{"product_id":"plant-fiend-a-memoir","title":"Plant Fiend - A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fascinating story of an entrepreneur \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewho has been growing plants for most of his adult life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this memoir Peter Butler explores his relationship with plants, which have always been both a love and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea refuge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the mid 1970s he and his then partner purchased 90 acres of dense rainforest in Golden Bay’s Aorere Valley.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiving amongst the nīkau and rātā developed his passion for forest plants but it was gold-mining that helped\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003efi nance his experimentation with commercial crops. He started with subtropical fruit, before becoming one of\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew Zealand’s fi rst certifi ed organic kiwifruit growers. When the wet climate and marketing issues put an end \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eto the kiwifruit, growing cannabis was his next venture. It also did not end well for him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWanting a high value but legal crop to grow, Peter then researched the medicinal properties of New Zealand\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003enative plants. The plant with the best supporting science was horopito, one of the world’s oldest flowering plants.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHis plantation of horopito now covers several hectares and the resulting business, Forest Herbs Research, has\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003edeveloped products utilising the plant’s powerful anti fungal properties.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeter also helped grow a large online retailer of natural health and skincare products, HealthPost, based in\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollingwood and owned by him and his family.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlant Fiend is the story of a driven, risk-taking entrepreneur. His successes and struggles are described with\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehonesty and humour, making for a wonderfully engaging, reflective read.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Potton and Burton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46758394626082,"sku":"9781988550862","price":40.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0052\/0785\/1042\/files\/31933-batemanbooks-1-scaled.jpg?v=1788319875","url":"https:\/\/petronella.co.nz\/products\/plant-fiend-a-memoir","provider":"Petronella's Gallery and Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}