Last year was a year of firsts, so I am going to spend this year consolidating my skills and working with the social and environmental capital that I already have established during my quest towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
I have all that I could ever want for, and new stuff has very much lost its appeal to me, even if it is touted as green or sustainable. However, new skills are always worth taking the time to either learn or share.
It may sound a bit cryptic, but all will become clear as I list the goals and what I endeavour to accomplish.
1. Raise the public profile of the Melton Sustainable Living Group.
Our little group (30 members) of eco warriors have decided to kick it up a notch this year. We normally have a workshop of some kind each month for members, which will continue, however we have decided to raise our public profile and give community workshops once a month as well.
We have booked a local community meeting room for a Wednesday evening once a month and plan to give presentations, small workshops, show movies, and demonstrations and the like throughout the year. Local resilience will be the focus.
We are going to bring sustainable living / simple living to our local community, mainly because we realise that our civilisation’s current living arrangement is not very sustainable at all, and think that more people are beginning to understand this. Our advertising campaign has already started by putting a few event listings in the local council’s learning directory.
If you have a local Climate action group or sustainable living group in your area, or even a Transition Town movement near by, why don’t you think about contacting them with a view to meeting like-minded and interesting people. I know that our diverse membership never ceases to amaze me and members always help me expand my skills and knowledge. There is never a dull moment at our workshops and meetings.
2. Conduct regular Sustainable Living courses at the local Community House.
This started late last year, but I am going to take it to the next level as well. Kim and I have formed a company called Little Green Workshops, and have signed up with the local community house to teach Cheese (Mozzarella, Ricotta and possibly Feta) and Soap making coursed initially.
If the first few months go well, then I will try and get more gigs at other local community houses.
We may even be able to teach other topics like jam making and other old skills that people have forgotten, and are devising methods of teaching more varieties of cheese.
Also, I have to ensure that I do not overstretch myself, however worthy a pursuit, as I do have a part time job (9 day fortnight) to hold down as well.
3. Monthly Podcasts
At a minimum, I will be publishing a monthly podcast. I know that my podcast has about 1000 subscribers, so by getting it back in balance and keeping the episodes regular, I expect that it will attract more listeners to this audio form of blogging. Maybe it is the old navy Radio Operator in me, but creating audio, talking to an audience, and post-production work is quite stimulating and I do enjoy this form of media. I get to express myself in a different manner than just writing which helps to mix it up a bit.
On that note, if anyone would like to be interviewed for the podcast via Skype, I am always open to suggestions. Keep topics relevant to the genre of this blog or alternatively, if anyone has a burning question that they would like to cover, I can record a session attempting to answer it in detail. No advertising please.
It should be fun.
4. Make Soft Cheese from Local Ingredients.
I am going to learn how to make at least four new soft cheeses this year. Normally I make semi-hard and hard cheeses, but I know that there is a whole world of soft cheeses out there waiting to be made. Also, I am going to attempt to source a local supply of fresh milk from which to make all these cheeses from.
I am sick of the supermarket stuff, and the raw deal that these conglomerates are giving dairy farmers causing smaller dairies to shut down, and the conditions that the animals are treated in factory farms.
So local milk it is. If anyone has any contacts that would be helpful, please send through an email.
There you have it. Working with what I have already established, which is a worthy goal in itself. Nothing new, nothing ultra sexy, but all very worthwhile goals to pursue for the next 12 months. The public profile raising will be challenging in itself.
I am sure that other stuff will pop into our lives as well, but that is what makes this lifestyle all the more exciting.
What do you think about the goals. Are they a worthy pursuit?
well, you gotta start with a goal and a plan. You’ve done that bit, now on to the doing… have fun with it 🙂
Cheers Kristy. Yes, you have to start with a goal. If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. x
The goals sound great. Where can we get information about the local workshops to be run this year?
Sure Rivergirl. You can find our local learning directory at this link, but it is not updated with this terms courses yet.
http://www.melton.vic.gov.au/Out_n_About/Libraries_and_learning/Learning/Learning_directory
Good on you Gavin, the community group sounds great. We are doing similar with our permaculture group, it helps me to talk to some real people occasionally instead of just on the blog! And you are so right with the supermarket milk. I really hope you can find a local supply of fresh milk, the farmers are really struggling with what the supermarkets are doing and its awful to see them having to sell up. I think you will make better cheese with fresh milk too 🙂
Hi Liz. It is certainly refreshing talking to other like minded people your local area. I never ceases to inspire me to do better at what I do.
Gav x
I love following your adventures and am continually inspired by your dedication. Hope 2013 is all you hope for…and more!
Thanks for your support over 2012 Hazel! x
Hi Gav,
They sound like great goals. We drink Mirandadale milk which is from a small company in South Gippsland (though we live in the Dandenong Ranges so other side of city to you). It tastes beautiful and I’d rather support a little dairy than supermarket.
Also, Swampy’s Organic Farm sells raw milk at the Mulgrave Farmers Market as well.
Thanks for the heads-up Mrs B. I think Swampy’s sell at Flemington Farmers market too. I will have to check it out.
Gav, your plans sound superb! I will be avidly watching your blog for updates on how you go. You’re a huge inspiration to me as such a beginner greenie and I will be continuing to trawl through your older posts as research too. 🙂
Please let us know where you source your milk from too. I have a friend whom I can get some raw goats milk from but I know she doesn’t always have enough to share and I too would love to bypass the supermarkets and source ethical milk in every sense of its ethics.
cheers Jessie. It is even nicer that we have met in person! x
One of the things I always admire about your annual goals is that you keep to just a few, which I assume you arrive at by a whittling down process of some sort. And you achieve most of them, which makes these ones really exciting. Best of luck with the year!
Hi Dawn. That is exactly what I do. During December, I reflect on what I have achieved, then start to write a list of what needs to be done, or what could be done better.
Then I start to whittle down the list just to the most powerful and achievable goals leaving only about four to really focus upon.
Gav x
Fantastic Gavin, hope this year is just as amazing as the last, and those before it too. My best wishes to you.
thanks Michael!
Thanks for the inspiration Gavin.
Sounds like a great lot of goals Gavin. I love what you are doing with the Melton group. Here in Canberra I am part of an urban homesteading group that Bec (EatAtDixiebelle’s) started, but we haven’t done much in the way of external promotion (for want of a better word).
I think most of us feel a little too overwhelmed just getting through our own days, but at the same time I do feel it is important to try to spread the knowledge. (Having been an evangelical Christian in my teen years, anything that smacks of evengelism makes me cringe a bit, but you are right, the world simply can’t go on with us living the way we do.)
We will soon be getting our milk local and raw, though not enough that we’ll have much to spare for cheese making (my kids go through a LOT of milk). But sorry, don’t know anyone down there…
All the best for your set of goals! Hope you achieve them all, and without over extending yourself too 🙂
Cheers Kristen. Yes, I agree. Knocking on peoples doors and “spreading the word”, is not my cup of tea. When people are ready, they will seek out the appropriate information and look us up.
Gav x