Tuesday 16 September 2014

Do You Think Zero Waste Is Possible? - How To Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Hello! Do you Reduce, Reuse & Recycle things at home?

I have a confession to make.  I have always loved recycling and reusing different things at home.  But now I have become even more enthusiastic on sustainable, green living.

I am excited about those 3 R's.  Especially about Reducing. If I reduce, then I don't have to think about those other two.

It's amazing how much we can reduce waste (and save money!) by thinking about what we really need when shopping and what better alternatives we can use at home. 

Things that we do at home :
  • When I shop for food or any other things - I carry my own bags and basket (luv my basket).  Avoiding packaged food and researching ways of storing food without plastics - I am learning to make my own bread, cookies and pastries - hm..interesting :-) and our goal is to grow our own food at home - so we can shop for fresh food in our backyard! Yay!  
  •  We compost most our organic waste (except meat and dairy) from the kitchen and household. All garden waste and lawn clippings get composted. Hardly anything goes to the dump.  Anything that is recyclable goes to the recycling bin.
  • We are harvesting rain water and have solar panels.
  •  I cut old and worn fabrics and make floor rag rugs out of them.  Plastic bags can also be made for floor rugs.  Some fabrics I use as cleaning rags.  
  •  It's amazing how much cleaning you can do with baking soda, white vinegar and lemons.  Not buying chemicals.  
  • HOT Tip! I found out recently that there is a Loofah vine that can be grown at home which produces 'cucumbers'.  When they mature and dry out they become a 'sponge' that can be used in cleaning and a body sponge AND at the end of it's life they become an organic waste that can be composted!  Fabulous. 
Found this great short video on reducing waste.  Take a look how this young lady has reduced her waste into just a jar full of trash.  Inspiring!




Let us know how you Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at home!

Heli & Allan        

www.MyVegetablePatch.com 
www.facebook.com/MyVegetablePatch 
www.twitter.com/GrowOwnFood      

We hope you found this post helpful! If so, please be sociable and share :-)

Friday 12 September 2014

There Is A Permaculture Heaven On Earth! - Come On Tour At Zaytuna Farm In Australia

Hello! Remember this video tour at Geoff Lawton's Zaytuna farm at 2012?  How the run down cattle property changed in to a permaculture heaven on earth.

Here is a video from hempward on Zaytuna Farm Video Tour Part II made 2013 and here you can see what has changed at the farm.  Geoff, and his helping hand daughter Latifa, go through following topics:

1.  Kitchen Garden

2.  Natural Buildings
    -  Benefits of straw bale building and woven bamboo building

 3. Food Forests
    -  Establishing a food forest, using a chicken tractor, use of different plant species from nitrogen      fixing ground covers to fruit trees and non-aggressive timber trees

4.  Plant Nursery

    -  Seed storage and species
    -  Water supply system for the nursery
    -  Solar energy system
    -  Potting area
    -  Potting mix used => sharp river sand & sieved compost, how to sieve the compost
    -  Sowing depth for seeds
    -  Polytunnel for propagation => automated misters
    -  Shadehouse  => misters, worm farm
    -  Harden off area (outside area before planting in the ground) =>
       goes through species grown in the nursery and shows how to plant a Jack Fruit tree.

5.  Cattle Lane Ways
     -  Goats => fed with forage & pasture (50/50)

6.  Aquaculture

7.  Chickens (breeding)

8.  Soil Course & Intership Program


And now have a nice cup of your favourite drink and sit down to enjoy this tour here at Down Under!


 https://youtu.be/31Rb6TDlL9c 

Heli & Allan        
We hope you enjoyed this video as much as we did! If so, please be sociable and share :-)

    Wednesday 3 September 2014

    Give Insects A Home - How To Build A Bug Hotel

    Hello!  Did you know that you can help to give nature a home?  By building an insect 'hotel' you can help those so important little insects and animals to survive in your backyard.

    “If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish.” -Jonas Salk

    Also building a bug hotel is a great way to recycle any of your 'waste' materials that are lying around in your place.

    You only need to pile up some different materials that you may have in your place and then make a roof to keep rain away.  Or if you want something fancy, you can build a frame first and then fill it up with different materials.

    Found these two great videos on bug hotels. The first one is about how to build a bug hotel from RSVBvideo and second one is about the success of a bug hotel from Calastein .

    Hope you enjoy these videos and find them helpful!  Let us know what you think in the comment box below.

     





    http://youtu.be/5-7UhxaXgSc


    Heli & Allan       
     
    Did you like these videos? If so, please be sociable and share :-)