In fact, most countries that have a form of GST have carve-outs for certain items, and if anything, New Zealand is currently an outlier."

Not what the various pundits will have you believe. I remember when the change came through in Aus. (I was there), there was a lot of bluff and bluster, but it turned out not to be nearly as difficult in the end.

Yep, us too.