Sustainable Ways

Living landscapes on sale

2011-10-29T09:03:00.003+10:00

Living landscapes is on sale for only $9 until 15 November 2011.
To get the discount (it is normally $14 +GST), you need to add the discount code: livingsale at checkout.
Living landscapes is an excellent gift for your gardening and permaculture friends.
for more information on the game:
http://sustainableways.blogspot.com/p/co-operative-games.html and scroll down the page until you see living landscapes.

Back to Eden movie

2011-10-21T08:45:00.004+10:00

We watched the Back to Eden movie yesterday and it was very inspiring. Paul, the gardener in the movie has found a way to garden in a very efficient way. Through constant mulching, he has obtained great results, such as no use of fertiliser, basically no irrigation, no or very little pest control.
He uses only wood chips from branches with lots of leaves on his garden.
This whole process reminds me of the compost Jean Pain that we used in Europe. It was amazing indeed. The difference is that Paul does not go through composting in a heap first, he just puts the woodchips directly on the soil.

You can watch the movie online here: www.backtoedenfilm.com/

As with all methods that use high mulching there are a lot of benefits and it makes gardening a lot easier. No tilling, turning the soil, less and easy weeding are only a few that make it so much more attractive to start a garden.

If you go to the FAQ on his site, www.backtoedenfilm.com/faqs/index.html you can also watch chapter by chapter, if you have particular questions. There is much more information on the site, just click all the links.

I experienced Paul as very religious and he refers a lot to the bible. He has used the information in the bible to find a solution and one that can help the world from becoming more sustainable. If his mentioning of "God" disturbs you, you can maybe try to replace it with the "Universe"

Affiliate program

2011-10-14T20:13:00.003+10:00

I have been working on sites and this blog in the last week. I have brought all my games and tutorials together in one shop here on this site.

The reason why I am doing this is to make it easier to have help from people to promote my work.
How would you benefit from helping me to sell my work?
By signing up for my affiliate program, you can put a link on your blog or site and if someone clicks the link and buys one of my products, you will get a commission paid for that. So, you are actually rewarded in $$$ for bringing this customer to me.

For now, the games and the tutorials that I make are included in this program. You can find all the items that you can earn a commission on in my shop.

More information is available here
If this is something for you, you can Join our Affiliate Program!

I'm back

2011-10-13T23:27:00.002+10:00

I didn't go on a holiday, just didn't take time to post here.
I am giving this blog a new outfit. I think it looks a lot better now. Just working on it at the moment.
I have uploaded my craft tutorials here as well, you can find them at
http://sustainableways.blogspot.com/p/learn-fibre-crafts.html

More to come.

Holistic Management

2010-07-14T23:49:00.006+10:00

The first course of RegenAg, Holistic Management, (www.RegenAg.com) is going to start soon in Far North Queensland.

Here are all the details:
3 DAY WORKSHOP: AUGUST 16 - 18 2010: CAIRNS QLD
Holistic Management goal setting, grazing planning, decision making and land management planning for health and productivity of your farm...

Taught by KIRK GADZIA (USA)
Venue: Wetherby Station, Mt. Molloy QLD
Dates: 16 - 18 August, 2010
Cost: $650 (FarmReady 100% reimbursement)

This workshop is part of the 2010 Regenerative Agriculture Workshop Series regenerating Australia’s soils, profits and communities with education by world-leaders in sustainable farming...
FreeRange Permaculture is the proud QLD provider of the 2010 RegenAG Workshop Series.

www.RegenAG.com

WORKSHOP DETAILS

This workshop module focuses on improving soil health and the biodiversity of rangelands and pastures, increasing grazing and wildlife capacity, increasing annual profits and enhancing
livelihoods. Optimal rainfall usage, methods of reversing desertification, increasing food and
water security and enhancing family relationships.

Topics Include
* Improving soil health
* Increasing biodiversity
* Improving grazing productivity
* Enhancing wildlife capacity
* Increasing annual profits
* Enhancing livelihoods
* Optimal use of water resources
* Growing heather crops
* Achieving higher yields
* Reversing desertification
* Increasing food and water security
* Enhancing family relationships
* Soil Carbon Sequestration

Kirk Gadzia is a certified instructor with the Holistic Management International Center and founder of Resource Management Services, with over 20 years experience teaching the concepts of Holistic Management® worldwide.
Combined with his extensive international consulting work on many agricultural operations, Kirk is uniquely qualified to help you achieve your learning objectives. Years of assisting people on the land has helped Kirk approach this course in an interactive, hands-on style. His courses are known for a relaxed atmosphere, open dialogue and practical real-life examples.

This course is FARMREADY APPROVED, which makes it free for landholders & primary producers to attend. Go to our website www.FreeRangePermaculture.com.au
to see if you’re eligible and for all the info you need to apply.

Etsy showcase - works inspired by nature

2010-06-20T21:49:00.002+10:00

Check out this amazing showcase of etsy artists who made work inspired by nature.

Here is the link:
http://permacultured.com.au/2010/06/from-etsy-with-love-showcase-of-21-amazing-works-inspired-by-nature/

The Tenth Australian Permaculture Convergence

2010-06-09T21:18:00.003+10:00

The tenth Australian Permaculture Convergence is coming closer.

It is organised by permaculture Cairns and will be happening in Kuranda, Far North Queensland. Visit the website, http://www.apc10.org/ for the schedule of the event and all the other important information and details.

There will be workshops, speakers, fun and a tour around the Atherton Tablelands to visit established permaculture places.

The facebook page is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/APC10-Festival-of-Permaculture-Convergence-Kuranda-FNQld-Sept-24-27/301346362655?ref=ts

The Dwarf and the Giant

2010-06-07T22:23:00.001+10:00

The difference between this dwarf and this giant banana is also the difference between 750gram and 25gram,or the difference between a plantain and an egg banana...

Plantains are bananas often used for cooking. You can however let them completely ripen and eat them raw and they are delicious. The egg bananas, also called monkey bananas are a really delicacy and hard to find, at least here in Far North Queensland.

So think twice next time when you ask for a banana.

Some pictures from the garden

2010-06-04T23:46:00.009+10:00

The garden is doing great with some vegetables ready to harvest. I regret not putting more time into gardening. I wish days would be longer.

The lettuce is ready to harvest. We struggled a bit with water supply, so we haven't been able to fill up the swales as planned. I would have liked to irrigate through the swales and than fill them up with mulch, so the whole system would stay more humid, especially with the dry weather that we had lately.

The radishes are nice and crisp. This bed has been watered the most, I gave it some special attention. Unfortunately, I am the only one in the family who seems to like them.

The tomatoes are showing their first fruits (still green).

And I love comfrey. It can be used as a fertiliser, animal feed, medicinal uses, mulch. I , bused to grow it extensively when we lived in the south of France. The climate here seems a bit more difficult, but I want to succeed. The yellow flowers are yellow cosmos flowers. I use them for dyeing wool and fabrics, they are another of my favorites.

Yesterday, I planted young capsicum plants and marigolds in between the lettuce. They will gradually take over the space, now used by the lettuce. The lettuce will soon be harvested anyway. I like to create a permanent garden without empty spaces.

Swale Construction Interrupted

2010-04-06T08:42:00.002+10:00

We were so excited and working hard on making more swales in the garden, the weather had other plans. It has been raining and raining and everything is soaking wet.

The good news is that were the swales are dug already, the soil on the beds is nice and wet, but not soaking wet, while everywhere else around that area, we sink in the ground up to our ankles.

Very promising!

I have planted bush beans on the first bed and they are fine, even next to the swale, while beans can't stand any wet weather normally ( sorry no photo available yet). The photo above is of the second swale, halfway done.
All this is encouraging us to start digging again when it dries up.

Duckling count

2010-04-03T20:01:00.004+10:00

Eight little ducklings swimming in a pond.

Two went missing?? ....Snake???

We gave one to the neighbours.

Two were taken by a hawk.

One is in the photo below, can you see it?

And here are the two that are still with us.

Did you want to see them when they had just hatched?:
http://sustainableways.blogspot.com/2010/02/and-they-hatched.html

The first swale

2010-03-31T23:34:00.007+10:00

So, here we managed to make our first swale, which will be part of a big network of swales.

This will decrease the need for extra irrigation; in fact the rainwater will be captured in these swales, which will be connected with one another and will hold the water much longer into our garden and reduce dramatically the need for irrigation. In case of heavy rain, the vegetables will not get waterlogged.
This whole system takes a bit of time to set up, and in the longer time, it will save us on water usage dramatically.

We planted 2 dwarf cavendish banana plants along the swale, one mulberry tree and a tamarillo tree. In between, there is space for vegetables.

Rust Dyeing

2010-03-27T19:41:00.004+10:00

I have been playing with some rusted items and below are a few pictures of what I have dyed so far. I find rust dyeing an interesting approach as it brings unpredicted results.

Rust on silk by rolling the silk around a rusted bar.

Rust on a yellow T-shirt dyed on a rusted hotplate.

Imagine....

2010-03-26T07:27:00.003+10:00

this paddock turned into an edible garden.

We are working on it already and will get there step by step.
There will be a vegetable garden, a chicken run, an orchard or a food forest.
I will keep posting our progress.

Checking out the garden

2010-02-22T19:58:00.004+10:00

I haven't concentrated much on the garden lately, as it is raining so much. We are having a really good crop of sweet corn, which is doing well with all the rain. They got some rich chicken manure in the beginning and lots of mulch. I thought we went wrong with not giving them enough water at the start, but it doesn't look like they have suffered a lot from it.

And they hatched

2010-02-18T21:45:00.005+10:00

8 cute little muscovy ducklings hatched and became member of our extended poultry family.

Pipping

Nearly there.

Waiting for the last ones to hatch.

First paddle in an undeep container.

What's the difference between bamboo fibre and rayon?

2010-02-03T22:39:00.005+10:00

It has been an ongoing discussion between those who consider bamboo fibre as sustainable and eco friendly on the one side, and those who look at the actual production process on the other.
The difference between bamboo fabric and rayon lays only in the actual product it is derived from, where you could name bamboo as very eco friendly. So, the process for obtaining the actual fabric seems to be the same for both.

bambusa textilis

I just read an article about some law changes in Canada according to labelling bamboo fibres.
Here is the link: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/02/01/consumer-bamboo-rayon.html

I had written a post about it on my other blog, where you can find links for more information:
http://lizetfrijters.blogspot.com/2008/03/is-bamboo-fiber-eco-friendly.html

What's in season? Jackfruit.

2010-01-28T22:31:00.006+10:00

For those of you who have never seen jackfruit, here is a monster one, it weighs 15.5kg. This is not unusual though. It was just a bit of an adventure to get it down from the tree and it is very big, considering it is coming from a relatively small tree.

Jackfruit trees can grow into enormous sizes, up to 15 m high.

Jackfruit is a seasonal fruit in the tropics and the subtropics. It is loved by many and disapproved by others. What we call a nice smell when the fruit is ripe, is called disagreeable by others.

Anyway, we love it and we had a good feast.

There are two main types of jackfruit. One is a soft one, the flesh becomes soft when ripe, while the other, a crunchy one, stays firm and crisp when ripe. And within these two types, there are a lot of different varieties. This one is a soft one.

Jackfruit can easily grow from seed. Choose a fruit that you really like if you want to collect tasty fruit. The trees like regular watering when younger, but I have seen trees in Brazil, that never got water. They were huge and loaded with fruit.

Jackfruit grows on the stem of the tree and on the bigger side branches.

Jackfruit is an excellent food source for a sustainable garden. It produces a lot of food according to the work put in.

To conclude: Never say that you don't like jackfruit, if you have only tasted it once. There is a world of difference in the fruits you can get from different trees. Keep trying, you might be lucky and find your favorite one.

Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods

2010-01-20T22:49:00.003+10:00

Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods

Posted using ShareThis

Save Rainforests by searching the web.

2009-12-04T20:06:00.005+10:00

I recently started using an Internet search engine that saves 0.1 m² (0.11 yd²) of rainforest with each search you do and it is free to use, just like any other search engine.

The address of the "green search engine" is: www.Forestle.org

So far Forestle already has saved 2,792,895.8 m² (3,054,310.9 yd²) of rainforest!
Forestle donates their profits to The Nature Conservancy and they use this money for sustainable protection of the most precious rainforests in the world.
To use Forestle and help protecting our rainforests, visit their site, where you can find all the information.

Bamboo for a sustainable future

2009-11-11T22:08:00.008+10:00

Why is bamboo such a valuable resource and is it considered as sustainable?
There are a lot of reasons for this:
-bamboo grows fast, it is actually the fastest growing plant on earth
-it is renewable because it grows so fast, it takes 3 to 4 years to have a mature culm, ready to harvest.
-it can grow in many different climates
-there exist many different species, divided into 2 groups: running and clumping bamboo
-it is very strong because of its long fibres
-when using bamboo, there is less need for the use of timber, which takes a lot longer to grow
-bamboo doesn't need to be replanted when harvested
-bamboo can be worked with simple tools
-it is easy and light to work with
-bamboo has a lot of different uses:
-food production
-furniture making
-building
-outdoor structures
-flooring
-clothing

postcard made from my watercolour painting

Of course, it is important to consider the manufacturing procedures for certain uses of bamboo. A lot of discussion is going on about how environmentally friendly bamboo clothing actually is, considering the toxic chemicals used for production. A similar question can be asked for other industrial products made out of bamboo, such as flooring.
I love the use of bamboo in small production for arts and crafts, done at home, where there is no need for products that harm our planet.

Workshop: building with the big bamboos

2009-11-01T18:23:00.008+10:00

A bit more than a month ago, two of my children and me took part in a bamboo workshop. I love bamboo and it always attracts me to learn more about it. It was a nice weekend out on a beautiful property in Yappoonvale near the amazing Liverpool creek.

The course was thaught by Rob and Jules, who both have many years of experience with bamboo; from propagation, growing, maintenance to construction.
You can find more information on their site: http://www.bamboosolutions.yolasite.com/

We learnt how to maintain the clumps and harvest the bamboo culms, as well as treating and curing them in preparation for future use.

Bambusa Textilis or Weavers Bamboo

Bambusa Ventricosa or Buddha Belly

The second day we went into some structure building.

splitting the bamboo

We learnt the hexagonal weave, which is actually a really fast, fun and efficient technique for simple structures, such as gazebos and tunnels. And it requires cooperative teamwork.

The structures in the photo is not completely finished, we need to add something on top to give shade or protection against the rain. There are many traditional techniques with plant fibers to do so, such as coconut leaves, pandana, depending on the local area.

Recipe for flour paste

2009-10-01T23:36:00.003+10:00

Flour paste, also known as wheat paste or flour glue, has been known for centuries as a paper glue. It was the glue that older generations used for book making. These days it is easy to go to the shop and buy one of the many glues available on the shelf.

Talking about sustainable solutions, flour paste is definately worth looking at. Pricewise it is also a very good choice. Okay, it takes a bit more to start cooking and prepare the glue versus opening a premade container. The choice is up to everyone.
I like the idea of looking for alternatives to industrial products.

Here is how you make the flour paste.
Take a few spoonfuls of white wheat flour and mix with cold water until you get a thick paste. Use the least possible amount of water and add it bit by bit. It is very important that all the flour is mixed properly and that there are no lumps.

We now can add boiling water to the mixture, add it gently and keep stirring to mix in the paste progressively. If too much boiling water is added at once, you can get lumps. Now put it on the fire to heat it up. Stirr constantly and add more of the hot water if needed.

For gluing paper we will need thinner glue than for cardboard, so we will add more water. Leave it boil for a few minutes, take off the hot plate and keep stirring now and than when cooling down, to prevent it from forming a skin on the surface.
I also add a bit of borax at the end of the cooking time. This helps to deter insects and prevents it from moulding.

You can store this glue in the fridge for approximately 1 week.
It takes a bit of practise to learn the right amount of water, especially the glue thickens when cooling down.

This is also a fun experience to do with children.

I have used this glue to mount the paper on the boards of the gaia's garden game.

A new website.

2009-09-23T16:26:00.003+10:00

I have been so busy the last months that I haven't taken time for blogging. I am catching up now and I am preparing to start writing a bit more about our lifestyle.
Meanwhile I have been working on a new website for the co-operative eco-games that I design:
http://livingearthgames.com.au

Living Landscapes on Pure eco

2009-04-07T21:47:00.004+10:00

Pure eco writes reviews about eco products to help consumers find eco friendly products available on the market.
Yesterday they posted a review of my card game Living Landscapes.
Have a look: http://pureeco.blogspot.com/2009/04/living-landscapes-cooperative-card-game.html

Eco fashion

2009-04-02T22:12:00.003+10:00

I posted an article about eco fashion in my other blog and like to share the link with you:
http://lizetfrijters.blogspot.com/2009/03/eco-fashion-in-spotlight.html

Redesigning our garden

2009-03-26T08:50:00.008+10:00

I love gardening, it always brings me into a good mood.

As our garden got a bit overgrown a few months ago, we decided to redesign it.. Youri was very keen to bring his new knowledge into practice.

Considering that due to the actual location of the garden, it gets easily flooded, we dug out some trenches so that the beds are raised. We were able to leave the beans that were still there and nearly ready to produce. This time we were going to do it properly. We used an A frame to level the ground in the trenches and than we connected them so that the water coming from the roof would run from one trench to another and all the beds would get watered.

This is only useful for heavy rain, mostly in the wet season. Because we are renting we need to adapt to the situation and there is only a few meters of gutters, the rest just runs off from the roof and we catch it in our trench system.

After giving the beds a good layer of compost and mulch, we put in corn, yam bean (jicama),capsicums,yacon,lemongrass,tomatoes, more beans, sweet leaf, shallots,.....

Everything started to grow well and soon we had our first beans ready to eat.

Than came the big wet and the trenches filled up. Unfortunately, the water stayed for a long time and the soil was soaked everywhere. It was only afterwards though, when the water level went down and the sun came out that some plants started wilting and die.

We learned from it and being end of March now, we are ready to start planting again and see what the dry winter season will bring.

I will post about it later when everything starts growing and wish everyone happy gardening.

New year green book sale

2009-01-16T20:57:00.005+10:00

I have been browsing the Sustainable Insights site. It is an Australian online bookshop, selling books about sustainability, environmental practices, gardening, organic lifestyle and educational resources.

I like to mention their book sale until the end of January 2009 with 10 to 20% discount.. Besides books they sell DVD's, software and educational products for children.
Unfortunately, the book I wanted is already sold out.

Here is the link: Sustainable Insights

They invest 50 cents on each product sold into sustainable technologies and practises.

More steps towards sustainability in 2009

2009-01-03T01:01:00.005+10:00

I wish everybody a successful new year, a year where your goals big or small will be achieved.
I have many goals for this year.
One is to get our garden going so that we will be self sufficient for all our vegies this year.
Another is to make our business work and bring more of the eco games that I have designed into the world, so that everyone can enjoy them.

What are your steps towards a sustainable year. Please comment and let everyone know. The motivation to action is bigger when you tell other people about it, so more change of succeeding.

A well earned permaculture design certificate

2008-12-29T22:36:00.006+10:00

Congratulations Youri for your achievement!

Youri, my twelve year old son, received his permaculture design certificate and student of the week award after participating in the two week permaculture course in Far North Queensland, taught by Geoff Lawton and Darren Doherty.

I am extremely proud of him and I think it is so important that children learn more about sustainable solutions. Permaculture is definitely an important approach, which I love heaps myself.

The course was hosted by Free Range Permaculture and Kym and Georgie did a wonderful job in accommodating everyone on their new property in Walkamin on the Atherton Tablelands.

For more information about their courses visit http://www.freerangepermaculture.com.au/

Youri is a very dynamic boy and together we are transforming the place we rent into an edible garden. We'll share more about our progress in future posts.

A fun way to design your garden

2008-12-02T07:33:00.002+10:00

I am an avid gardener, always keen to learn more, either from other people or from my own observations.

Starting a garden can bring about many questions and to be able to fully enjoy it there is usually a lot to consider, especially if we like it to be a sustainable garden. Getting most out of our garden is easier if we design it well.

In such a sustainable garden design, we ask more why, how, how many, what, where, when… questions and than consider the connections between all of them. Or maybe we just have different reasons to take certain actions.

I have indulged myself many times into projects without thinking profoundly about what I really wanted to achieve and of course I ended up not getting what I needed. Planning beforehand is so rewarding though, and will diminish the hard work.

There are many different ways of designing your garden.

It is helpful to get in contact with the place around you. We can use all our senses, most people however have a preference for one or a few. Look around, what do you see? Observe what is already there, before you start a big cleanup. What resources can you find and use right on the spot? Listen to the noises and smell the fresh air, the plants and flowers. Touch the plants and the leaves. And then smell everything.

Touch, smell and feel the soil. What does it look like?

Sit down, close your eyes and visualise your garden the way you like it to be.

All these observations can bring us creative ideas and are a great help in your design process.

Now you are ready to go into action.

Take pencil and paper and jot down all your needs. Let your imagination flow to the full.

Think of food sources, materials for clothing or furniture, privacy needs or the beautiful flowers that will spread their fragrance throughout your backyard and make it a paradise for the butterflies of the area.

After that, write down all the possible ways for these needs to be fulfilled. Make sure that you find more than one way to provide for your need. For example, if you need building materials, you can plant timber, bamboo, dig for earth, grow grain and use the straw in your building. If you eat a lot of fruit, plant different species and varieties, this will spread your harvest. Fertiliser can be provided by manure, legumes, mulch, compost and many more.

You will now probably see the connections between all the elements that you want to put in your garden. Choose the appropriate place for your vegetables, buildings, orchard, and cereals. Draw your design on a map if you like.

You will find that it becomes more and more clear how your garden is going to look like and where to start.

Permaculture delves very deeply into every detail of the design and I really like that approach. I started thinking in a whole new way after doing my permaculture design course.

I have developped a tool that can help to make the designing stage more fun.

It is a card game and each time I play it with someone, so many ideas come up and it brings about a lot of discussion, different each time, depending on the personalities and desire of the players.

You can find out more about the game here:

http://www.permaculturegames.com/

Creative Endavours to Sustainability

2008-11-17T10:50:00.004+10:00

What if sustainability could boost creativity and would bring more fulfillment in your life?

I have been interested in self sufficiency for many years and knitted my own clothing from a very young age. When I need something these days, my first question still is: ”Can I make this myself?”

My mother was very creative and made clothing for the whole family , while my father enjoyed gardening in his free time. This, being my first lessons to self sufficiency, has lead me to a love of gardening and all sorts of arts and crafts.

So how would sustainability boost creativity?

When deciding to become a conscious consumer, there is a need to open up our creative mind and look for alternative solutions. This means becoming inventive, problem solving, comparing different techniques, decision making, looking at the bigger picture, thinking about future needs and most of all learning something new.

Sustainable living can be considered on many levels: ecological, economical and social. I like to look for a balance between all three.

I've started this blog to share some practical ways to live more sustainable, as well as giving information about relevant resources.

There are a lot of good books available to start off or for further interest.

I came across The Sustainable Insights online bookshop . They sell hundreds of books about sustainability in all areas. They also pay 50 cents on every sale to an environmental project, so it works in both ways.

Visit Sustainable Insights here.