Lets start 2014 with a bang, shall we? Our goals for the year……
Personal and family goals are important, and certainly much better than New Years resolutions, which most people inevitably break within the first week or two. That is of course if everyone agrees to them.
The goals I am about to announce have been discussed as a family group, and we are all on-board. This initial agreement will go a long way to achieving them.
Now, to get everyone up to speed, I wrote about how to set goals in this post titled The Secret to Emptying the Too Hard Basket and Setting Goals, which will help as I work through our little list.
I proposed two goals, Kim proposed two, and Ben proposed one, so our list looks something like this;
- Investigate Native Beehive placement.
- Publish at least one podcast a month with Kim as co-host.
- Teach my son Ben how to cook dinner at least once a week.
- Perfect at least two mould ripened cheeses.
- Install a third rainwater tank.
Lets break them down further and why we want to pursue these goals for 2014.
1. Investigate Native Beehive placement
This was the first of Kim’s suggestions. It really surprised me, as I have been dropping the hint of a bee hive around the yard for ages. What prompted her into action was a documentary titled More Than Honey. In fact, it was just the trailer that she saw (which you can view here; http://youtu.be/Wh_IRrBeu-0), and she did a bit of research about how bees are dying all over the world, and what it would mean to humanity.
However, I did reminder her that I was allergic to bee stings (blow up like a balloon), and that we would probably have to opt for native sting-less bees. We may be out of luck as native bees like warmer climates, so Victoria may be too far south. I will have to do some more research.
We want to have a hive up and running by June, and we do not want to manage the hive ourselves. I did read somewhere that you can call an apiarist and they will place the hive on your property, check in on it once in a while, and perform all the hive maintenance in return for some honey for our family. We have lots of pollination opportunities for the bees, so pollen will not be an issue. There are lots of well established native eucalyptus trees as well on offer.
All I have to do now is find someone who will supply and maintain them for us. If anyone knows details of such a service, I would be grateful of any details via comment.
2. Publish at least one podcast a month with Kim as co-host
Since our first Greening of Gavin podcast together, which was Our Christmas Special in case you missed it, Kim has expressed a desire to co-host the show on a regular basis. Now I am certainly not precious about hosting it alone, as I found the entire co-host experience uplifting and a whole lot of fun. The podcast stats also show that many of you also enjoyed the last podcast. So to that end, Kim has agreed to appear at least once a month, maybe more if we have something special we want to talk about. That leaves three other podcasts a month for a solo act (yours truly) or a guest interview. As it was my suggestion, I look forward to making sure this goal gets completed! I may even have to change the podcast’s name.
3. Teach Ben how to cook dinner at least once a week
Ben is now 14 and at that stage of his life that he wants to learn how to cook. I suggested to him that he helps me out on weekends, when I give Kim a rest, and to my delight he agreed. In fact, we want to get to the stage, where he can prepare the evening meal with a minimum of supervision. Sounds like it will be great fun teaching the lad.
4. Perfect at least two mould ripened cheeses
+Ian Treuer, my guest on the last cheesemaking podcast (Episode 18), has inspired me to take a step outside my cheese making comfort zone and try making some more mould ripened cheeses. I particularly like the look of his Little Squirrel cheese, and the size of his Camembundy. They both look delicious and are potential candidates. Kim as also requested a milder form of Stilton, so I will work on a few blue varieties as well. As mould ripened cheeses need low temperatures to mature, I will need to make them in the autumn. Summer will be far too hot, with room temperature around 25° C most of the time, dropping a little at night. The cheese fridge is not cool enough for the 7° C required to age these types of cheeses.
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| My Stilton cheese |
5. Install a third rainwater tank.
This one will be pretty easy. I already have two rainwater tanks installed on the suburban food farm, so the only barrier to this goal is saving up the money. I am looking at getting a 2000 litre tank, which is about $800. I should have that saved up in about six months. Installation will be a cinch, as I will locate it in the carport right next to the existing one. The base concrete slab is already there, so I will simply interconnect the two tanks to extend the water storage. Easy peasy.
Anyway, these are our goals that we are going to try our best to complete before years end. Should be lots of fun, and we will keep you up to date on our progress.
Have any of you set goals for 2014?
Love your goals, and love how specific they are, and clearly well thought through!
My single goal for 2014 is a little more mundane: find a job in my field (after graduating from university last year). Every other goal I could have seems to pale in comparison with that goal! But I’ll probably sit down and work out another few “simple-living” goals, which probably involve making soap more often, making paneer cheese (good, easy start), knitting my first scarf (already started), and (re-)learning how to sew using a sewing machine.
Aaah gotta love that simple living!
I wish you well on your goals, especially on the job front.
Gav x
All the five goals are pretty awesome but the question is how religiously you work hard to achieve them. This will prove how committed you are for a better green living
Really? Committed? You don’t know me very well, do you?
Gav
My kids learned to cook, and helped from when they were very young. From when they were about 10, they had one night a week each that was their dinner night. They had to base it around what was in the garden, but write a shopping list for other ingredients, cook and clean up. (Being the washer-upper on the same night as cook resolved the problem of cooks who use every dish in the house).
One of them cooked spaghetti with tomato and garden veg sauce just about every single week, the other did some totally invented culinary experiment every week (some of which were gourmet, some of which bombed), and both approaches were fine (amazing how different kids from the same family are).
They’re both grown up now and both are really good cooks. They survived the days of student share houses with budget and health intact. Ben may like to know too that my son has discovered that putting on a dinner party is a sure fire way to impress a girl.
Thanks for the inspiration Linda. There is hope for the lad yet. Until now, he hasn’t shown any interest, but I will definitely mention the dinner party and the girl to further motivate him. Nice one, thanks
Gav x
Great goals and very achievable!! Our goals are getting a windmill to pump water instead of using electricity , make connections with like minded people in our local area and I have the goal of walking into town from the farm ( a 30 min walk) rather than driving .
Likewise with your goals Kim. Achievable and straightforward.
Best of luck for 2014.
Gav x
Gav, contact Craig from Edible Gardens in Werribee on his web page. He is also Prod Man of the Heritage Garden at the Mansion (im sure you know him or have heard of him). He has a program of placing hives around the burbs to improve pollination of fruit trees. He might be able to manage your hive or link you up with a Melton person. He is passionate about hives and has several in his own yard. Ive just spoken to my neighbour who has a jungle type garden and told her that with all her flowers she should have a hive. I was surprised to hear she was interested so that would be great for me next door. More Bees, Yay!!! My sister and friend wont be pleased but im sure that if i dont tell them that they wont even notice.
My goal is to get my 2000L tank hooked up to the water pump i got for Christmas in 2012 and use it on the garden. Someone needs motivating!!! Id also like to improve my health in 2014. Im not getting younger and everything is getting harder. I want to be fabulously 50, foxy 50, fantastic 50 not fat and frumpy 50.
Thanks for the lead Lynda! I will give him a call next week.
And great work on the subtle influencing of your neighbour. Hope it works out.
If you have trouble motivating, tell him that it now becomes free water. I think he likes free?
I feel it in my bones that you are going to reach your health goals this year. Not wanting to sound too forward, I think you are all that and more (fabulous that is)
Gav x
hi Gavin
there is a guy called peter dyer that manages backyard services. not sure if he goes out west. google backyard honey
native stingless bees are often solitary bees and near in the ground as well as liking warmer climates so I think you might need to contemplate ‘normal’ bees if you want to pollinate as well as having honey
Claire in kalorama (also secretary of the natural bee keeping group)
ok. 2 corrections to the above message: stingless bees ‘nest’ in the ground (not near) and peter dyer manages backyard ‘hives’ (not services). 0425 873 555 is his mobile number
happy new year to you also
Claire in kalorama
Thanks Claire. I will follow him up. Happy New Year to you!
Gav x
Hi Gavin,
I’m hoping that you can share some more info on your water tanks. How are you using the water? Is it just for your plants? Do you use it for human consumption and if so, how do purify it? I have a rain barrel I use for watering non edible plants but my Master Gardener course teaches not to use this water on edibles because of contaminates from the roof. Thanks for the help! Sue
Hi Sue. I see you live in the UK, so not sure what you have on your roof. Here in Australia, most suburban homes either have corrugated iron or cement tiles on their roof, which are fine for rainwater collection. Also, I live a fair way (50km) from any heavy industrial sites, so the only thing I have to worry about is bird droppings getting into the water. I have a first flush diverter to get rid of leaves and any other gunk which helps keep the water free from most non-harmful contaminants.
The water is safe to use on edible plants, and I don’t drink it, however if I lived in any hazard areas, I would filter (charcoal) and treat it via UV purification).
Hope that helps,
Gav x
Hi Gav,
Thank you so much for replying. I am from the UK but live in the USA, now. Our roof is made from asphalt tiles. The rain barrel is collecting water from my garage roof which is old and the tiles are decaying. My only other contaminants are bird and squirrel poop! It didn’t occur to me to be worried about it until was pointed out in a Master Gardener class. The whole point of this barrel was to water the veggies. Now I’m nervous to do so. Maybe I’m being overly cautious!
Hi Gavin – glad to see you have the anonymous option again as that allows me to comment, and I have two for you.
First on bees. Perhaps you have leaf cutter bees or mason bees in your area. They are probably not native in Australia but might have been imported to pollinate alfalfa (as honey bees don’t do a very good job on alfalfa). Both species are solitary and neither produces honey, but they do a good job of pollination. If you get a block of wood and drill numerous quarter inch (or a little less) holes in it about 2 inches deep and put the blocks up under the eaves somewhere with the holes horizontal you might attract them.
Secondly Kim’s milder Stilton cheese. You know 100 times more than me about cheese but when I was investigating the subject I learned that there are various strains of Penicillium Roqueforti with the greener ones being milder. The brighter the green the milder with the blue free ones being somewhere in the middle and the blue the strongest.
Happy New Year to you all
David
Just noticed a typo ….. That was meant to say blue-green being somewhere in the middle.
David
Hi Gavin,
I love the first goal, good on Kim!
I’ve seen one blue banded bee in my garden (Altona) and it was one the biggest thrills of my life! They are just too gorgeous. They don’t make honey and are solitary but are native and really good for pollination of things like tomatoes.
There was a segment on Gardening Australia of how to make a home for them, it involved making plaster (out of soft cement) and drilling holes in it. They also burrow in the mortar between house bricks.
Could you post some of the recipes that Ben makes?
Hi Gav, Happy New Year. 🙂
Great goals and I love that you sit down as a family to discuss them.
Our goals this year are to have a goodly go at clearing the “weeds” from the block. By weeds I mean willow, blackberry (we have precious little thankfully), hawthorn (Come pick haws in Autumn if you’d like some wild forage) and mostly, the poplars. We’ve made a great start, sawing down several yesteday but we hope to pull the stumps too and several of the trees are well out of our skill level to remove so I don’t know how we will go. We will do what we can though. We hope to reclaim the land over the creek. 🙂
Other goals include getting stuck into homeschooling on a serious level. This year is our year to see how we go with it. A mixed kinder/prep year to either work to Jasper’s levels and get going or get him ready for school next year if things don’t work out. I’m scared stiff but also very excited. 🙂 I’m hoping to have him reading and writing to some degree by the end of the year. He’s already having a good go at writing so I feel this is very feasible. 🙂
Aside from that, just continuing the clean up, looking further into solar panels and a large bladder tank under the house and getting gas connected too. All of last years goals stand – gardens and aiming for self sufficiency as much as we can with vegetables and chicken (and hopefully duck). I also hope to improve my archery and to be able to add rabbit more often to the menu too. 🙂
I don’t thin I have ever been so inspired and so calmly focussed going into a new year as I have been this year. 🙂