Happy New Year one and all! It is with a clear head I start this new decade (thank goodness), and it is with this clear head, that I hope to achieve these new goals which are somewhat inter-related to goal #1.
- Pay down outstanding debt,
- Start a 160 kilometre diet,
- Use low carbon transportation,
- Make soap, and buy none I that haven’t made for the year,
- Continue my self-education.
Pay Down Outstanding Debt. This is so no-one has any outstanding claims on my work or my time. I find that in many ways, debt is slavery in another guise, so it is time to throw off the shackles as quickly as possible before Peak Oil hits hard. We have planned to pay down the rest of the loan I took out for the Solar PV by the end of April (approx A$7500), and then start whacking over 60% of my wage into the mortgage with a view of paying it off in 5 years. This is certainly achievable and Kim and I have calculated it down the dollar.
Start a 160 kilometre diet. Better known to most as the 100 mile diet, but seeing we use the metric system in Australia, I thought I would change it to a local flavour. I read about the challenge that Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon who were the first to take this type of diet up in Vancouver, Canada. It features on p26 of Issue 24 of G Magazine, so decided that it was time to join in this locavore revolution. It also stemmed from the challenge that Kim and I gave ourselves when we went shopping for the food to feed everyone at the end of year BBQ for the Sustainable Living group. We found it hard, but managed to achieve it except for the meat. So what it means for us is that the food our family eats will be sourced from within 160 km of Melton. Hard to believe that it is possible, but I have a few conditions.
- The food that we have stored in the house is fair game, as I am not so stupid to waste a vast amount of resources that I already have at my disposal.
- If it means that we eat more vegetarian meals, then so be it.
- One take-away meal a month still stands as per last years decision.
Other than those three conditions, it will be local as I can get it. We are lucky to have such an abundant vegetable garden, and will be able to preserve surplus as we have in past years. If I can grow it or swap it for other local food, it saves us even more money and goes towards goal #1! So it is off to visit www.farmersmarkets.org.au and www.australianregionalfoodguide.com.au for some ideas of where to source this tucker. You can look at your 160 km radius by looking at www.100milediet.org/get-started/map. Type in your full address to get an accurate radius. I nearly missed out on Shepparton which is a large fruit growing area in our state due to this mistake!
Use low carbon transportation. Well, what this really means is that I will ride my bike more often for simple errands around town, i.e. travel to the gym, library, shops for light things etc. As I already travel to work via public transport and I have a low emission car, it is the next logical step now that my back is healed. I believe that planning ahead will the hardest part, and that allowing time to get places instead of jumping in the Hybrid to go down the shops will take a bit of adjustment. Savings in fuel will go towards goal #1.
Make soap, and buy none I that haven’t made for the year. Kim has got the jump on me for this one. For Christmas she bought us a duel gift of a soap making kit, however, when we opened it, we found one of the ingredients to be Palm Oil grown in Malaysia which means that rainforest was cleared to make way for Palm kernel oil plantations and destroying a great percentage of Borneo’s Orangutan habitat. How bloody guilty did we feel when we found this out! Further research indicates that you do not need Palm oil to make soap, so we will use it in the first batch, but never again.
Continue my self-education. Knowledge is power and a little reading and experimentation can go a long way if I focus on learning valuable skills. Gardening the Permaculture way is a given, and my wood work skills are okay, as is my cheese making, so I will have to look for new skills that will be valuable in the new economy. Possibly metal work, as I don’t have much skill in this field. Cooking with local food will be a must to achieve goal #2. All of these extra skills will also give me something to do when I pay down my debt and won’t need a full time job any more!
So, 5 big goals this year, as well as continue with all the other things I have achieved so far. I believe that all are within reach and not too unrealistic, and I just have to stay healthy. Goal #2 and 3 should take care of that. I reckon that the hardest goal will be the 160km diet, but we will see where that leads and how fast we can take it up. I think that as long it may become a Victorian radius diet, but I will do my best to start off with the smaller area first. At least I know where to get some local cider from! Henry of Harcourt, here I come. The Yarra Valley is in my local zone as well, so I won’t be stuck for wine either. Thank goodness for small mercies.
Sounds awesome! It can be tricky, doing the Locavore diet (or being an Ethicurean, or being into SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) food), but it’s a good guide to try and stick with, making some allowances so you don’t make yourself or your family miserable! Can’t wait to read about it this year…
Gavin, palm oil isn’t necessary for soap — you can use any fat. Certainly the famous Castile soap is made from olive oil. Rhonda at Down to Earth has a soap making tutorial on her blog.
Best wishes to you and your family for 2010!
Hi Gav,
If you haven’t already talk to Jan, in your sustainability group, about the local olive oil she found.
It’s not super cheap, quite tasty, although for a smaller scale producer the price is not excessive either. Our Community Havest group has been buying their large containers then distributing it within the group at the per litre cost so maybe you guys could do the same to try and keep the cost a little more reasonable.
Kind Regards
Belinda
I’m curious to see what you eat on your local diet, as I know very little about what grows where you are. Have fun with it! Since you said meat was an issue, you might consider raising some meat chickens. I know – your chooks are pets, so it would be difficult.. but the alternative might be going totally veg! My goat kids are terribly cute too….
sounds like a great plan to start off the new year.
Keep in mind, whilst Shepparton is a great option, it is in fact just over 200km from your place.
I only go there when stocking the cupboards with a few months supply, otherwise I stick to the fresh produce from the local growers.
I’ve had a lot of success with olive oils for soap which should fit in with your 100 mile goals also .
Good luck with your new years goals. I always read your blog with interest in your projects 🙂
Good luck with all your goals.
I did the 100 mile map and half my area is out to sea. I’m still not sure if that is a good thing or not. I love seafood but I worry about depleted fish stocks.
How do you figure out what’s in your 160km zone? I’ve been wanting to try something like that but wasn’t sure what’s within the blue line, so to speak.
Also, I’ve heard that recumbent bikes are good for people with back troubles, less strain because you kinda lay back on the main body of the bike.
Good goals for the future. I’d like to make soap myself, but I’m not sure when.
I know you’ll have fun achieving all five goals this year. All the best. 🙂
I’m interested to know what you will be doing for sugar, coffee, tea and chocolate, (if you use/eat those foods) or will you have substitutes like honey for sugar?
Hey Gav, there are plenty of frsh fruit and veges at Bachus Marsh and a lillydale chicken shop here in Melton.
Happy New year to You and family,
May 2010 be your best year yet
Phil
Hi Gav,
Good luck with the 100 mile diet. Like “Pip at Rest”, I’m keen to know how you’ll substitute tea, coffee and even wheat products. I’m a bit of a grump without those staples, isn’t everyone!! I wish you every success. I know where you can get pork and beef in your radius.
Happy New Year to your family.
Cheers
Anita
Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments.
@ dixiebelle. Cheers, yes going local is not for the faint hearted in this day and age. At least I have a substantial garden to fall back on.
@ Chookie. I figured that out after a bit more research. I actually go the idea of soap making from Rhonda’s blog! Like minds….
@ belinda. Yes, Jan did mention that you two had met. I think you are referring to the Mt Atkinson Olive Grove in Rockbank which is just 10km away from us. Buying in bulk is probably the best way to buy as you mentioned. I already buy olive oil in 4 litre drums so I will see how much we can get.
@ Amiee. So far so good, but only about 50% local. Chicken shouldn’t be an issue as we have chicken farms locally, and free range within the zone. I just don’t think I could raise meat chicken unless the 4 horsemen were knocking at the door!
@ Liz. Thanks for the encouragement. By the map on 100milediet.org, it is just in the my local zone. I don’t know if I will travel that far, as Bacchus Marsh is only 14km away and has lots of fruit and vegetables.
@ Mistress B. Castile soap sounds like it on the cards as I can get the olive oil locally for cooking as well. Should be fun.
@ nevyn. Thanks mate. Yes the sea, I didn’t think of that. Port Philip bay is in my zone, but it might be hard to guarantee that the catch comes from there.
@JulieG. Have a look at the link I put for the 100milediet.org. It goes straight to the map with a big 160km circle on it. My bike has really good suspension, so it is not too bad now that my core strength is sound.
@ Chris. Thanks, I will put a tutorial up when we make it in the next week or so. We have two boxes of soap in the stockpile so want to start making it sooner rather than when we run out.
@ Pip. I hope I answered your question in my post this morning and tonight.
@ Phil. Thanks mate for the tips. Bacchus Marsh is definitely on the cards, in fact, we have strawberries from the u-pick farm in the fridge as Holly kept picking ours for herself!
@ Anita. Can you please send me an email with the pork and beef info. I would love to find out more.
Gav
Oh silly me, right there in the post! Off the top of my head, based on a look at the map, I’d be ok for beef, lamb, wine, beer and olive oil. Pity my range doesn’t include the south-west food region – then I’d be ok for soaps, honey, all sorts of exotic fruit’n’veg, chicken, lollies and lots of treats. Might have to try a modified range for a while…
great info on the diet industry’s dirty little secrets!