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All Good Things Come to an End

August 24, 2016 @ 11:37 By Gavin Webber 24 Comments

Yes, dear reader, the time has come.  Everything in life has a beginning and an ending, and I believe that it’s time to wrap up The Greening of Gavin blog and podcast.  All good things come to an end (to quote a very famous Star Trek series)!

All good things

It’s with a homebrew beer in hand that I say goodbye.

All Good Things…

With no major greening projects on the horizon or further lifestyle enhancements planned, I’ve essentially run out of things to say, which after 1,870 posts and 132 podcast episodes is quite understandable.

I’m officially passing the baton to a younger generation of bloggers and influencers who may have better luck convincing the masses further to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

I know that I’ve played my part in the rebirth of the simple living revolution judging from the amount of feedback and emails I receive every day, so I feel very proud of that accomplishment.  I, like you, can make a big difference in the world.

What have we achieved?

During the journey, we’ve retrofitted the house with many green features, renovated the gardens into an organic food farm, and transformed the way we think and live.  All that, as well as starting a green business teaching others some simple living skills.

When I reflect back to that crazy day when my whole world was turned upside-down, I would never in a million years have thought that the blog would have come this far and how it would eventually have impacted our lifestyle for the better.

And to you, the reader.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting and following my family’s journey and antics since February 2008 when I penned the very first post.  It’s been a wild ride, sometimes controversial, but always interesting and fun.

So where to from here?

Well, the blog posts and podcast episodes will remain online until either the internet is destroyed or peak oil begins to impact us all.  Just joking, it will still be here as a valuable resource for as long as there are bits and bytes.  Check out my archive for all the posts.

Also, I will still have a strong online presence as I will be maintaining the associated Facebook page and YouTube channel for The Greening of Gavin.  If anything exciting happens around here then that is where I will be posting this type of update.

Additionally, the YouTube channel, CheeseMan.tv, will continue to release a weekly cheese making video, as well as my cheese making blog and associated podcast at Little Green Cheese.

Little Green Cheese Podcast

Little Green Cheese Podcast

To cap it all off, our home business, Little Green Workshops, is still growing strongly and will more than compensate for any time I gain from ending the blog and the podcast.  We are still running cheese, soap, soy candle, and bath soak & scrub workshops each school term if anyone wants to learn these dying skills.  You can find all the details of these courses on our workshops calendar.

Little Green Workshops - end of year update

Click Through to the Shop!

Adieu

So dear reader, this is it.  Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support, and I hope to see you on my other blogs and YouTube channels in the very near future.

Goodbye, my friends and keep on striving for a more sustainable world.

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Filed Under: Gavin, Little Green Cheese, Little Green Workshops, Podcast, Sustainable Living, TGOG Podcast

Growing Oyster Mushroom Kits – Results

August 11, 2016 @ 21:15 By Gavin Webber 5 Comments

About two weeks ago I started growing oyster mushroom kits that I was given by Mr Fothergill’s to trial.  I was hoping to report back that I now have two boxes full of mushrooms, but it looks like the fickle finger of fungi fate struck again!  Only one of the two kits actually grew some mushrooms.

I was hoping to report back that I now have two boxes full of mushrooms, but it looks like the fickle finger of fungi fate struck again!  Only one of the two kits actually grew some mushrooms.

They both started out looking promising, however at about day 7 the Golden Oyster Mushrooms shrivelled and stopped growing.

But the good news is that the Pearl Oyster mushrooms grew rapidly and are ready to pick!

Have a look at the video I produced during the growing process; https://youtu.be/5n5gx9B8kTo



I think it may have had something to do with the way the Golden Oyster mushroom substrate floated on Day 1.  It may not have been soaked with water enough, but this wasn’t specified in the instructions.

Tomorrow, I am going to resoak the Golden Oyster Mushroom substrate again, this time placing a weight on top to hold it down for the first 24 hours.  This should kick it back into action.  I will take a few more photos over coming days to see if it works.  I would hate to throw away a perfectly good mushroom kit.

Then I will take a few more photos over coming days to see if it works.  I would hate to throw away a perfectly good mushroom kit.

So there you go.  My first success growing oyster mushroom kits!  Once the Pearl Oysters have finished growing, I am going to resoak that substrate as well to see if I can get another flush.  The instructions suggest that this is possible, so I might get two flushes of mushrooms for the price of one.

Have any of you tried this type of kit?  What were your results?

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Filed Under: compost, Food miles, Gardening, Gardening Videos, vegetables

Quest for some Easy Oyster Mushroom Kits

August 2, 2016 @ 20:33 By Gavin Webber 4 Comments

It seems to be one of those quests that every gardener has.  A specific plant, or in my case fungus, that eludes them.  In particular, I would like to have another attempt at growing Oyster Mushrooms using a kit.  Something easy that even the worst fungi grower could excel at!

Thankfully, after taking my feedback on board the last time I attempted to grow mushrooms using their kits, Mr Fothergill’s kindly sent me two new sample oyster mushroom kits to test.

This time, they have partnered with Sylvan Australia to produce an easy-to-use range of oyster mushroom kits for the avid fungi grower.  Each kit is available for a recommended retail price of AUD$24.95.

As I’m always up for a challenge, so I will be documenting the progress of growing the Pearl Oyster and Golden Oyster Mushroom kits via this blog and on the Greening of Gavin YouTube channel.

Mr Fothergill's Oyster Mushroom Kits

Mr Fothergill’s Oyster Mushroom Kits

Tomorrow, I will be opening them up and following the instructions to the letter.  Apparently, all I have to do is soak the kit overnight then drain.  Each day I will have to keep the surface sprayed with water to keep it moist.

In 7 to 10 days the pins should appear and I stop watering.  A few days later I simply harvest the mushrooms.  In a couple of weeks, I should have a nice crop of fungi to feast upon!  Fingers crossed.

Let’s see if it’s really that easy.

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Filed Under: Gardening, vegetables

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About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

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