Imagine a debate in which a moderator could take apart the campaign promises and reveal, with Solomonic wisdom, their true benefits, drawbacks and costs. Enter University of Minnesota professor of Horticultural Science, Jeff Gillman who is passing judgement on the long running contest: the pros and cons of organic versus "synthetic" gardening. Gillman has spent years poring over scientific data to scrutinise the claims of the organic gardening movement in an attempt to give objective assessments of hundreds of products and practices. This is not ivory-tower stuff. All gardeners are faced with this vexing choice. Plants need feeding, and get sick or get eaten.

Wild asparagus randomly sprouts between the vines at Richmond Plains. The grass is long, and to those used to conventional vineyards with clear strips between the rows, it appears the growth is out of control.  Here, a multitude of grasses grow along with wild turnip and radish, daisies, pink-flowering mallow and Queen Anne's lace with its white flowers to attract the bugs. Mealy bugs, lacewings, bees, hoverflies, spiders and birds all have their place here along with the sauvignon blanc and pinot noir vines.

It is simply about keeping a natural balance in the vineyard, and that requires a different mindset for the production process. For Richmond plains husband and wife owners Lars and Sam Jensen, organic wine productionis about looking at the whole vineyard holistically and how it works together with the environment.

Farmers and growers need to heed the call of a farmer who says that the use of highly soluble fertiliser on farms is out of control and affecting the health of waterways and the food we eat, says New Zealand Tasman District Councillor Micheal Higgins.

New Zealanders were becoming more reliant on herbicides, pesticides and insecticides, but these could actually lead to death because they got into the food and water supply, Mr Shuttleworth said. "Man and his educated wisdom knocked down the tools nature gave us for free. It's almost a joke."

Just a generation or two ago, recycling, organic gardening, sustainability, and slow food were not a high art form but a way of life: they were a necessity. Most people's grandparents in our generation were avid practitioners. Being green saved them money and gave them a fruitful, fulfilling life.

Our grandparents grew virtually all their own vegetables and fruit, eating what was available fresh from the garden or could be stored, one way or another, through winter. Glass was recycled, but it was done at home. Our grandmothers saved all their jars and bottles, then precious commodities, and recycled them for jams and sauces.

An immediate ban on the chemical endosulfan, used in growing fruit, vegetables and on the sports field, has widespread support across New Zealand. The Environmental Risk Management Autority banned the importing, manufacture and use of the highly toxic endosulfan from January 16th 2008. Horticulture New Zealand said that citrus and tomato growers could face ruin. However the largest citrus grower in the South Island, Mike Curnow in Motueka, supported ERMA's decision. Mr Curnow, who grows oranges and tangelos, does not use endosulfan as he tries to minimise sprays. He said today, "I support the ban because endosulfan is a pretty fearul contaminant. It goes back a long way and has residual problems...I don't think that local consumers need to have sprays which are banned overseas."

Nelson gardener Adrian Myers despairs when he sees exposed unmulched soil. "I can't bear it," he says. "It's very unnatural." Mulching is one of the most important aspects to creating fertile soil and a productive garden because it helps prevent water and nutrient loss." Like a thermal blanket for the ground, applying a layer of mulch helps keep some warmth in the soil in winter, while keeping it cool and moist for plants in the heat of summer.

At certain times of the year, and in certain climates, it is just not that rewarding to be growing your own fruit and vegetables. The growing season may not be quite long enough to produce the volume and quality of vegetables to make it a worthwhile investment of your time. Don't despair, there are always options to consider!